Behind the Scenes of the LAPD's Newest Surveillance Cameras

When it comes to police surveillance cameras, Los Angeles is still way behind New York City, who feeds thousands of live images to their centralized Real Time Crime Center. Here in LA, MacArthur Park and the Hollywood Entertainment District have had cameras for a few years and now the Valley can claim home to them too.

"If you are out on Ventura Blvd. out for a stroll, smile, you're on candid camera," Councilmember and City Attorney candidate Jack Weiss announced today. "The LAPD is watching you and more importanly, they're watching to make sure taggers, burglars, vandals and other bad guys in the neighborhood aren't committing crimes. And if someone in the neighborhood does commit a crime it will be on television in the Watch Commander's office."

Funded by the Business Improvement District, Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council and Jack Weiss' office, the five digital cameras cost a little more $100,000. Through antennas, the cameras feed images wirelessly over two miles from Sherman Oaks to LAPD's Van Nuy Division office, explained Robert Weir of Metro Video Systems, the contractor who developed the technology. Inside the video control room, six flat screens display the feeds, one of which that is used for playback and freeze frames. Videos are kept for over two weeks on a DVR system that holds one terabyte worth of information. There's five to seven frames per second and they're able to zoom 35 times, enough to read license plates.

"This part of Sherman Oaks is a safe area, it does have some problems... but overall it's a safe area," said Captain James Miller. "But by having these cameras present, we'll discourage the criminal element from looking at this as an area they can come and be active."

Weiss said this will hopefully scare off "wimpy" criminals and catch others in the act. "This is the wave of the future, we only have about 10,000 cops in this city so if we can put cop eyes on major streets, then we can deter criminals in this city. They do it in London, we can do it here in LA."

But one criticism of London's "ring of steel" are big brother and privacy concerns. One question often brought up locally is what about apartment buildings in view of the cameras--can cops take a peak into our windows?

"Looking into windows and people's homes would be something that would end up being misconduct for an officer," Capt. Miller assured. "It's not a case where we're going to be prying into people's lives, that's not the purpose of this."

Within the next year, ten more cameras are expected to be installed along Wilshire Blvd. in the Mid-Wilshire area.

Disclosure: LAist Editor Zach Behrens is a member of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council, which voted to fund one of the cameras.