Man Hopes His Live Surveillance Cameras Help Fight Crime
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A long time Humboldt Park resident is increasingly worried about gang activity in his neighborhood and is doing something about it. He's set up live video surveillance around his property and hope the next time there's trouble, he'll have the evidence.
He talked to CBS2's Mike Parker.
As he walked through his neighborhood, Bruce Barnes said, "We've had 15 shootings, we've had four people killed or injured within 15 blocks of this house. There's no excuse for that."
Barnes has had enough. He just bought and installed a sophisticated video system for the area around his house. A total of 8 cameras stream and store moving images on his computer. He can even watch the output on his cell phone, wherever he is.
He's more than a little spooked. He recalls what a 19 year old gangster told him last Wednesday. Barnes says he was told to "move out."
"We were calling the police on them and chasing them off the corner. They couldn't sell their drugs and they couldn't conduct their gang activities." Barnes says he regarded that as a threat.
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Last year he photographed dozens of apparent gang members congregated outside his house during the annual Puerto Rican Day Festival. He says a Chicago Police detective "admitted that this intersection and the Puerto Rican Festival are a magnet for gangs all over the country. It's a Disneyland for gangs in Chicago each year."
Chicago Police appear ready for any possible trouble. All day Tuesday, top police brass held strategy sessions at the Humboldt Park Fieldhouse. They were preparing for the start of this year's festival on Friday.
Bruce Barnes has offered to pipe his live, real time video directly to the 14th Police District or to the 911 Center.
