A street surveillance camera seen on top of a light pole along a Chicago street (Credit: Tim Boyle/Getty Images)
CHICAGO (CBS) — The City of Chicago is hoping security cameras will bring calm to some high-risk high schools.
As WBBM Newsradio 780′s Nancy Harty reports, despite budget challenges that have resulted in the Chicago School Board denying teachers their contractually-promised raises, the Chicago Public Schools are proposing installing $7 million in cameras during the 2012 fiscal year.
LISTEN: Newsradio 780′s Nancy Harty reports
In a news release, the district said between 50 and 80 cameras would go in at 14 high schools.
CPS claims a pilot program at Fenger High School, 11220 S. Wallace St., cut arrests by 69 percent last year.
The system is also already in place at Solorio High School, 5400 S. St. Louis Ave., and South Shore High School, 7529 S. Constance Ave.
The high schools that are slated to receive cameras are: Clemente Community Academy, 1147 N. Western Ave.; Hyde Park Academy High School, 6220 S. Western Ave.; Sullivan High School, 6631 N. Bosworth Ave.; Morgan Park High School, 1744 W. Pryor Ave.; Orr Academy High School, 730 N. Pulaski Rd.; Marshall Metro High School, 3250 W. Adams St.; Tilden Career Academy High School, 4747 S. Union Ave.; Bogan Computer Technical High School, 3939 W. 79th St.; Wells Community Academy High School, 936 N. Ashland Ave.; Senn High School, 5900 N. Glenwood Ave.; Juarez Community Academy, 2150 S. Laflin St.; Julian High School, 10330 S. Elizabeth St., and Farragut Career Academy, 2345 S. Christiana Ave.
Chicago Public Schools chief executive officer Jean-Claude Brizard says creating safe schools is vital for both teaching and learning.
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10 Comments
the cameras only work if they are watched.
July 25, 2011 at 9:43 am
When a crime is commited, they can go back to review the video to secure an arrest.
July 25, 2011 at 12:06 pm
Is it my imagination or are 90%+ of these schools on the south side? Just sayin!
July 25, 2011 at 9:55 am
80 cameras will cost 7 million dollars. Wow! That’s $87,500.00 a camera….wish I could get that contract.
July 25, 2011 at 10:13 am
complete waste of money. moving crime from point a to point b doesnt mean beans..use the money to educate these kids instead…
July 25, 2011 at 10:46 am
This is actually money well spent. Anything that gives the police the upper hand over these black gangsters, is a good thing.
July 25, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Cameras in the school just means a different place, at a different time. Most kids involved in illegal activity don’t go to school on a regular, they hang outside an around the neighborhood. These kids need something more, they need help, love, someone to care. They need to feel like their lives are worth something and that their only options are not just jail or death. With 7 million I’m sure there’s a much better plan to come up with
July 25, 2011 at 2:24 pm
Tell that to Darion Albert’s loved ones.
July 25, 2011 at 2:27 pm
@Renee, The only ones who have the choice of jail or death, are the ones who make a concious choice to be a gangster. The rest, if they work hard, can graduate high school and go on to be anything they want. Unfortunately far to many are attracted to the glamour that goes with bustin caps, killing, raping, robbing, beating, stealing, and selling drugs. That is not even remotely the city’s responsibility. That responsibility lies with the black community and their teaching of morals and values or lack there of.
July 25, 2011 at 4:01 pm
I’m trying to understand, you’re saying, It’s not the city’s responsibility if someone gets killed, raped, robbed or beat. It’s only their responsibility to put $7 million in cameras inside schools to catch a criminal and lock them up (AFTER) something happens. How many Chicago kids actually got killed inside a school, again? And It’s the black communities problem, yeah but last I heard, the black community was apart of the City of Chicago i.e their problem too. And what about the victims that are doing the right thing, staying in school, doing everything right but then their lives are taken. They didn’t have a choice when someone else choose to do a crime. Whether it’s the kid thats the victim or the kid going to jail for the crime, we losing kids. Why not look for ways to prevent it from happening in the first place and possibly save two lives from being lost.
July 26, 2011 at 10:28 pm