Walk around nearly any city in the world and you’ll notice. You’ll notice them watching you, recording your actions, tracking your comings and goings. In this day and age, security cameras are part of everyday life. So much so, that for the most part, we barely even notice them. It’s almost safe to assume they’re always there. At (Alabama) AL.com, they wanted to know: Who’s Watching You?

In Mountain Brook, Alabama, at least, several city departments utilize cameras —though perhaps not the one’s you’d expect to.

"The Public Works facility has 21 cameras that are used for security," said Public Works Director Ronnie Vaughn. The facility, located at 3579 East Street in Cahaba Heights, houses Mountain Brook’s Right of Way and Traffic Division, Heavy Construction Division, Fleet Management Division, and Forestry Division.

For now, said Vaughn, the number of cameras that help keep the building safe are "adequate." "I see no need to increase the number," he said.

Quieter areas, like the city’s parks, for example, currently lack security cameras. Shanda Williams, Parks/Recreation Superintendent, said the city currently does not have any cameras installed at the various parks. There are some, however, at the Parks and Recreation facility that she believes are "very useful." "Besides security reasons" said Williams, "they can be used to keep track of employees coming and going."

Williams said that along with the cameras, a handy monitoring system allows her to rewind the video and record segments that can be used for evidence. " […]