Seattle City Council Eyes Expansion of Police Surveillance Areas

Right now, in three locations in the Seattle area if you feel like somebody's watching you, it's probably true. The Seattle police department was authorized to install cameras along North Aurora Avenue, in the downtown Third Avenue corridor and near 12th Avenue and Jackson Street in the Chinatown International District. 

The goal was to place cameras in high crime areas to help the police see crimes and see them in real time and identify perpetrators. In Seattle, it's called the Real Time Crime Center. 

Now a new proposal is heading to the City Council to expand into 3 new areas of Seattle. The streets around Garfield High School, the stadium district, and the Capitol Hill nightlife area. 

According to SeattleTimes.com,
‘Advocates for the cameras, including Mayor Bruce Harrell, see the Real Time Crime Center and the surveillance cameras as a “force multiplier” that will help officers become more efficient at fighting crime. However, critics point to privacy concerns and fret over how President Donald Trump’s administration could seek access to Seattle’s technology.’ 

The concern is that gun violence seems to be escalating around Garfield High School and Capitol Hill, and there are also big concerns about possible crime surrounding the world cup soccer games that are going to be hosted in Seattle next spring. 

The arguments for and against these cameras are not new. One side is afraid we're turning into a surveillance state. The other side says If you're not doing anything illegal, why should you care? 

How do you improve public safety without spending money? Seattle either needs to hire more policemen, or they need to install better technology. Could there possibly be some sort of middle ground compromise? 

Seattle could expand police surveillance to more neighborhoods | The Seattle Times