Frank Luba, The Province, Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Micheal Vonn, policy director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, does not believe Vancouver’s 100 new closed-circuit television cameras will be shelved after the conclusion of the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Installation of the cameras at various downtown locations was announced Monday afternoon by the city and will take place over the next two months. The cameras are set to go live Feb. 1 and be shut down March 28.

Kevin Wallinger, director of emergency management for the city, said the cameras will be physically removed from their locations after the games.

“At this point, there hasn’t been a final disposition for them, but initially they’ll be put into a cardboard box and put on a shelf somewhere until we’ve had an opportunity to look at what some of the options are,” said Wallinger.

The options are what worries Vonn.

“They purchased them, they’re going to be using them,” said Vonn. “They just don’t know how.”

The cameras, wiring, installation and a control centre cost $2.5 million, paid for by the federal and provincial governments.

Wallinger said the control centre will simply be closed and not staffed when the cameras aren’t being used.

Among the possible uses for the cameras are as replacements for the 54 cameras the city already uses. Wallinger said that between four and 10 CCT cameras are used at the summertime fireworks festivals.

fluba@theprovince.com