Tuesday, February 15, 2011 at 9:30PM

[From Study Chicago's Blue-Light Cameras? Why Bother - Gapers Block Mechanics | Chicago ]

Shane Shifflett puts together an impressive article on the effectiveness of Chicago's cameras on crime. For those of you who read the ACLU report, one issue they did not address was exactly how the cameras were affecting crime. Shane takes on the task and discusses several studies on Chicago's cameras. I have to admit, I was a significant source for Shane. We also have to thank the ACLU for helping to fight the city and make these studies available. Here are some short quotes, but please read the article:

After seven years and thousands of cameras, neither Chicago's police nor its public officials can claim that their video surveillance program, Police Observational Devices (PODs), is effective at stopping and preventing crimes. This shouldn't be a surprise, though. After sifting through mountains of crime data provided by the police and observing two Chicago neighborhoods, the Urban Institute, a public policy think tank in Washington D.C., couldn't say how well the cameras were working. What may be surprising, however, is that the police department looked into this twice before; they never shared the findings and evidence suggests no one will ever know if the system is truly effective.

The article reviews studies and also provides some insights into an article I am working with Jeremy Braithwaite. The article is still under review, so I can't give all the details, yet: