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>> WE’VE GOT TO STOP THE BAD GUYS WITH GUNS. KIM: AND FORMER COUNCIL WOMAN RIKKI SPECTOR SAYS THE WAY TO DO THAT IS WITH PERSISTENT SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM PLANES THE COMMUNITY CAME TO ME, THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, THE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY CAME TO ME AND SAID COUNCILWOMAN GET US TRACTION WITH THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL WE WANT THE EYE IN THE SKY BACK. KIM: THE BALTIMORE POLICE DEPARTMENT USED THE PLANES IN 2016 BUT WITHOUT PUBLIC WAS ABRUPTLY ABANDONED. NOW, A PRIVATE DONOR HAS OFFERED TO PAY FOR THE PROGRAM FOR 3 YEARS. HERE’S HOW IT WORKS. THE PLANES RECORD AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE CITY. >> THAT ALLOWS US TO GO BACK IN TIME WATCH CRIMES THAT OCCURRED ,, AND FOLLOW PEOPLE TO AND FROM THE CRIME SCENE TO THE HOUSE THEY GO TO AND ALSO BACKWARDS IN TIME TO THE HOUSE THEY CAME FROM KIM: ROSS MCNUTT IS THE PRESIDENT OF PSS AND SAYS THE PROGRAM HAS WORKED IN OTHER CITIES. HE SAYS IT IS LEAD TO A REDUCTION IN CRIME BY GETTING REPEAT OFFENDERS OFF THE STREETS AND SERVING AS A DETERRENT TO CRIME. HE SAYS THEIR WORK IS TRANSPARENT THROUGH A CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT BOAR >> EVERY PLACE WE’VE EVER LOOKED IS RECORDED. EVERY TRACK WE MAKE HAS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH A MAJOR INVESTIGATION AND ALL THAT IS REVIEWABLE AND, OH, BY THE WAY OUR INFORMATION IS LIMITED TO , ONE PIXEL PER PERSON SO I CAN’T TELL WHO A PIXEL IS. KIM: THE MAYOR AND POLIC COMMISSIONER BOTH SAY THEY ARE NOT CONSIDERING RE-STARTING THE SURVEILLANCE PLANE PROGRAM. BUT RIKKI SPECTOR SAYS SHE HAS A MEETING WITH THE COMMISSIONER MONDAY TO TRY AND CONVINCE HIM OTHERWISE. >> THIS IS SOMETHING FOR ME THAT IS A NO-BRAINER. IT IS ANOTHER CAMERA. IT IS ANOTHER CAMER KIM: PSS IS HOLDING A MEETING FOR THE PUBLIC ON THE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM ON SUNDAY. YOU CAN FIND DETAILS ON OUR WEBSITE WBAL-TV.COM. AT CITY HALL KIM DACEY W

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There is a renewed push to bring back surveillance planes to Baltimore. The planes caused controversy in 2016 because the Baltimore Police Department put them in the air without public knowledge. But some say with the right oversight, they can help reduce crime."We've got to stop the bad guys with guns," former Baltimore City Councilwoman Rikki Spector said.Spector said the way to do that is with persistent surveillance system planes."The community came to me -- the African-American community, the religious community, the business community, the residents of the community came to me and said, 'Councilwoman get us traction with the mayor and the City Council we want the eye in the sky back,'" Spector said. The Baltimore Police Department used the planes in 2016, but without public knowledge, so the pilot program was abruptly abandoned. Now, a private donor has offered to pay for the program for three years. Here's how it works: The planes record an aerial view of the city. "That allows us to go back in time watch crimes that occurred and follow people to and from the crime scene to the house they go to, and also backwards in time to the house they came from," Ross McNutt, president of the PSS, said. McNutt said the program has worked in other cities. He said it's lead to a reduction in crime by getting repeat offenders off the streets and serving as a deterrent to crime. He said their work is transparent through a civilian oversight board. "Every place we've ever looked is recorded. Every track we make has to be associated with a major investigation and all that is reviewable and oh, by the way, our information is limited to one pixel per person, so I can't tell who a pixel is," McNutt said. Both Mayor Jack Young and police Commissioner Michael Harrison said they are not considering re-starting the surveillance plane program. But Spector said she has a meeting with Harrison Monday to try and convince him otherwise."This is something for me that's a no-brainer. It's another camera. It's another camera," Spector said. A public meeting on the surveillance plane program will be held on Aug. 18 at 3 p.m. at 3 South Frederick Street, Suite 803 (above Power Plant Live).Anyone is welcome to attend.