At a recent City Council meeting, Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo proposed the installation of security cameras at the Downtown Mall in response to assaults that occurred on the mall during the summer.
According to Sgt. M.G. Davis, the Charlottesville Police have increased police surveillance in the area on Friday and Saturday nights.
Despite the security concerns, Council did not accept the proposal immediately and instead asked the city manager and police department to conduct more research on different camera technologies, according to City Manager Gary O'Connell.
Council Member Julian Taliaferro said Council is concerned with securing citizens' right to privacy while ensuring public safety.
"It's a delicate balancing act," he added.
Council members are now focusing specifically on the details of cameras' use in the mall, Taliaferro said.
"We are concerned about details like the types of cameras [used], if they are wireless, how long the recordings will be retained and whether or not there will be a central point or individual hard drives where you have to access the cameras," he said.
Although the Council unanimously called for more detailed information on the security system, fundamental disagreements about the use of cameras emerged at the meeting, according to Vice Mayor Kendra Hamilton, who supports the implementation of cameras.
"The surveillance society is here," she said."It may not be in your neighborhood, but it is definitely in mine."
Hamilton stressed the importance of respecting the right to privacy but added that Charlottesville will be safer with the proposed security system.
Mayor David Brown, however, expressed a different opinion.
Studies "don't show that [the cameras] prevent crime," Brown said."They just come with a high price tag."
The cost of the cameras is estimated to be around $300,000.
Hamilton said Council is still processing the proposal, but she emphasized its possibilities for increased safety.
According to O'Connell, such security measures "will be one more tool for the police department to use"
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