Since various apartment complexes installed cameras nearly three years ago, the State College Police Department has seen a drop in the number of vandalism incidents reported in these buildings.

This success has proved that the benefits of having surveillance systems to catch crimes committed in apartment buildings outweigh the costs of the technology. There has been noticeable improvement in the sanitary condition of apartments, especially after a long weekends when it is common to find damage in lobbies, hallways and stairwells.

The cameras are noticeable and located in common areas of the apartment buildings such as the elevator, hallway and lobby. Since the apartment buildings are private property, the realty agencies can install the cameras at their discretion.

While it may seem that cameras inside the building in which you reside infringe upon basic privacy rights, the police say none of the cameras that have been installed so far record any activity within individual apartments. Rather than existing specifically to peep on residents, the cameras work to catch suspects after a crime has been committed and deter individuals from committing future crimes.

The use of the cameras in other apartment buildings may prove useful in reducing incidents of vandalism across the board. At the very least, the cameras should increase the cleanliness of the building by discouraging public urination in the common areas of the apartment building. After all, who wants to come home after a fun night out only to have to ride in a urine-filled elevator? The cameras can also save cleaning and damage costs for the realty agency and students are afforded the protection that the video cameras provide. Lower costs can keep down the cost for rent, which will save students money as maintenance and security deposits may be lower.

As long as the location of the cameras within the buildings does not expand to areas that compromise the privacy of residents' apartments, they are beneficial to the buildings and their residents. Students should still feel comfortable in their apartments because they are not being videotaped. The taped recordings provided by the cameras are the most feasible method to protect property and students. Use of the cameras should be expanded to include the stairwells of the buildings where they are not in place already, because stairwells are just as susceptible to vandalism as hallways and elevators.

For maximum effectiveness, the cameras should also be marked with a sign in order to alert potential criminals to the presence of the cameras, to possibly deter them. The knowledge that the police may use the tape as evidence might make the person rethink their act.