Chicago Park District security cameras aren’t doing the job, Ald. Michele Smith, Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, parks advocates say

Ald. Michele Smith (43rd) after a community meeting in June 2021 about safety and policing near Oz Park. She says she tried for weeks to get footage from the $5,800 Chicago Park District security camera system at the park. (Ashlee Rezin / Sun-Times)

The Chicago Park District’s security camera program is under fire by parks advocates and some Chicago City Council members, who say they are costly but worthless as a deterrent to crime in neighborhood parks.

Some city officials say the cameras, which parks employees rarely monitor, are below the standard needed to be tied into city Office of Emergency Management and Communication systems.