Oregon City Sees Drop in Crime After Installation of Security Cams

Eugene Police set up three trailer-mounted security cameras in Kesey Square to cut down on crime.

• By Sydny Shepard
• May 17, 2019

A city square in Eugene, Ore. is reporting reduced crime after police installed a mobile security trailer last October, as reported by the Daily Emerald. 

Eugene Police decided to install a security system that would allow them to remotely surveil the Kesey Square area. They set up three trailer-mounted security cameras, all of which stream video to the officers' computer or smartphone, though Lieutenant Doug Mozan said the system isn't really for live view, but rather to view footage following an incident to help them catch the criminal.

"We've looked at serious crimes such as sexual assaults," Mozan told the Daily Emerald. "Even for the latest homicide investigation, we'll be looking at surveillance footage to see if there's an relevance to the crime."

While police say they are using the cameras in an evidentiary way, they do believe that they also help to prevent crime as well. 

"People don't know when we're looking and when we're not," Mozan said. "So a lot of folks aren't willing to engage in sketchy or anti-social behavior when they figure the camera is watching them. We've seen behavior change in those spaces, and I would consider that a success."