Our pal Scott Henson, who serves a mean Grits for Breakfast, sends word of this story from today's Austin American-Statesman, concerning Austin police chief Art Acevedo's desire to install security cameras "in pedestrian-heavy and crime-ridden areas."
Cited in the story is Dallas deputy police chief Vincent Golbeck, who insists that crime in downtown Dallas "dropped 12 percent from 2006 to 2007." Also mentioned is Paul Lindenberger, director of Downtown Dallas, who says "crime dropped 28 percent during the first two months of 2007 compared with the same period in 2006." But, asks Henson in a missive to Unfair Park: "Can you imagine Dallas PD really getting a 28% crime reduction downtown and not issuing a press release?" Raging chat about the cameras going on in Austin, by the way. --Robert Wilonsky