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| Trial beginning over New Orleans' crime cameras |
| By mercurynews.com |
| Published: 09/15/2009 |
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NEW ORLEANS — Jury selection began Monday in a civil trial that claims a rip-off scheme surrounding New Orleans' problem-plagued crime camera system. Southern Electronics Supply Inc. and Active Solutions LLC claim the system they developed to monitor high-crime areas was misappropriated by people tied to the city's technology office. The lawsuit also claims those people conspired with computer giant Dell Inc. to commercially sell the system. Round Rock, Texas-based Dell has disputed the allegation. The trial before state District Judge Rosemary Ledet could take three weeks and a city attorney said Mayor Ray Nagin, one of the named defendants, is likely to be called to testify. The camera system proposed by Nagin in 2003 to help fight the city's crime problem was intended to allow law enforcement officers to capture any activity in known crime hot spots or other areas. In theory, officers could be dispatched to intervene and footage could be used to aid in investigations or prosecutions. But the system is only a fraction of the 1,000 cameras once envisioned, and many do not work on any given day due to networking or other issues. The city inspector general's office in March issued a scathing report on the program, finding a lack of both contracting oversight and a "realistic budget" that saw the estimated cost of $2.6 million for 240 cameras rise to more than $6.6 million with fewer cameras than that in place at the time of the review. Nagin has continued to stand behind the program. Besides the civil case, federal authorities have acknowledged a criminal investigation involving the technology office and camera contracts. Read More. |
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