The Near Westside has experienced a significant decrease in crime during the past year that can be linked to the recent installation of security cameras in the area, said Common Councilor Bob Dougherty.

Crime significantly decreased in this part of the city from 2010 to 2011, according to data released from the Syracuse Police Department. Arrest charges in the area decreased by 49 percent, overall reported crimes decreased by 29 percent and drug related arrests decreased by 47 percent.

Dougherty said he thinks the reduction in crime is directly linked to the security cameras that were installed in the area last year.

‘At first I had concerns about the cameras when they first went up about a year ago because I was worried that they were a violation of civil rights,’ Dougherty said. ‘But I have definitely seen significant changes in the area since the cameras went up.’

Dougherty said the Near Westside was targeted for camera installations due to the frequent gun and drug crimes that occur there.

‘The cameras may seem to infringe on civil rights, but I think if they help prevent kids from getting shot, it’s worth the trade-off,’ Dougherty said.

Since the cameras went up last year, Dougherty said visible drug deals and criminal activity have virtually disappeared from the streets where the cameras are mounted.

‘I’m down on Oswego Street every weekend, and you would see kids obviously participating in drug deals all the time,’ Dougherty said. ‘Since the cameras have gone up, you don’t see any of that. There’s no one on the streets selling drugs.’

Dougherty said though the cameras have helped reduce crime in the area, he knows the cameras haven’t made it disappear.

‘While the drug deals and other crimes aren’t happening on the streets, they’re probably still taking place someplace else, but the lack of street activity helps residents feel safer in their own neighborhood,’ Dougherty said.

Common Councilor Patrick Hogan, the first Syracuse Common Councilor to advocate for the installation of the cameras, said the residents’ reactions to the surveillance cameras have been overwhelmingly positive.

Hogan said city officials, in collaboration with Syracuse United Neighbors, a community organization aimed at improving the conditions of the Southside and the Near Westside, conducted extensive door-to-door surveys to get residents’ opinions on the installation of the cameras before they went up.

‘I personally went door-to-door on the Westside and didn’t run into a single person from the area that was in opposition to the installation of surveillance cameras,’ Hogan said. ‘The only opposition we really experienced was from residents of neighboring areas that confused our efforts to reduce crime with an infringement of civil rights.’

SPD Sgt. Tom Connellan said because of the positive feedback the police department received about the cameras, plans are in motion to install more of them in other areas of the city.

The city is currently pursuing more state funding to install cameras on the Northside and Southside, Hogan said.

‘I’m pretty familiar with the Near Westside, and knowing the amount of crime in that area, I have never wavered in my opinion about the necessity of these cameras,’ Hogan said. ‘I think they have made a significant difference on the Westside, and I think that doing the same thing in other areas of the city can only benefit the residents.’

adhitzle@syr.edu 

Published on February 7, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Alexandra: adhitzle@syr.edu | @LexieHitzler