Will Sutton: Video is a price for feeling safe

A few days ago, two top crime fighters asked the public to help by sharing their private security videos.

Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams asked New Orleans businesses and citizens to “please invest in security cameras.” Interim Police Superintendent Michelle Woodfork announced that the New Orleans Police Department had taken an “innovative step,” signing up with a nationwide app that people can use to share crime scene video with local police.

Some people with criminal intent stay away from well-lit places, extra-heavy locks and cameras. Others don’t. More and more these days, perpetrators and suspects are caught on camera. At first, it happened by chance. But as more businesses and homeowners seek a greater sense of safety, more properties have cameras fixed on potential points of unauthorized entry.

Nationally, private property video surveillance has become a booming business. Some reports have estimated that the industry will grow exponentially in the coming years. Law enforcement wants those with cameras to aid the fight against crime. Security businesses see it as an extension of their much-desired services.

Law enforcement wants your help. Security businesses want your money.

Williams pointed to a recent arrest aided by surveillance video as a good reason to add camera protection. “This technology is a game changer,” he said.

The DA pointed to Project NOLA, a national nonprofit based at the University of New Orleans. He said some of that system’s cameras helped with a September arrest.

Video surveillance unquestionably has helped law enforcement determine what happened where, when and who might have been involved in many instances. As security videos have increased in quality and reliability, they also have become available at lower price points. That has increased the use and efficacy of security video a crime-fighting tool. Cops and prosecutors now want such evidence routinely incorporated into their work.

New Orleans crimefighters are not outliers in that respect. Connect Atlanta offers a publicly operated, integrated network of more than 4,000 cameras across that city with a business partner. Businesses and homeowners can register their cameras and connect to the network. Atlanta cops can request video from anyone with a registered camera, which cuts down on door-knocking and dead-end interviews.

Most security companies offer tiered plans, starting with four cameras, archived storage and an annual subscription fee. Most plans give police access to real-time video. Of course, the more cameras and storage, the higher the costs.

Last year, the Houston City Council required outdoor video cameras at businesses that have experienced frequent criminal activity, including bars, convenience stores, game rooms and strip clubs. The ACLU has called that move unconstitutional, and others have voiced privacy concerns. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner argues that it’s the right approach to dealing with high-crime locations and swiftly bringing criminals to justice.

Project NOLA reports having about 5,000 cameras across New Orleans. The group provides cameras at no cost, but installation must be covered — and video storage fees begin at about $15 a month. Baton Rouge has Connect Blue BR, a volunteer video camera operation that businesses and residents can use to register their cameras with the Baton Rouge Police Department.

The Neighbors by Ring system also goes by Neighbors and Ring LLC, an Amazon subsidiary. Users don’t have to use the popular Ring home security devices to share video with neighbors or cops, but the basic system won’t store the video. That’ll cost you.

According to the Ring website, Louisiana operations that are a part of the Neighbors by RING network include some fire districts as well as the Kenner Police Department and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office.

Critics raise important privacy concerns, not just government surveillance but also the use of business and home video.

It seems like ages ago that I launched a Facebook profile, in about 2005 or 2006. People warned that it was no place for pictures of my home, and certainly not a good place to post cute children pics. In time, we traded some privacy for convenience and connections.

Crime fighting requires prevention, detection and pursuit of wrongdoers. As technology becomes more integrated into our lives, video surveillance is here to stay.

The key questions: How much is enough? How much is too much?