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# Tales of the tape
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/tales-of-the-tape/
- Published: 2006-05-27T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T18:06:38.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Community, Promenade, #archive-import, Homeless

This past week, Q-line asked: Do you have a more or less favorable view of the city in light of 123 surveillance cameras being installed throughout downtown Santa Monica? Why? Here are your responses: ✆ “The surveillance cameras are long overdue but we need them all over the city. Not necessarily because of foreign terrorists but because of the thousands of homegrown cruds the City Council has encouraged to overrun our city. The bums, drug addicts, alcoholics, criminals and freeloaders, that’s what we really need protection from.” ✆ “The freedom and liberty clause of the United States Constitution does not provide protection for criminals who murder, rob, mug and rape. Unfortunately we are living in a time that dictates the use of cameras to detect the innocent. Santa Monica is only installing the cameras, not causing the need for them.” ✆ “Well, as a long-time resident of this city, I think the surveillance cameras are a wonderful idea because there are quite a few thugs. I am handicapped, I used a wheelchair and I mean, I can walk with a walker. I go down to the Third Street Promenade to the Farmers’ Market days and other times and sometimes those characters are a bit creepy. So I welcome the addition of the cameras, as long as they don’t survey what we are doing personally.” ✆ “I very much approve of having those cameras on the Promenade, the Pier and in the alleys downtown. I think it would be very beneficial for many things — not only tourists but helping to monitor some of the homeless situations. I think it is money well spent.” ✆ “One-hundred-twenty-three cameras in tourist-heavy areas such as the Promenade and Pier. Seems like they’d be able to look at your cavities. Face it, 123 cameras is over the whole city. I guess I could accept that if we could have 123 cameras in City Hall and the police department offices that we could monitor.” ✆ “Don’t flatter yourself Santa Monica, there’s no reason to watch Santa Monica because there is nothing worth blowing up. The only reason those cameras are being put there is so Big Brother can watch you and that means watching people, not the bums. They are the ones that they should be watching instead of watching innocent people doing normal things. They should be watching what the bums are doing such as soiling the alleys, stealing shopping carts and shoplifting. Do something about that.” ✆ “Let’s see, the pier costs the taxpayers $2.5 million a year; $13 million for a breakwater. Yes, we need cameras to protect our negative investment. The mall, — I wonder what percentage of residents buy something at this boring, has-been place. The only thing Chief Butts and his high security clearance janitor will see in the alleys is bums. Excuse me, non-motivated, malcontents is one urinating on a wall. What’s next? A cashless society? Biometric chip implants? Mandatory personal GPS? I smell something burning. Could it be freedom?” ✆ “If you have nothing to hide you need not fear Big Brother watching you. Terrorists may be lurking on every street, in any home. Osama bin Laden may be planting bombs in your toilet right now. We’ll never be safe until we have cameras on every street, in every building, in every bedroom. The war on drugs took away most of our rights and now 9-11 will take away the rest. Remember the Alamo. Remember 9-11\. 9-11\. 9-11.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 27, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/052706.pdf?ref=smdp.com)