Why am I not surprised the ACLU is on the wrong side of another issue?
Plenty of eyes on OahuBy Marisa Yamane
From popular tourist spots, to Chinatown and Waikiki, surveillance cameras have become common across Oahu.
Meaning, you may be caught on video when you least expect it.
Some argue it takes away from our privacy rights, but police say in many cases, the cameras have proven to be valuable crime-fighting tools.
You're about to watch a crime occur. It's just before 8AM at the Pali Lookout.
Two cars have just arrived. Nearby, an SUV. The driver covering up his license plate.
"Once he covered, I called into HPD," said Akal Security dispatcher Dee Rapoza.
The SUV parks between the two cars. Within seconds, the man smashes and grabs. then goes to the next car.
"Here he is, see him, he uses some kind of gadget, see you see, he takes the stuff jumps, in the passenger seat," said Rapoza.
And they're gone.
A minute later, the victims return to their cars.
"They can't believe it, you know what I mean," said Rapoza.
Police later tracked down the SUV and made an arrest, thanks to the help of Akal Security, which monitors the Pali Lookout from this small room in Pearl Kai.
"Police can't be everywhere at one time so we employ technology to help reduce the cost and still provide the safety," said Lee Donohue, Akal Security Pacific Regional Director.
Donohue says when this camera was installed in 2005, crime at the Pali Lookout went down by 44%.
"This is the wave of the future," said Donohue.
Surveillance cameras are everywhere these days -- from tourist spots, to malls and businesses, to streets and freeways, and even homes.
And they're all over Waikiki and Chinatown.
"Sometimes maybe a drug deal going down Downtown, a transaction, it's seen on camera and the officers respond," said Sgt. Kim Buffett of Crimestoppers.
And when criminals are caught in the act on video, prosecutors love it.
"Picture is worth a thousand words. Once it gets into court, most people say I give up," said Donohue.
While there are many advantages to surveillance cameras, not everyone is looking at the big picture though the same lens.
Privacy advocates like the American Civil Liberties Union oppose government surveillance cameras.
"They promote a false sense of security and divert scarce taxpayer dollars away from proven measures such as hiring more police officers, increasing community policing, increasing foot patrols, and supporting improved lighting in our neighborhoods," said Vanessa Chong, Executive Director of the ACLU of Hawaii.
Hawaii has a video privacy law, but that mainly protects people in places that are thought to be private, such as bathrooms, locker rooms, and bedrooms.
"In Hawaii, so far the ACLU has not received any reports of government surveillance cameras being used illegally," said Chong.
While police use cameras to catch criminals -- ironically sometimes criminals use cameras to avoid police.
"I've worked on patrol where they've actually had cameras where they could tell when we're coming," said Buffett.
But police say the positive outweighs the negative.
When asked if it's too much like big brother, he replied, "No I don't think so. I think we're looking at what is fair for the greater good for the community."
While privacy advocates say surveillance cameras take away some of our freedom, police say the cameras are vital to help take away the freedoms of those caught breaking the law.
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