New police crime cameras are now up and running in areas of downtown Winnipeg.
Police were showing off the first those cameras at the corner of Donald Street and Graham Avenue.
"It's providing a 24/7 presence in an area where that hasn't been available in the past," says Winnipeg Police Service Superintendant Gord Schumacher.
Mayor Sam Katz, City Councillors and members of the Winnipeg Police Service held a news conference by that camera early Thursday afternoon.
The $500,000 pilot project will see 10 cameras installed in six different locations.
The first was installed on top of the Millennium Library and soon cameras will be installed in front of Portage Place Mall and Central Park.
Police hope the cameras will help reduce victimization, create safer environments, and give officers a new tool while investigating crimes.
"We talk about getting to live downtown, work downtown, play downtown. In order to do that they need to feel safe," said Mayor Sam Katz.
Police say they are taking privacy concerns into account.
The video from the cameras is being kept for less than 96 hours, and only a select few officers will have access.
At least one privacy expert says the public usually chooses security over privacy, but says the two have to be balanced.
"So that privacy can be protected so big brother isn't watching you every step of the way, but hopefully you will get the benefits of the technology that makes the community a much safer place," explains Privacy Lawyer Brian Bowman.
The pilot project will be monitored for a year. If it works we could see more pop-up across the city in 2010.
With a report from CTV's Kelly Dehn
