Some residents and business owners downtown are fighting crime in a different way on this National Night Out. Tuesday night, police surveillance cameras were turned on at the corner of 15th and Fremont.
But not everyone is happy about it. They aren't your normal hidden surveillance cameras you see at your local casino.
You can't miss these cameras at 15th and Fremont. They are big, highly visible and equipped with sirens and lights. Neighbors in the area are excited that the cameras. But the ACLU says this may be a big mistake.
In a city that never sleeps and a billion dollar casino industry, Las Vegas is inundated with thousands of hidden surveillance cameras. But cameras at several downtown intersections are far from inconspicuous.
Roland August is the owner of a mini-mart. “Here on 14th and Fremont, we have a great reputation down here for being a crazy place. This is the real Fremont experience if want to know the truth.”
In his 22 years in this urban neighborhood, he's seen his fair share of crime. “Oh my goodness, there's a lot of drugs actually. There's a lot of prostitution. There's a lot of… you name it?”
Which is why the highly visible cameras have been put there. They're part of Metro's pilot program to help clean up this neighborhood. Roland is so thrilled about the new cameras, he's advertised it all around his shop.
“They do a double take, they look up there they see the cameras, they know people are watching and they think, maybe I should do this somewhere else,” he said.
There lies the problem. Lee Rowland with the ACLU believes the cameras will only make criminals do their dirty work elsewhere. She also raises the question – are we ready to have Big Brother watching 24 hours a day?
“I think we have to have an honest debate about where we want to go as a city,” said Rowland. “This isn't just a debate about 15th and Fremont. It's about in order for these cameras to work at all, studies show they need to be everywhere. Are we comfortable with that? I know I'm not. Neither is the ACLU. The risk outweighs the benefits.”
North Las Vegas and Henderson police tell us that they have no plans to put up surveillance cameras in their neighborhoods. Metro got the idea of these cameras after researching surveillance networks in Chicago and London.
The surveillance camera unveiling is part of National Night Out. More than two dozen events are planned in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson. The effort is a way for people and police to come together and discuss ways to fight crime.
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