Council gets details on surveillance

Press Telegram
Oct. 19, 2005

LONG BEACH — Video surveillance cameras aimed at deterring crime could soon be headed to Pine Avenue, the Queen Mary, the Long Beach Convention Center and other public places such as city parks, according to a report presented Tuesday to the City Council.

The city has applied for a homeland security grant to pay for some of the cameras, while the Redevelopment Agency and Downtown Long Beach Associates have agreed to pay the start-up costs of a pilot program on Pine Avenue.

In addition, the city has issued a request for proposals from firms to develop a network that would allow police to monitor the images. It could take up to six months to select a bidder and install the cameras, Deputy Chief Tim Jackman said.

Police and downtown advocates have argued that the presence of cameras could deter crime. Council members recently asked for details on a camera system following several shootings on Pine Avenue and in city parks.

Other communities have had success in reducing crime by installing and advertising their surveillance cameras.

In Los Angeles, police saw a 45 percent reduction in crime at MacArthur Park after cameras were installed, Long Beach Police Lt. Steve Ditmars said. Hollywood has seen a 58 percent reduction.

"It's had a pretty big impact in other communities," Jackman said.

Depending how many sites the city identifies, a camera network could cost $150,000 to $250,000 per site, Ditmars said.

The RDA Board has committed $400,000 for cameras as part of a pilot program on Pine Avenue, from Shoreline Drive to Fourth Street. DLBA, which represents downtown property owners, has allocated $75,000 to pay for some of the staffing costs.

The city is also seeking a homeland security grant for $50,000 at each of six sites and events recently declared as eligible for homeland security protection. Those sites are the Queen Mary, the Grand Prix, the Long Beach Town Center, the World Trade Center and Long Beach Arena.

The short list of parks that could receive cameras includes 14th Street, Martin Luther King, Silverado, Admiral Kidd, Drake and Houghton.

The cameras would likely be marked to let people know they are being watched.

"It's not going to be a secret," Ditmars said.