A report to council recommends that surveillance cameras installed in Calgary remain in place despite the concerns of the province's privacy commissioner. In 2008, council approved the installation of 16 closed-circuit television cameras in high-crime areas of the city. Footage from the cameras was examined 93 times in the past two years, and, according to the report, the public and businesses support their use. Last July, Privacy Commissioner Frank Work said that the decline in crime should have the public questioning the need for the cameras, saying, "If we are frightened by the thought of crime, we are more willing to give up privacy and other civil liberties if we think it will make us safer." The report did not recommend expanding the system.
Full Story