Police to place 12 more cameras

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The Metropolitan Police Department yesterday announced the placement of 12 additional surveillance cameras in D.C. neighborhoods, bringing the total number of such cameras deployed to 19.

Seven of the new cameras will be placed in Northwest, three in Northeast and two in Southeast.

"We're certainly well on our way to getting the four dozen up by the end of September," said Kevin Morison, a spokesman for the department.

Two of the new cameras are located less than a half-mile of each other on Georgia Avenue Northwest -- on either side of the 3rd District police substation at 750 Park Road NW.

One camera -- in the 3300 block of Georgia Avenue Northwest -- is about two-tenths of a mile from the substation. The other -- in the 3370 block of Georgia Avenue Northwest -- is about three-tenths of a mile from the station.

The D.C. Council last month appropriated $2.3 million to buy and install up to 48 surveillance cameras as part of a package of emergency anti-crime legislation that included authorization to use the cameras. The legislation also pushed the juvenile curfew up from midnight to 10 p.m.

The emergency legislation expires in the middle of October. The council is expected to consider permanent legislation authorizing the use of the cameras before the sunset date.

Mr. Morison said police want some statistics in hand that prove the cameras' worth by the time a hearing takes place.

"Our goal all along has been to have enough of a period where we can gauge the impact of the cameras," he said.

According to preliminary police statistics compiled through Monday, compared with 2005 figures, violent crime is down 10 percent citywide since July 12, when Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey declared a crime emergency.

Since that date, there have been 22 homicides, down from 33 in that period last year. This year, there have been 116 killings, down from 127 at this point last year.

The number of adult arrests has increased 10 percent, from 6,937 last year to 7,646 this year, and the number of juvenile arrests has jumped 29 percent, from 368 in 2005 to 476 this year.

Increased curfew enforcement has netted 2,203 juveniles -- 952 of whom were taken into custody during the earlier curfew hours between 10 p.m. and midnight.

That compares with 769 curfew violators taken into custody since July 12, 2005.