CALGARY, ALBERTA - In the past 10 years, the city of Calgary has seen tremendous growth and with that growth has come increasing worry over crime rates. As a result, 22 surveillance cameras are slated to be introduced to the city’s downtown area by this summer. Many critics point out that the cameras will be marked clearly and this will hamper their effectiveness. Other critics point out that such cameras are not only ineffective, but intrusive as well. Critics point to research to back their claims. A UC Berkeley study of San Francisco’s 68 surveillance cameras, for example, has found that the cameras have only limited effect on the crime. The study showed that murders decreased within a 76-meter radius of the cameras, but increased in areas outside the camera’s reach. Critics of the Calgary cameras also point out that the cameras in Durham, NC have not yet led to even one arrest.

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