Cameras: Invasion of privacy or crime fighter?

Are cameras at every section in town too much?

That's the debate in one Volusia County city where they may put up dozens of surveillance cameras to record around the clock.

Police can't be everywhere all the time.

But in South Daytona, they think they have a solution -- wire the city up with a network of surveillance cameras.

"We want the criminals to know that we're going to catch it on video,” said South Daytona Police Chief William Hall. “We're going to pursue them by the video, by identification on these videos. We're going to publish those videos to every video outlet that will view them. That's what it's about. It's about public safety."

Chief Hall admits now may not be the best time, financially speaking, to blanket the city with cameras. But he adds that could be the same argument for the cameras.

"But because they aren't the best economic times is one of the reasons we want the cameras,” Hall said. “People make bad choices when times get tough and that's when we need the cameras, sometimes most of all."

Alvin Johnson is a landscaper and he sees a lot of things police don't.

For that reason, he's all for the idea.

"We're not talking about someone's home,” Johnson said. “We're talking about out here on the street. Anything can happen along the street. What if kids are walking along and something happens."

This plan is still in its infancy, with the city still gathering proposals.

Hall said it could be five, 50 or 150 cameras.

That decision will be made on the other end of City Hall.

"There's an expectation for jurors to see the event on film,” Hall said. “They want to see it. Our citizens want to see it. You want to see it. Let's show it to them."

So, will it be lights, camera, action in South Daytona? Only time will tell.

Hall said as far as cameras being a crime deterrent, he's seen figures from both the pro and con side of the argument.

His belief is it's probably somewhere in the middle and worth trying.

A committee has been set up and members will give their recommendation at the city council's July 27 meeting.