CINCINNATI — Cincinnati officials are aiming to install or repair 90 security cameras across the city in the next four weeks, a response to the fatal shooting of 11-year-old Queener're Reed at Laurel Playground nearly two weeks ago.
"In the next four weeks, 90 plus cameras throughout the city of Cincinnati will either be repaired or installed," said Cincinnati city council member Scotty Johnson during a public safety meeting Monday.
The camera initiative comes as West End community leaders have raised questions over whether increased surveillance will actually reduce violence in their neighborhood.
"They promised cameras, they promised these things to help make arrests in these cases, and we don't see any of it," said Noah O'Brien, a West End Community Council Executive Board member.
WATCH: How community members feel about the city's plan
Galen G. Gordon, president of the West End Community Council, said communication between his organization and the city council about cameras has been limited, though they maintain regular contact with police.
Additional federal funding may boost the city's surveillance capabilities. U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, a Democrat and former Cincinnati councilman, has secured more than $1 million for expanding the city's surveillance system, including police cameras and other resources. The funding awaits approval from the Senate before heading to President Trump's desk.
"The cameras can make a big difference," Landsman said. "The camera does help to deter crime. And then when something does happen, it helps bring those folks who committed a crime to justice."
O'Brien said he skeptical about the city's commitment beyond installation.
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"The questions we're going to have as a community is, if you install as some optics for city hall to make it look like you're doing something, are they actually being maintained?" O'Brien said. "Do you also have a budget to sustain them, an audit to make sure they're working, an effectiveness assessment to make sure they're pointed at the right places?"
