Safety is an issue that has dominated public discussion at the University following a series of assaults against students. Yet the news of a proposal by the Downtown Business Association of Charlottesville to install a system of security cameras along the Downtown Mall shows that concerns about crime also have surfaced within the broader community. Although the DBAC may be trying to look out for the interests of local residents and University students who frequent the mall, there are several facets of its plan that must be scrutinized if improving security is the ultimate goal.
The DBAC's plan would place security cameras outside businesses and would provide surveillance throughout the mall. The cameras would be linked into a closed-circuit network that would be made accessible to the police during a crime investigation. The system also would be funded entirely with private money since the City rejected a similar plan last year that would have used taxpayer dollars and would have been kept under the control of municipal authorities.
This last detail, though good for the City's coffers, raises questions about the proposal. Having a private organization such as the DBAC conducting surveillance of a public space would strip City Council members - and, indirectly, residents - of the oversight that they otherwise would have over such a program. There is nothing to suggest the DBAC has nefarious intentions, but once the infrastructure is in place individuals would have very little recourse if abuses occurred. They could not vote to cut off funding for the program nor could their elected leaders hand down punishment to the parties involved unless a crime were proven to have occurred. Establishing that a legal violation took place also would be difficult since police would not have access to surveillance records without the DBAC's permission, something that could be hard to obtain if a controversy arose.
Furthermore, a system of surveillance cameras removed from public oversight could lead to feelings of distrust among community members. Even if the cameras were used responsibly, certain groups could feel threatened by the possibility they were being singled out for undue scrutiny. These reservations could cause individuals to become suspicious of the mall's merchants and look elsewhere for places to shop and spend their leisure time. This would rob the mall of its characteristic atmosphere of openness and vitality.
One potential solution to the security problem would be the initiation of a community policing program by the Charlottesville Police Department. Community policing involves assigning individual officers to beats within specific neighborhoods or business districts such as the mall. Security cameras still could be installed within private shops and businesses, but the officers regularly would visit the mall and develop a familiarity with the environment as well as a rapport with residents and merchants. This would allow them to monitor suspicious activity and combat conditions such as community apathy and poor municipal upkeep that breed crime. Additionally, it would put a human face on law enforcement and promote trust and relationship-building where a network of security cameras could instill doubt and fear.
Community policing could provide even greater benefits to students if it were extended to off-Grounds areas adjacent to the University. If officers were to establish their presence in areas such as Rugby Road, 14th Street and Jefferson Park Avenue, they could build ties with students and more effectively respond to suspected mischief. Knowing that at any given time an officer might be in the neighborhood, potential criminals would be deterred from preying on students, as well.
Of course, a community policing plan suffers from the drawback of adding to the City's budget at a time when finances are tight. Nevertheless, residents and local politicians must remember that public safety is a function of the municipal government. There will be costs attached to any plan meant to improve security, but the approach that the City and downtown merchants decide upon must not undermine the notion of trust that is at the center of a safe and welcoming community.
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