New Crime Cameras Free Up LAPD, Report Gives Alarcon an Alibi

The LAPD is nervous about crime rates in North Hills and Panorama City (even as overall crime is going down), but the force has gotta watch its nickels and dimes, so instead of putting pricey police on the beat they're installing nine high-tech cameras that can zoom in on perps from two blocks away. The Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles is funding the $360,000 system, but the best part is that "a community volunteer can be trained to do the monitoring for free," according to ABC7. The station watches as the LAPD watches a man scratching up a gas pump--the police says the guy later confessed. Meanwhile, good to know that amid indictment City Councilmember Richard Alarcon is living in his declared primary residence in Panorama City. He's quoted in the story saying "last night at about 11:30 I heard 20 rounds of gunfire just sitting at home." One man's crime is another man's absolution.
· High-tech cameras go up in Valley neighborhood [ABC7]