Picture it: Cameras urged for Modesto. (Vernon Sister City to use Cameras downtown ?)

Modesto Bee Full Article By ADAM ASHTON November 05, 2007

Police want $388K to watch downtown. A video camera can't replace a police officer, but it might let Modesto's law enforcement leaders plan their downtown presence more efficiently. That's an argument likely to appear this week when the Modesto Police Department makes a long-awaited pitch to fund a new surveillance program for the city center.The department wants about $388,000 to buy 10 cameras and equipment to monitor downtown around the clock, Lt. Ron Cloward said.Modesto polices downtown on weekend nights with a detail of 10 or more officers. Some bars and club-goers have complained that their presence deters people from spending time downtown because a cluster of officers can give the impression that something bad has happened.With the cameras, Cloward said, the department could assign officers elsewhere and call them downtown if a watch commander sees trouble brewing on the monitors.