The Pullman City Council authorized the use of a federal grant to install security cameras in high-crime areas of Pullman on Tuesday. This may include College Hill, or more specifically, Adam’s Mall. 

Some WSU students will undoubtedly be up in arms about the possibility of installing cameras on College Hill. The issue of privacy is an important one, but it is also often overstated. It is somewhat ironic that college students, who showcase their lives on social networking sites and photograph every moment of their alcoholic escapades for the amusement of their friends, would be worried about one more camera pointed at them on Saturday nights. Fortunately for students, cameras installed and monitored by the Pullman Police Department would not exist for the purpose of spying on all their most personal secrets. Students who unabashedly share the details of their late-night adventures online complete with photographic evidence have already put their own privacy at risk. They do not need any help from security cameras, which will have the express purpose of protecting and serving students and Pullman residents.

When fights break out on College Hill, it is often difficult to determine the culprit. With any luck, the security cameras will make sure no one becomes a scapegoat after a fight in Adam’s Mall.

The Daily Evergreen Editorial Board would like to urge students to accept and support the installation of security cameras in Adam’s Mall. The cameras will probably do little to deter crime as drunken brawlers are unlikely to consider the fact that a camera is watching them. However, they could assist the Pullman PD in dealing with the fallout from altercations in the area and possibly even allow intervention before fights escalate. Ultimately, security cameras will benefit the student population. The Pullman PD is here to help the community; they are hardly about to become Big Brother.