(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Augusta Press.)
Cameras are a great innovation for helping prevent criminal activity, especially in a city like Augusta where violent crimes or murder seem to be daily occurrences. For that reason, citizens should demand that the Richmond County Commission give the Sheriff’s Office money for more flock cameras.
Personally, I live behind a gate that is guarded 24 hours a day with onsite security. The cost of living behind a gate has already proven worthwhile. My property has strong locks and over 10 cameras at various angles. It is not possible to step foot on my property without me getting a high-definition picture of you, your vehicle, your dog pooping in my front yard or the FedEx driver driving over my shrubs.
Any argument against providing the sheriff’s office more cameras is not based in logic.
At a recent commission meeting, I watched as a gentleman expressed concerns about privacy related to the increased use of flock cameras. He was clearly prepared and thoughtful in his five-minute presentation, but he was dead wrong in his conclusions.
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The notion that privacy even exists today is questionable. People voluntarily give away their privacy in so many ways, including smart phones, online purchases and social media, just to name a few. One important fact the gentlemen overlooked was that anybody can stand in a public space and take a picture or video of whatever they can see from that space – admittedly, without special equipment or peeking through gaps in the curtains. This means that anybody can stand on the sidewalk and film a person going in and out of a home or business, and it’s perfectly legal.
According to numbers from the Sheriff’s Office, the flock cameras we already have seem to be working and are inexpensive, considering what stands to be gained from their use. Given the crime in our city, we should be willing to kick a reasonable amount of privacy to the curb and replace it with accountability. If the flock cameras will help reduce crime, then the city should buy the sheriff as many of them as he can monitor.
If homeowners are concerned about privacy to the point that they do not want cameras on their block, cameras that only law enforcement has access to, then they should move to a subdivision where there are private roads or look into homesteading on a larger piece of land.
Joe Edge is the publisher of The Augusta Press. Reach him at joe.edge@theaugustapress.com
