Salt Lake City police on Wednesday said a new surveillance camera system in Pioneer Park will be part of increased efforts to deter crime there, while another Wasatch Front community confirmed it's also planning to install park cameras.
"Pioneer Park has been a symbol of what's not right with the city for many, many years," said Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank at a news conference.
Burbank said he wants "24 hours a day, peace and quiet in the park." He said the department will increase the number of officers and sweeps that target drugs and other offenses.
The cameras are Salt Lake City's latest attempt to reduce crime in Pioneer Park, which for decades has been a gathering point for the homeless and drug dealers. In recent years, the surrounding neighborhood has undergone renewal but the park still attracts a disproportionately-high rate of illegal activity.
Since a murder in the park in October 2007, the department has conducted periodic sweeps, making arrests for drugs and vagrancy-related offenses. Burbank said the sweeps this summer could be more intense and include a focus on automobile traffic laws.
The city has added a dog run and jogging track in the park to encourage more legitimate activity there, and other improvements are planned.
Also on Wednesday, Taylorsville police Detective Shannon Bennett said his city plans to begin installing cameras in a park there in the next two weeks. Bennett said the $30,000 system, aimed at cracking down on graffiti and vandalism, would be in place in May. He refused to say where the cameras would be placed.
The Utah chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union consulted with Salt Lake City police before the cameras were installed and has said they are opposed to them. Burbank said he shares the group's concerns about citizens' civil rights, but that video monitoring has been effective in other cities and is a fact of life.
"Everyone should have free access to the park and enjoy the park," Burbank said.
Cameras across Utah already record motorists and patrons at intersections, and outside of public buildings such as schools and libraries.
A Harvard study of an extensive system of security cameras in the United Kingdom between 1995 and 2005 and a 2008 University of California study examining cameras in San Francisco found cameras deterred property crime but had little to no measurable impact on violent crimes, drug offenses, prostitution or vandalism. The Harvard study showed that police did retroactively solve some cases by using footage.
Allan Ainsworth, the executive director of the Fourth Street Clinic, which provides health care to the homeless, said he favors the cameras. Ainsworth said the cameras will protect his staff and help the public differentiate between the homeless and lawbreakers.
"There are a lot of law abiding homeless people suffering from that lack of differentiation," Ainsworth said.
Ainsworth said Pioneer Park is one of the few places for the homeless to go during the day, but some people "prey" on them by targeting them for assaults and robberies.
Where are the cameras and how many are there?
There are four cameras -- one for each side of the park. They are within posts marked with a Salt Lake City Police Department sign.
Where does the video feed go and how long is it maintained?
The feed goes to monitoring and recording equipment at police headquarters. Video records are to be automatically destroyed after seven days, unless something is specifically saved. That's only suppose to occur when a crime is suspected or there are special circumstances.
Is someone always monitoring the cameras?
No. The police chief said a person will actively monitor the cameras when there is a police operation in the park, when there is a call for service or special circumstances. But the department can review all video within a seven-day window.
What if a resident wants to view the footage?
Chief Chris Burbank says the footage will be treated like 911 recordings, which are sometimes available to the public under the state's records laws. Martha Stonebrook, a senior attorney for the city, said requests to view the footage will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
What did this cost?
The police department said the cameras, electrical installation and signs cost about $27,000, which came from a federal grant. The city's parks department paid for the poles and their installation.
