City Acquires 70 More Surveillance Cameras

Mayor Richard M. Daley announced today that the City has acquired 70 new surveillance cameras, including 50 smaller, lighter cameras that can be moved quickly to new locations, based on crime patterns and intelligence reports.

"Security cameras have been welcomed by law-abiding residents wherever we’ve installed them, and I’m sure this new one will be welcomed here in Englewood," Daley said at a news conference near the corner of 56th Street and Loomis Boulevard where one of the new model cameras was being installed.

"A camera is basically another set of eyes keeping watch over a neighborhood," the Mayor said. "It disrupts the activities of the drug dealers, and anything that makes those people uncomfortable is a victory for the law-abiding majority."

The 50 next-generation cameras weigh only about 35 pounds, compared to 100 pounds for the first-generation model. They can rotate 360 degrees and zoom in, and they have night vision capability. They can be controlled from the Emergency Communications Center or from the police district station.

The 70 new cameras will be placed in neighborhoods around the city, and some will be placed near high schools. They bring the total number of blue-light cameras in Chicago to 170.

Chicago has more than 2,000 surveillance cameras on street corners, at CTA stations, Chicago Housing Authority developments and critical infrastructure around the city.

Daley and Police Superintendent Philip J. Cline reported that Chicago Police disrupted two large open-air drug markets in Englewood in last two weeks, resulting in 23 arrests.

"We’re sending a message to gang members that they’re being watched," Cline said. "In every area where cameras are active, we’ve had declines in crime and in calls for service related to narcotics."

Daley added that "technology is not the only answer. We also can reduce violence by improving the quality of life."

Last Tuesday, under the leadership of CAPS, City departments began a coordinated door-to-door canvass in Englewood to identify needs with regard to human services and infrastructure. They also are providing families with information about City services.

This canvass will continue until the end of June.