Surveillance Cameras Challenged in Philadelphia Hearing

They're creepy, when they work

Philadelphia City Council held a committee hearing Monday on the city's surveillance-camera program, which has been plagued by technical problems and has been criticized by Council members and the city controller.

Officials testified Monday representing SEPTA, the University of Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Housing Authority, and the School District of Philadelphia - all large institutions that operate their own cameras to fight crime. But no one from the Nutter administration spoke.

Majority Leader Curtis Jones Jr. seemed untroubled by the absence, saying "we'll see them in budget" hearings this spring.

Michael Resnick, the city's director of public safety, was unavailable to testify Monday because he was attending an event on gun violence at Girard College with Mayor Nutter and Vice President Biden.