Camera's first catch gets felony drug charge

[chiburb]

Chicago recently installed a series of $80,000 remote-controlled cameras, mounted on light poles, in several high crime areas. This is their 1st bust:

Snip:

As Marcus D. Jackson smoked dope in a blue Chevy Caprice, he had no idea anyone was watching, police say.

But about a block away, officers were monitoring his every move on a surveillance camera set up at Augusta and Pulaski to target crimes both serious and minor that bring down the neighborhood's quality of life.

When they swooped in and arrested Jackson, the officers allegedly found $20 worth of pot and Ecstasy, a so-called "club drug," valued at $60.

Snip:

"He is nervous because he is on parole," she said. "He does not know what will happen when he goes back to court. This isn't fair. It's not like he was dealing drugs. I don't see how they could arrest him for just sitting there smoking weed. Most young people do that."

Jackson's mother has seen the cameras and does not like them. "To me, that is an invasion," she said.

Generally, though, the cameras don't violate the constitutional right to privacy if they're trained on public spaces, the American Civil Liberties Union says

Our tax dollars at work...

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-camera12.html

[pansypoo53219]

1. denmark is lookin better and better

highways are a honor system. No sherriffs lookin for speeders, rare speed signs. It is just understood. slow on the right. move over if someone is going faster. better drivers too. I saw NO cops.

[cprise]

2. Install them in other high-crime areas

Outside people's homes in gated communities, and in boardrooms.

[zizzer]

3. funny...

here in MD they are getting installed IN the houses of people that live in gated communities...and people are getting in all kinds of trouble for snooping on their nannies private parts.

Fuck Big Brother...it's little brother and The Spies* that worry me.

Zizzer

* a vauge reference to 1984, G. Orwell

[Northwind]

4. They tried the cameras in Texas

But the Texas Courts ruled that inside one's car was a private property, and hence protected under privacy laws.

The Texas legislature, never one to miss an opportunity, then declared that if cars were property, the assessed value of any car one owns would be included in one's property taxes.

[Drifter]

5. This is tough ...

agree about the privacy issues ... BUT

What about the case where a child disappears, and a video tape provides enough information (quickly) to identify and even locate the the child / abductor.

In this particular case, this guy was smoking weed in a car on a public street. He is breaking the law. I could care less that he is smoking weed. The point is that he is smoking weed while operating a vehicle (or he intended to) on a public street where his actions could harm others (like driving drunk).

If he was in his own living room and a camera caught him pulling off a bong, then I agree that the cameras are an invasion of privacy.

To me this is hardly a black and white issue.

Cheers
Drifter

[LynneSin]

6. Cameras AREN'T a bad idea when....

They are monitoring an area to ensure real crimes such as robbery, rape, etc. are happening and being used to help prevent and solve thes types of crimes

They shouldn't be used for crap like this, even though the guy shouldn't be sitting out somewhere public smoking the stuff in the first place!

[zekeson]

7. I agree

As the poster above mentioned we have two types of camera placement. When placed in the wealthy, gated communities, the purpose is to prevent crime and protect the residents - you know, the guys with friends at city hall and the folks who pay lottsa city taxes. When you place cameras in the inner city its a crack down on the residents.

If a gated community guy was observed on camera doing blow or smoking a joint in his BMW the police would make a copy for him and give to him next Tuesday when they all get together to play poker.

[demdave]

10. "Crap like this"?

The goal is to discourage "off-duty criminals" like Jackson from committing more serious offenses than smoking pot, police said. Jackson, 22, was on parole for drug dealing and possession of a stolen vehicle. The 5-foot-tall man, known as "Shorty," admitted he was a Four Corner Hustlers gang member, police said.

[chiburb]

8. I forgot to mention...

That this was THE front page story in our Hollinger rag this morning (Chicago SunTimes, print edition).
As for privacy, tax dollars, etc., I would think the CPD would wait for a REAL crime solved or interrupted. $20 of weed, $60 of Ex? I wouldn't be calling a press conference over that. Unless the point was to announce a new Zero Tolerance policy?

[demdave]

9. Sounds like one for the good guys.............read the entire article

The unit swarmed into the area at the beginning of August and in a week recovered 11 guns, impounded 87 vehicles and made 284 arrests on charges ranging from gun possession to car theft.

The goal is to discourage "off-duty criminals" like Jackson from committing more serious offenses than smoking pot, police said. Jackson, 22, was on parole for drug dealing and possession of a stolen vehicle. The 5-foot-tall man, known as "Shorty," admitted he was a Four Corner Hustlers gang member, police said.

So much for the portayal of this man as just a good son who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. He is a car thieving drug dealer out on parole making the least of a second, or even third, chance.

IN A WEEK they took 11 guns out of the hands of criminals and off the streets.


I have personally taken the risk of running drug dealer out of my neighborhood. As they get bolder they hang around and do drugs in public. I have seen the effects.... a decline in property value, unsafe environment for my children to play and even used hypo kits tossed inside my dogs kennel. This isn't about busting four friends who drink and smoke playing cards on the front porch.


Do the footwork. They said 284 arrests. Instead of hypotheticals find out what the arrests were and how much of that activity do you want in your nieghborhood?