News	April 17, 08

Miami Beach

Big Brother

City plans to install surveillance cameras in its public parking garages and maybe even on its streets

By Ben Torter

Hoping to save money and reduce crime and vandalism, the Miami Beach Commission has given the go-ahead to install security cameras in five city-owned parking garages.

The only dissenting vote came from Commissioner Jerry Libbin, who said he didn’t have enough information about costs and management of the camera system.

“I’m not convinced cameras in the garage are necessarily better than people in the garage,” Libbin said Wednesday.

City Manager Jorge Gonzalez wasn’t prepared to give concrete numbers on cost savings, but did say security guards would still be needed.

“We would not expect that a camera would substitute entirely for the need for manned security, but it would allow us to save on some man-hours,” Gonzalez said.

Parking Director Saul Frances clarified that the cameras would not eliminate the need for security guards to provide better coverage.

“You certainly want someone monitoring the camera from a liability standpoint,” Frances said, adding that the cameras would help security and police by allowing them to go back and review incidents.

The $410,533 contract to install the cameras was awarded to Gisnet Telecom, Inc., the company deemed the best by city staff after an extensive bid request was sent out to 90 firms on Aug. 22.

The commission also authorized a city committee to begin discussions about installing cameras along troubled spots such as Washington Avenue, the entrances to the city and certain intersections.

Mayor Matti Herrera Bower opened an Orwellian debate as to whether the intrusive nature of cameras is in line with the rights to individual freedom that the United States stands for.

“I understand the reasoning behind the cameras, but I have to tell you, my privacy is very important to me,” Bower said. “I think this is the beginning of Big Brother watching us.” And she questioned whether cameras actually do a better job than people.

“I’d rather spend more money on enforcement and police and doing what we have to,” she said. “The wishes of the people will follow, but I feel very strange about putting cameras all over the place.”

Still, she voted for them.

Commissioner Ed Tobin told Bower others may also be uncomfortable with the cameras. He suggested and the commission unanimously agreed to discuss the issue in detail at a future Neighborhoods/Community Affairs Committee meeting.

Cities throughout the country and the world have been install surveillance cameras to monitor public places as both anti-terrorism and common crime-fighting tools. Last year, the city of Miami Police Department installed cameras in certain areas of downtown and at the entrance to the port with money from a U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant. The Overtown Park West and Omni Community Development agencies are currently discussing whether to installing cameras throughout Overtown.

Commissioner Saul Gross said he was in favor of red-light cameras for their revenue-generating ability, and for safety, but he agreed with Bower when it came to cameras throughout the city.

“Once you start putting cameras in neighborhoods, there is no stopping it,” Gross said. “You’ll have cameras everywhere.”

Comments? E-mail ben@miamisunpost.com