POLICE TO USE VIDEO CAMERA TO CRACK DOWN ON CRIME

Jerry Bowman stands on the front porch of his business, Jerry's Barber Shop
on Murvon Avenue, where a new sign warning of video surveillance, was put
up. The signs and cameras are designed to deter crime.

Shreveport police laid the groundwork on Thursday to begin video
surveillance of area neighborhoods, a crime-fighting initiative that will
focus first on the Mooretown community and target street-corner drug deals
and residential break-ins.

It's a law enforcement tactic that drew immediate opposition from some
Mooretown residents and members of the American Civil Liberties Union, who
contend it's an invasion of privacy and infringes on people's rights.

"People whose homes are getting broken into, or stuff is being stolen from
their yards, they want the camera," said Stephanie Lynch, president of the
Mooretown Neighborhood Strategy Council. "People who feel it's an invasion
of privacy, it's 'Big Brother,' they don't want it. Then there are others
who just don't understand the scope of the situation. It's a mixed reaction,
house to house."

Police began posting signs throughout Mooretown on Thursday to alert
residents that their neighborhood is under video surveillance. However,
Police Chief Jim Roberts indicated the video camera and monitoring
equipment, purchased by city taxpayers at a cost of $25,511, is on order but
is not yet in hand. The camera was described as being similar to those used
by the local television news stations, the so-called "sky cams."

"We're expecting it any day now," Roberts said. "We've picked out several
areas we want to use it. We get direct complaints and the people tell us to
do whatever we have to do to solve the problem."

The camera will first be used in City Councilman James Green's district,
which primarily includes the Mooretown and Sunset Acres communities and has
the second-highest number of drug arrests - 63 - in the city so far this
year. Cedar Grove had the highest number of drug arrests with 86, and part
of that community also is in Green's council district. Green led the camera
surveillance initiative with vocal concerns that crime was rampant in his
district. He said Thursday that he's received numerous complaints, calls and
letters from constituents who are concerned about open drug deals, violence,
break-ins and sexual activity in the district.

At the corner of Murvon and Broadway, where barbershop owner Jerry Bowman
cuts hair, Shreveport police are taking what he called a positive step to
cut crime in the neighborhood. Let the blue sign posted in front of Jerry's
Barber Shop serve as a warning to drug dealers, Bowman said, "You're now
being watched."

"I think even the signs will help a whole lot," Bowman said. "People pay
attention to signs. It tells you exactly what's going on."

The signs read, "Save a life. Someone is watching." Along with a drug hot
line for neighborhood residents to call, the sign also warns "This area
protected by video patrol."

One of the signs was posted just a few feet away from the Broadway Avenue
home of Mercedez Harring, a 5-year resident of Mooretown.

"It's wonderful for the neighborhood," said Harring, a teacher at Atkins
Elementary School. "They're (police) are working to keep the neighborhood
intact."

Still, Harring said there is a drawback. "This infringes a little on your
rights but so have many other things. I see no problem with it, other than
it helping."

Others are more vocal in their opposition.

"If they're thinking of putting cameras in a heavy crime area, they should
put more officers there instead," said Urina Holt, a resident who led a
petition against video surveillance that collected more than 300 signatures.

"If I go into a home of someone I'm unaware is a drug dealer, you
automatically suspect me as being a part of it," she said. "If they want to
prevent a crime, the camera won't stop it. If they're going to put a camera
there, put a policeman there instead. The camera infringes on a lot of
innocent people."

Said Lynch: "I don't feel like the information about the nature and scope of
that camera has been fully explained for people to make a decision if that's
the type of policing they want in their neighborhood. My personal opinion is
a camera should be the last resort."

Joe Cook, executive director of the Louisiana chapter of the American Civil
Liberties Union, said "people have a right to be left alone by the
government unless there is good reason for them to be the target of an
investigation.

"They've done these things in other places and they've not been that
successful," Cook said. "You've got to put these things up, maintain them,
and have someone watching or reviewing them all the time. In New York,
police zoomed in on people that had nothing to do with crime - women dressed
in certain manners, people who were curiosity items to the police but had
nothing to do with criminal activity."

The New Orleans Police Department uses video surveillance sporadically to
monitor drug activity and other crimes, said Capt. Marlon Defillo.

"We've had some successes, and we're able to use the video in court," he
said. "If we get complaints of high drug activity or violent crimes, we use
cameras to monitor an area to validate or not validate what's taking place."

Asked how he would respond to the privacy issue versus the use of video
surveillance in his district, Green said: "This is what we're doing about
drugs and break-ins. These are our two main concerns."

Green said police will also begin "knock and talks" at residences throughout
the neighborhood that are subject to frequent complaints.

The camera was purchased through Law Enforcement Associates of Youngsville,
N.C., which specializes in covert-style police and military surveillance
equipment, such as body wire, tracking systems, night vision equipment,
video cameras and fiber-optic scopes, said company sales representative Ryan
Mitchell.

"Our equipment is used by the military, federal government and state and
local agencies all over the country," Mitchell said. He declined, however,
to specify which law enforcement agencies in Louisiana use video cameras. He
also would not say if the cameras are reliable at night. "That would
jeopardize the safety of the officers. It works. It's a great tool. That's
all I can tell you."

Once the camera becomes available, Roberts said it can be put at a
particular location or used from an officer's patrol car. What's occurring
on camera can be monitored and recorded in another patrol car or in a police
van located in a three-or four-block range. If a crime occurs, "we can be
there in a heartbeat," he said. The video tape will be used as a tool in
prosecution, he said. Police currently have video monitors mounted in their
patrol cars.

"I would hate to run the risk of being caught on video tape doing drugs," he
said. "This is important intelligence-wise to find out who's moving around
these neighborhoods."

Cook contends there's a better method of law enforcement than a hidden
camera.

"There's no substitute for solid, professional police work," he said. "The
police need to be focusing on serious and violent crimes, and prevention,
and in solving outstanding crimes.

"Let's be safe, and free."