Are taxpayer funded security cameras in downtown Columbia effective?

After a weekend shooting downtown, ABC 17 News reached out to the Columbia Police Department to see if any parts of the incident had been caught on any of the security cameras downtown.

The question was never answered. ABC 17 News also asked for a report showing numbers of how many crimes the cameras have helped solve to see if the taxpayer funded security system is effective.

But police could not or would not provide the numbers.

ABC 17 News reached out to elected city leaders to see if they had the report.

But Fifth Ward councilwoman Laura Nauser said she also had requested to see the report months ago, but has still not received the numbers.

They began operating in July of 2011; security cameras aimed to help police solve crimes in downtown Columbia.

The installation of the cameras went before voters in April of 2010. Voters approved the measure by 58 percent.

But some city leaders were opposed.

Nauser said she plans to bring up the discussion at the next city council meeting. She said she believes because the cameras were funded by the taxpayers, they need to be able to see how effective they really are.

The cameras cost $21,000 a year for maintenance.