[miketoronto]

I was Christmas Shopping on Downtown Yonge yesterday and noticed the street partly closed with police cars. I thought something happened, untill I got closer and found the police cars were just blocking traffic while CCTV cameras where being up put on Yonge Street ouside SAM THE RECORD MAN.

What do you guys think of having cameras? You agree with it?

I was also a little surprised at how large the units are. They are big boxes that have POLICE on them with the camera under it.

[arnold]

they're probably so conspicuous to act as more of a psycological deterrent than anything else. well... that and a political tool.

but i personally have little problem with CCTV cameras in city centres. its a bit more 'police state' than i would prefer, but obviously they do play a part in reducing crime.

[keninhalifax]

In Britain, they have had a great impact on reducing petty crime, but they raise the whole ideological argument about the state peering into its citizens' personal lives. Frankly, if the CCTV cameras are only used in high traffic areas, I'm all for their implementation.

[jeicow]

According to The Star there are only three set up (one at Dundas, one at Gould and one at Gerrard) and they're only up unrit January 7th, because that's the busiest time on Yonge according to the article. The Yonge BIA wants them to put them up full time later in the year. I don't really care they're there. I'm not doing anything on Yonge that the I wouldn't do in front of a cop.

[vid]

Ours are little black bubbles, they're everywhere. They work, too. Random beatings of the elderly and homeless are down 45%! And bus drivers aren't being attacked much anymore.

[miketoronto]

I don't have a problem with them either. I just question how big they are, and if that will make people think downtown Yonge is dngerous, because we have huge boxes with POLICE on them :)

[vid]

People won't notice them. I hardly notice ours. As long as their above the average person eyeline. Besides, being able to see them should make people think twice before doing something.

[SteelTown]

I don't mind the CCTV cameras. Hamilton was the first to start placing CCTV in the downtown core in Canada. Within the last 3 years all crimes has gone down in the downtown. The cameras have also helped catch drug dealers and I think it helped solved one murder case.

You don't even notice these cameras. In Hamilton there hidden next to the hanging flower baskets. So really you have to look extra hard to find them. The only way you would know cameras is in the downtown core are the signs saying so. I think by law you are required to notify people that an area is being monitored by CCTV.

In 2007 the CCTV program is expanding to other parts of Hamilton.

[flar]

I'm against all forms of surveillance, but it's everywhere now. Also, the majority of studies show that CCTV does not reduce crime (Here's (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-16856213-details/CCTV+%27does+not+stop+crime%27/article.do;jsessionid=q7snFFGDf3LYC0WTnXGsnVqJHnnn1vyRvKNmwF59WhhjsTGKzHcF!2030013766) one of many examples). It's generally a waste of money. Police officers on foot or bicycle are far more effective.

[Bob_01]

Well said.

But putting money into employment creation through infrastructure development especially in the downtown projects would be a hell lot more effective then more cops.

We have enough cops and there is enough evidence that increasing the forces does not help crime. Just look at Nunavut population to police officer ratio of 406 per 100,000 vs. 189.4 per 100,000 for Ontario. Now it may seem all lovely but there is a reason why we never hear anything about Nunavut's homicide rate. Take a look at exn.ca:

When it cames to crime, Nunavut had the second highest rate in Canada, more than double the crime rate of Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan's crime rate, in turn, was almost twice as high as Prince Edward Island's. Prince Edward Island's crime rate was a bit higher than the national average, while Ontario's rate was less than two-thirds of the average.

What about homicide?

In 2005, five Nunavimmiut died by homicide among a regional population of only 10,000, which means the average homicide rate in Nunavik is 50 times higher than for non-native Canadians.

Most aboriginal victims were shot, stabbed or beaten to death.

That's 50 per 100,000 homicide rate which Toronto cannot even touch and matches Compton (a city of 90,000). And as we can see, shooting significant as well. In Toronto, stabbing is also pretty significant and isn't mainly shooting seeing that in Don Mills, two died - one shooting and the other was a stabbing. That projects has >20,000 individuals so we're looking at most 10 per 100,000. And keep in mind that Nunavut is small, everyone knows each other and hence they can easily get in trouble. Most wouldn't want to involve in homicides because they can be easily found. But that doesn't mean TO's real homicide is equal because that would mean the un-documented rate is 25x higher than the documented rate. :D

In sum, all this is a distraction, poverty is the real problem (unlike crime) in Toronto and it always seem to be ignored (except before an election). It is the same case in Compton but they're throwing in more cops, sophisticated weaponry, etc.

Reference:

1. StatCan - Pop to Police ratio (http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/legal05c.htm)

2. Overall Crime Rate - 'Straight-forward' edition (http://www.exn.ca/mindbender/default.asp?id=47)

3. Nunavut homcide situation (http://www.nunatsiaq.com/archives/60616/news/nunavut/60616_09.html)