What do you think of Wilkes-Barre's plans to blanket the city's neighborhoods with over five hundred survelance cameras? (Scranton: high crime, how much)

[W-B proud]

What do you think? I like it as long as it is only used to combat crime. I do not like the idea of using them to catch traffic light violations, and as far as I know, they will not be used this way. Wilkes-Barre has long suffered from a bad reputation as being crime and drug ridden, and this negatively effects everything from people not wanting to visit the city to famileis not wanting to move here. I think this bad reputation is the single, biggest problem standing in the city's path to progress. I also feel that the city has been making some real strides in combating the crime problem in recent years: more police, more patrols in the downtown, a better lit up downtown with new buisnessess ect, a crackdown on absentee slumlords, code enforcement ect., and the statistics show that it has been working. Crime in general has been on the decline here in The Diamond City for a few years now, and I believe the survelance cameras and one more big tool in the war on drugs and crime... granted they are used solely for that reason, I believe it will be a positive thing for this city, which has long suffered the black eye of crime. What do you think? Would you like to see this in your city?or do you think it is to intrusive "big brother" like? Do you think it will have a major impact on crime?

[Mr Yuk]

On one hand, I don't mind them in public places, but I'm not so sure I'd want them in my neighborhood. I don't like the idea that someone could snoop on me and my family in our yard through a camera.

Scranton has cameras in some places, and it hasn't affected crime. If anything, there seems to be more crime since the cameras went in.

[Vinny536]

i'm against it. all it takes is a subpoena from a judge to release those tapes for a civil matter. you have the right to privacy. its bad enough you could pull up google earth and see what was in your neighbors back yard when the photo was taken...


its too much.

[bloominscranton]

Originally Posted by 61scout80

i'm against it. all it takes is a subpoena from a judge to release those tapes for a civil matter. you have the right to privacy. its bad enough you could pull up google earth and see what was in your neighbors back yard when the photo was taken...


its too much.

I agree, freedoms being eroded in the name of safety one by one. Not a path I want to be on.

[W-B proud]

Yeah, I'm sort of torn on the issue. I can see this technology being used in the wrong way, but on the other hand, Wilkes-Barre and it's reputation has suffered for a long time because of crime. I can only speak for my city, but we have to do something to keep the crime down, or people will not want to visit here or move here. I think that if this is used properly, it will have an impact on crime, and out of town drug dealers and thugs may want to think twice before setting up a drug house in W-B. They would hopefully aviod W-B because of the survelance, and choose to settle somewhere else that doesn't have a survelance system. That is my hope anyway.

[W-B proud]

Originally Posted by go phillies

On one hand, I don't mind them in public places, but I'm not so sure I'd want them in my neighborhood. I don't like the idea that someone could snoop on me and my family in our yard through a camera.

Scranton has cameras in some places, and it hasn't affected crime. If anything, there seems to be more crime since the cameras went in.

W-b also has limited cameras right now in the downtown, but this would be different. This would be throughout the entire city, and concentrated in the bad/high crime neighborhoods (like in and around the Luzerne County courthouse). I guess we really will not know what to expect until they are up and running for a few years. I'm willing to give them a chance.

[MovingOutOfNJ]

While i Dont believe W-B has crime that warrants security cameras... its just too great of a precautionary measure to not implement.

I dont think W-B City really cares about your personal life, they just want to keep peoples homes, automobiles, business from being robbed or vandalized.

Great Idea with the Cameras.

[olbluesguy]

If it makes you safe or feel safe it's a good thing.
If it makes the bad guys behave a little better that's a good thing too.
But if they still misbehave, we may be able to identify them and throw them in the Slammer!
If you are doing nothing wrong what's the problem with someone watching you?
Don't we all go thru life with someone watching our every move from above anyway?

[returningtonepa???]

Originally Posted by olbluesguy

If it makes you safe or feel safe it's a good thing.
If it makes the bad guys behave a little better that's a good thing too.
But if they still misbehave, we may be able to identify them and throw them in the Slammer!
If you are doing nothing wrong what's the problem with someone watching you?
Don't we all go thru life with someone watching our every move from above anyway?

good response!

[retrovintage]

Originally Posted by go phillies

Scranton has cameras in some places, and it hasn't affected crime. If anything, there seems to be more crime since the cameras went in.

If Scranton actually had the cameras 'working' it wouldn't be that bad.

Not sure how much it would curtail crime in WB. Crime in WB isn't going to stop because they are installing cameras. The drug dealers would find an alley that is not being monitored to sell their wares.

Will it make WB any safer? Probably a little. It might also give the standard JQP a false sense of security.