SAN ANTONIO - The San Antonio Police Department credits its eight downtown cameras with 961 arrests since May of 2009 when the cameras were first installed.
While a majority of the arrests (516) were for city ordinance violations, such as panhandling and open container violations, the cameras helped officers catch a dozen fugitives wanted on felonies, including a murder arrest.
SAPD Officer Matt Porter said what cannot be calculated is all the crimes that were not committed out of fear of being caught on camera.
"A lot of these suspects now think twice before committing a crime,” he said. “We want them to know that they are being watched. Someone is monitoring these cameras."
Ron Gonzales is in charge of maintenance at Main Plaza. The downtown park is a location of one of the SAPD cameras.
Gonzales said he know he’s being watched by the police but said he doesn’t mind.
“It's not an invasion of privacy,” he said. “That (the camera) is what protects the people and the park."
Gonzales said he actually wishes these were more cameras in the park.
"I wish we had them everywhere," he said.
The police department plans to add between 15 and 30 more cameras in the downtown area in 2012.
