Some Pittsburg residents have noticed the 14 cameras installed around the city, raising concerns about privacy and surveillance. Speculations ran rampant on social media platforms. “I hope it’s not so they can start charging us for driving on the highways,” expressed one resident, while another voiced, “They want to track our every move.” Others labeled the initiative as “unconstitutional” and compared it to “Big Brother.” In an attempt to answer these concerns, KOAM reached out to the Pittsburg Deputy Chief of Police for clarification on the purpose and function of the cameras. “One of the speculations that we’ve heard is privacy concerns, which are a big deal. But this going to be more of a societal question than it is our question to ask right now,” said Pittsburg Deputy Chief of Police Ben Henderson. “The cameras are available as a technology and they’ve been shown to actually help detect and reduce crime. So while they’re available, I think we should make the best opportunity we have to utilize these to help the citizens of our community.” According to the Pittsburg Deputy Chief of Police, the cameras capture a one-time snapshot of vehicles and retain the images for 30 days. These images are then checked against the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database for associations with wanted persons, stolen vehicles, or missing persons alerts.
Source: KOAM News
