The City Council voted Monday to buy three surveillance cameras for mounting on power poles around town.
One would be placed at Evanston Township High School and be paid for by the school district, the other two would be used by city police.
Alderman Lionel Jean-Baptiste, 2nd Ward objected to the purchase, saying the $91,500 would be better spent on training programs to help troubled youths avoid a life of crime.
Alderman Ann Rainey, 8th Ward, defended the program saying the cameras are just one of many tools needed to fight crime.
The purchase was approved on a 7-2 vote.
Can residents see what the Spy cammeras see? No!
Awhile ago there was a large amount of unrest in a neighborhood in South Evanston which was pick up on a City cammera. It appear several people were fighting in the streets. I asked the quesion under Freedom of information to view the tape. Both legal and the police reviewed my request- they told me go get a subpoena. Given we are spending this money on these cammera one might wonder what they are actually doing? The City appears to have a policy on cammeras that they have placed in public buildings since they are actually monitoring thier own employees. They appear not to have a policy on these public cammeras on the streets. The American Civil Liberities union has a posting on thier web site about issues with these cammeras which is good to look at. To me the bigger issues here as a taxpayer is this a good use of tax dollars and can these be misused?
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