Look up: Seattle cops may soon be watching

Seattle police may turn to private security cameras around the downtown business core to help watch for assaults, drug deals and other crimes.

Following the lead of many other U.S. cities, police and the Downtown Seattle Association are examining the creation of a surveillance system that would allow officers to track live video footage from security cameras on and around downtown buildings.

But the idea has been sharply criticized by privacy advocates.

The video would serve as additional eyes for police, who are facing increased violence in areas near Westlake Center and Third Avenue and Pine Street, proponents say.

"I think we're a little bit behind the curve compared to other cities," said David Dillman, vice president of operations for the Downtown Association, which promotes the development of the urban core. "It's another resource. We still have limited capacity to put police out on the street."

Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske said he has seen camera-surveillance programs work in Chicago and London and believes they're something every police department should consider.

"It is certainly of great interest, particularly downtown," Kerlikowske said. "It would be foolish of a police department not to explore it."

But creation of such a program would likely face fire from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other groups that fear such surveillance could lead to an erosion of privacy.

Last month, an ACLU report on the use of camera surveillance by police in California concluded that video surveillance does not deter crime. The group urged California cities to stop deploying surveillance cameras in public places.

"The use of surveillance cameras, unfortunately, comes at the expense of proven crime-reduction measures such as better lighting, foot patrols, and community policing. In this sense, throwing money at video surveillance actually detracts from law enforcement's efforts to reduce crime," said Mark Schlosberg of the ACLU of Northern California, a co-author of the report.

Moving crime around?

Doug Honig, spokesman for the ACLU in Seattle, said that "public surveillance cameras serve mainly to move crime from one area to another."

"Mainly what they capture is the innocent activities of law-abiding citizens," Honig said.

He said the cameras may occasionally capture criminal activity, but "they're not solving crime."

Beth Givens of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a San Diego organization that advocates on behalf of consumers and their personal information, told The San Diego Union-Tribune last month that she has worried about government surveillance for years.

"Government agencies do not have a clean record when it comes to surveillance abuses, going back decades," Givens said.

"Without strong policies and effective oversight, it's a given that abuse will occur."

While Seattle police are not considering installing their own cameras, allowing officers to view video from privately owned cameras would likely raise similar concerns.

Kerlikowske agrees the issue could be thorny. He also said the ACLU report is correct in saying that closed-circuit surveillance systems could be abused; he's heard of the systems being used to ogle women.

Kerlikowske said closed-circuit systems often work better in cities where violence is rampant, but he stands behind the city working closely with businesses and security companies to track crime.

Security cameras are in use at most downtown skyscrapers and businesses and are monitored by private security firms, police said.

Dillman said that last year the Downtown Association obtained bids for a closed-circuit camera system along Pike and Pine streets between First and Fourth avenues.

He said it has appropriated $50,000 and is still deciding on technology, the exact location of cameras and who will be assigned to monitor the cameras.

Even if police decide not to take part, the association still plans to monitor crimes through video surveillance.

He said Downtown Association members will meet in the next few weeks with police, Bentall Capital (owners of the Century Square high-rise), Macy's (whose local flagship store is on Pine Street between Third and Fourth avenues), and members of a Belltown neighborhood group to talk about the closed-circuit camera system.

"I think you would have a coordinated camera program monitored by law enforcement that would be able to be focused on the activity that we see taking place in the Pike-Pine corridor," Dillman said.

"It takes a while to put all of this in place. Other cities have spent millions of dollars, and we were working on a budget."

In the meantime, Seattle police Officer Erik Warner said he is trying to compile a list of all downtown properties with video surveillance and determine their security capabilities. Warner, who has picked up the task as part of his role with the West Precinct community police team, said a camera system would make it easier for detectives to know where to retrieve evidence after a crime has occurred.

Sgt. Paul Gracy, who oversees West Precinct community police team officers, envisions a police officer being assigned to watch what is broadcast on the screen. When a crime is committed, the officer would then dispatch patrols via cellphone.

"We're trying to do stuff to make people safe," Gracy said.

No privacy expectation

King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Ellen O'Neill-Stephens said she is working with the department to create a policy for officers who monitor live video surveillance as part of their regular patrol beat.

"Do you have an expectation of privacy of what happens out in public? You do not," she said.

If Seattle does allow officers to monitor live video surveillance, it will join San Francisco, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Indianapolis and many other cities that use video footage to strengthen their patrolling abilities.

The ACLU, in its August report, recommended that before purchasing surveillance cameras, local governments evaluate other crime-reduction measures.

The report also suggested that cities put the surveillance-camera concept up for debate.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com