Surveillance in city's sights

Police commission looks into cameras to watch over Calgary's seediest areas

Calgary Sun, October 1, 2006
By Rick Bell

It's a big brother some don't mind having around.

The Calgary Police Commission has its eyes on closed-circuit cameras in criminal hot spots. Ald. Craig Burrows, a member of the committee overseeing city police operations, is a big backer of the idea.

"From a law-and-order guy, hell ya," says the city council member, who already hears of criminals and lowlifes from the inner city migrating to his west-side ward.
"We don't want Big Brother but we're definitely looking at it for high-crime areas. We don't want cameras everywhere but they can help police monitor problem areas. Cameras are one way to put the bad guys away. We want to clean up the streets and these guys need a reality check. It is not a free-for-all."

Burrows says it's important all legal i's are dotted and t's crossed, since the mention of cameras brings out the whiners.

"We need to know the issues surrounding it. You have the damn lawyers and civil liberties types talking about infringing on rights. It helps if the solicitor general is on board."

Harvey Cenaiko, the province's top cop and the MLA representing inner-city Calgary, is reported to have no problems with city police proceeding if they decide to implement a little lights, camera, action.

Burrows adds anywhere with cameras would also have signs stating the area is being monitored. LRT platforms and city hall already have cameras.

The alderman is well aware of the deteriorating situation. Recently, he parked in a lot downtown off Centre St. and saw four guys as he got out of his vehicle.

"They had me in their sights and they were salivating. When I walked to the machine to pay and saw all the broken glass I knew damn well what they were thinking. I was an easy target." He drove to another lot.

Mayor Bronco says he would "welcome the opportunity" to try out cameras where the bad guys do their dirt. He suggests East Village be the first spot to roll out the celluloid.

"Some people are living in a fantasy world. A couple days ago I was parking my car and less than a block away these guys were taking off their shirts getting ready to shoot up. I'd like to put them on the Internet so people in the suburbs could see them and see the kind of crap we have to clean up."

Perhaps he could market Bronco's Grimiest Videos.

"Why not put cameras where there is a high crime rate, in places where they make sense? To have blanket cameras downtown, no. But they are one of the many tools the police can use to fight crime."

Another tool is more cops. Bronco continues to press for 18 more police officers for the inner city, in addition to the 18 sent to the downtown and the Beltline this summer.

"The new officers have had a noticeable impact but it's not fast enough or noticeable enough."

Since Burrows and Bronco have their stories, just yesterday morning, as I was dropping off laundry at a 17 Ave. S.W. dry cleaner, the store owner a couple doors down is out in the parking lot yelling at crackheads as he boots them from his place.

The idiots have set up a stroll to sell drugs in the area.

"One day that guy is going to get killed," says a bystander, of the store owner's chances for a long life.

This is happening right here in Calgary.

The mayor also wants the province to pony up more than six pennies on the dollar and a cut of fine cash to cover cop costs.

And Bronco backs a proposal being considered by council to hand out tickets to those fighting outside bars as well as for the growing numbers urinating and defecating in public.

"Are we really prepared to shift as a society and think fighting, urinating and defecating in the streets is OK?" he asks.

For the record, with all this chatter about crime, the city has acquired land for a new city police HQ with the mayor hoping to get bucks for bricks and mortar by year's end. The new location would be on 7 Ave. S.E. between 3 St. and 4 St., east of the current headquarters and south of the police association.

He says the city is paying rent in five locations to accommodate the staff who would set up shop in the new building. A new HQ for inner-city District 1 is expected near Ramsay.

The mayor is aware of the skeptics of his tough take on crime.
"Come on downtown for a night. If we don't deal with it downtown, we'll see it in the suburbs."