The upgrade, according to city police and officials, will enable them to more effectively combat a number of crimes that have increased recently, such as shootings and thefts of catalytic converters.
The City Council has unanimously approved a policy for fixed surveillance cameras, paving the way for the installation of 10 new ones at city intersections. Police and other officials claim that this upgrade will help them combat a number of crimes that have increased in recent years, such as shootings and catalytic converter thefts.
When the council last brought up the subject on May 23, disagreements over the retention periods for camera footage, among other issues, delayed the matter. As it was written when it came up, a proposal from Councilmember Kate Harrison would have reduced the retention period from a year to 30 days.
By Tuesday, the council members had agreed upon 180 days, a compromise put forth by Councilmembers Terry Taplin and Susan Wengraf. Taplin is the chair of the committee responsible for developing public safety policy, which significantly influenced the policy. On the committee is Wengraf as well.
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Source: berkeleyside
