Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today provided more details on his vision for a citywide video surveillance network.

He said the city's plans, outlined in a request for information sent to 21 security firms a week ago, were inspired by his January visit to Chicago.

		Previous story Network of surveillance cameras proposed for Pittsburgh

"The mayor of Chicago, Mayor [Richard M.] Daley, has a goal to have a camera on every street corner in the city Chicago, and he's well on his way to achieving that," Mr. Ravenstahl said. "If you would sit in the 911 center in the city of Chicago, [you would] see your ability to, with the touch of a button, look at different buildings, different intersections."

He said he, too, eventually wants crime-fighting cameras "throughout the city," though that will take a while.

He also raised the possibility, which has caused concern among some privacy advocates, of widespread sharing of information between public and private security forces.

"Anybody that has a system currently in the city of Pittsburgh, we'd be interested in tying in, and certainly we'd be interested in sharing our information with them as well," he said. "At the end of the day, it's our goal to have an integrated camera system that we can share information both privately, publicly, city, county and all of the public safety entities in this region."

He and Police Chief Nate Harper dismissed concerns that cameras might be deployed or used in ways that disproportionately affect minorities.

"We're looking at putting the camera system in where there are various hot spots, where the community is complaining about possible drug sales, prostitution, gunshots," said Chief Harper, rather than in neighborhoods that feature any given demographic group.

"If you speak to the community at large and those that are affected by crime, they welcome the opportunity for the police to be more proactive, they welcome the opportunity to eliminate that kind of activity," the mayor added.

He emphasized that the process was still in the early planning phases. The city doesn't yet know how much an integrated network of cameras would cost and would need such data before deciding how to deploy them.

"We're looking at the equipment," said Chief Harper. "There's a lot of good equipment out there."

The first phase described in the city's request for information involves linking "several hundred" cameras owned by the city, county, state and private companies into a single system that can be centrally monitored. It also involves installing 28 new cameras on 14 bridges, four atop the U.S. Steel Tower, and others in Point State Park.

Also part of the initial phase could be 48 plate recognition devices, which can read vehicle license plates and run them through databases. Two unspecified neighborhoods, and Point State Park, would get gunshot detection systems, which instantly pinpoint the location of a shooting and take pictures.

A second phase would involve deployment of more cameras Downtown. A third phase would identify six-square-block areas of high-crime neighborhoods, and deploy cameras there.

The three phases are a pilot for a citywide camera system.