Dorchester

Deadly Dorchester shooting sparks calls for more police surveillance cameras

A store manager in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood says police asked him for surveillance video after shootings twice in the last two weeks; he said he wants the city to install more cameras, but was told some leaders don't want to due to privacy concerns

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Two recent deadly shootings have prompted some to call for more cameras.

There is now a public call for more police cameras in Boston, especially in an area of Dorchester that had seen two deadly shootings in just the last two weeks.

The most recent shooting was on Monday, when two people were shot, one fatally, at a barbershop at the intersection of Washington Street and Erie Street.

The manager of a store nearby, who did not want to share his identity for fear of retaliation, wants more visible, city-funded cameras in the area.

"I believe the criminals, they know there is no camera, because it's a safe haven for them," the manager said.

He said police told him some city leaders do not want to see more cameras due to concerns over privacy.

"The question is security versus privacy," the man said.

He added that Monday is the second time in less than two weeks police have asked him for surveillance video. Another deadly shooting on Washington Street last month remains under investigation.

We asked Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn about those concerns Tuesday.

"We keep advocating for more cameras in the city budget, we do have the funding, but there's a lot of pushback from city officials that are saying that putting these cameras in areas violates someone's civil liberalities," Flynn said.

Police told NBC10 Boston they have cameras throughout the city they use to investigate cases like the shootings on Washington Street.

NBC10 Boston contacted office of Mayor Michelle Wu and reached out to other city councilors, including Brian Worrell, who represents the affected district, but we have not heard back.

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