Chicago police bet big on pricey surveillance cameras. Two decades later, the devices do little to solve most crimes.

Chicago police bet big on pricey surveillance cameras. Two decades later, the devices do little to solve most crimes.

 

The police radio crackled with a report of six gunshots near a busy corner in Humboldt Park.

In a city that has struggled more than most to solve serious crimes, this summer 2023 shooting offered detectives an immediate advantage. At that corner, police had long ago mounted one of thousands of sophisticated surveillance cameras, the kind that could rotate around a 360-degree view, or zoom in to see activity up to four blocks away.

Chicago police’s big bet on pricey surveillance cameras (chicagotribune.com)

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