Ohio: More Crime Cameras Added to Over-the-Rhine

More Crime Cameras Added to Over-the-Rhine

Eight new cameras are now in Over-The-Rhine -- on poles and buildings, where people doing bad things just don't seem to notice. Now there are 50 around town -- and that's just the beginning of the high-tech crime fighting. Local 12's Deborah Dixon tells us what's next and what the cameras can see that cops can't.

Officer Tony Peters watches high-def video from 50 cameras all day long -- pretty cool if it were football. But Peters is not watching for the blitz -- he's watching for bad behavior. 24 hours after this camera went up, he watched as a man loaded up and smoked a crack pipe. Then he called for help. "I think a few of them dumb founded and surprised they have people who look out for police."

Peters is looking out for police too. He tells the officer exactly where to find the crack. "We give them an idea what they're coming into before they arrive."

Where crime cameras are, crime is going down. Police believe cameras contribute. Bad guys know they're getting arrested, they just don't always know why. "We have cameras near campus, on the west side, East Price Hill, and a couple in the West End."

Cameras are set to be added in Evanston, Walnut Hills, Avondale, near the casino, the banks and along the river. And when people all over the world come here for the World Choir Games next summer? "Wherever the World Choir Game venue is, our intent is to have a camera close by or in the area. People have an expectation of being safe, that's what we want too is create a safe environment."

Craig says cameras aimed at a public corners is not a "Big Brother" thing ... but a bad guy thing. "You don't want to commit crimes in City of Cincinnati someone's going to be watching."

Donations or grants paid for all of the cameras.