Some 400 more security cameras would be installed throughout Columbia, SC, next year if a proposal by the City Council is implemented. The cameras would be at roughly 100 locations – four cameras per location, assistant city manager Missy Gentry told council in a workshop session.

“This will be a significant change from what we’ve done in the past,” Gentry told council members. The city already has security cameras in city facilities and in a limited number of public places. And the Five Points restaurant and bar area is saturated with some 200 security cameras financed in large part by the Five Points Association, a group of local business owners.

Video from those cameras is made available to law enforcement, which has used them to solve major violent crimes.

“The whole focus (of the new cameras) will be on capturing everything, vehicle-wise and pedestrian-wise, that’s coming into the city, mostly on the main arteries,” interim police chief Ruben Santiago told council. “But we want to be very mindful that they aren’t in a neighborhood pointing at someone’s house,” he said.

Gentry said the city will own the data from the cameras, but will not own the cameras themselves. The camera operator will keep the video from the cameras, which will be active continuously, for 45 days. During that time, police can retrieve video from a specific time and place if need be.

Current plans call for signs to be placed near the cameras warning people the area is under video surveillance but the cameras? specific locations would not be pointed out. […]