AURORA — New high-tech cameras installed along a stretch of East Colfax Avenue will allow police to monitor crime in real time and communicate with other technology the department has implemented.

But some groups say the cameras infringe on civil liberties. And there have been cases of misuse in the past by some departments across the country.

The cameras, positioned at 11 locations along East Colfax from Akron to Peoria streets in Aurora, have been in place just over a month. The cameras pick up where Denver’s High Activity Location Observation, or HALO, cameras end on East Colfax.

They’re part of the Aurora Police Department’s efforts to upgrade its technology to keep one step of ahead of the bad guys. Also, the department has placed license-plate readers on squad cars and body cameras on officers.

And now the high-tech, high-definition cameras along gritty parts of East Colfax will allow cops to zoom in on potential situations. If the pilot measure is successful, the cameras may be installed along other corridors in the city, such as Havana Street.

“We’ve been experimenting with a number of technologies,” Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said.

Mark Silverstein, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, questions whether the cameras are worth the intrusion on people, even though there is no expectation of privacy in public places.

He also said the cameras are likely to push criminal activities to areas that don’t have cameras.

“A program like this — that has police officers monitoring public spaces through video — has the potential to erode privacy, inhibit freedom and chill public expression,” Silverstein said.

Prior to the new wireless cameras, Aurora used cameras in areas throughout the city that operated on cellular technology that live-streamed video that was very choppy and “almost unusable in live-monitoring situations,” said Lt. Dan Mark, who oversees the new camera system.

The system allows the department to connect the cameras, along with license-plate readers, to a server at the Aurora Municipal Center. Video can be viewed live or within 30 days, after which it is automatically deleted unless it is evidence in a criminal investigation.

The total initial cost for the cameras is about $150,000 — paid for through grants and city money.

Nobody currently is assigned to monitor the cameras live. However, the department has made a drug arrest with them, after cameras caught someone using heroin. The system also was used to settle the cause of a traffic accident in which both parties said they had a green light when they crashed. Ultimately, one of the motorists was found to have run a red light.

The cameras will also be used to monitor traffic patterns during live events and could eventually be used by Aurora Water to keep track of its facilities.

For now, the cameras are focused on stopping crime, and that’s just fine with business owners in the area.

Jim Bode, owner of J. Bode Used Cars on East Colfax, said one of his customers, who lived just blocks away, was killed a few months ago.

“This type of system they have on the street complements our own security system,” Bode said. “Anything to help with security in the area.”

Irwin Kass, who has owned Peoples Pawn & Jewelry for 25 years, said any business that deals mainly in cash has to be supportive of the new camera system.

“We’re just like a bank; you’re dealing with money,” Kass said.

There are downsides to the cameras.

In the past, they have been misused by police departments. In Tuscaloosa, Ala., for example, state police were accused of using the cameras to watch women walking along a street. And there are questions about whether the cameras actually reduce crime and whether they invade people’s privacy.

Aurora police said they will address any potential misuse of the cameras if and when they have someone monitoring them.

“Obviously, when we do have the cameras staffed, we’ll place restrictions on how they are used,” Mark said.

Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175, cillescas@denverpost.com or twitter.com/cillescasdp