Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and the district attorney want to link surveillance cameras already in place and install others with special software to keep an eye on downtown and some high-crime neighborhoods.
Video evidence can make it easier for police to solve crimes ranging from drunken driving to bank robbery, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala said.
But others, including City Councilman Bill Peduto, don't want the network to turn into a Big Brother-type system. Peduto wants limits on who can view the videos and prevent the cameras from targeting specific institutions or people.
There are already 70 video cameras downtown, and officials want to install 28 more. They also want to link the cameras to a central network, and possibly install software that can read license plates or be activated to take pictures when gunshots are fired.
The city is soliciting plans from up to 21 firms to provide the surveillance system and already has $3.4 million in federal and city funds for startup costs.
