McClure Calls on Curtis Jones to Release all Information About PCDC's Faulty Surveillance Camera System

Jones spends PCDC money for campaign calls about cameras before he stepped down from PCDC – now the cameras have been revealed to be a sham.

PHILADELPHIA: Today, Matt McClure, a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 4th Councilmanic District, called on his primary opponent, Curtis Jones, Jr., to disclose all details about the contract awarded to Ronin Security to provide video surveillance at 54th and Berks Streets by the Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation (PCDC) while Jones was its head.  On Friday, Channel 6 Action News reported that the cameras did not work and the system is only checked once very two weeks to see if it was functioning properly.
 
McClure said, “It is unacceptable that the cameras don't work, but it is especially outrageous that no one is even monitoring these cameras to attempt to prevent crimes from occurring.  These non-functioning cameras lull people into a false sense of security when they should instead be making people more secure."
 
Last fall, while still head of the PCDC, Jones announced that five cameras would be installed along 54th Street.  Using PCDC money, automated calls were placed to members of the 4th District, were Jones is running, proclaiming the success of this program and prominently mentioning his name repeatedly.
     
A $700,000 grant from the Justice Department funded these cameras at the request of Jones' mentor Congressman Fattah.  On Friday, Channel 6 Action News reported that most of the cameras did not work - despite Jones' on-air statement that they were working at that very moment. http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=local&id=5146254

"Curtis Jones was responsible for bringing these cameras into the community and they don't work.  Meanwhile crime in the Fourth District has continued unabated.  Now he needs to immediately disclose all contract terms with Ronin Security and explain why he awarded the contract to them when it is clear they can't handle it," continued McClure. “Is this another case of no-bid pay to play corruption hurting our communities?”

Left unanswered are many questions as to why the Justice Department believed this was a worthwhile project, why the Police Department did not receive the funding, why a quasi-public development agency has the right to videotape private citizens, why PCDC chose to privatize the monitoring instead of using city uniformed officers, why PCDC was making automated calls of a political nature, and how Ronin Security was selected for this contract.
 
In contrast, the City of Philadelphia is in the midst of installing over 1,000 video surveillance cameras that will be constantly monitored by the Police Department at a much lower cost per camera.   The same $700,000 grant could have instead funded several full-time police officers to patrol the Winnfield beat, or allowed for close to fifty cameras through the city's program.
 
"We need real change if we are going to build a safer, better community," closed McClure.  "Clearly Curtis Jones is just another insider who spends too much time denying responsibility and creating political stunts instead of actually improving neighborhoods.  We need change and we need it now."
 
McClure, a 4th generation Philadelphian, began his professional career working for the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, DC before returning to Philadelphia to work for then-Mayor Ed Rendell.  He is currently an attorney at Ballard Spahr.  He and his wife Kelly and their two children live in East Falls.
 
For more information, visit: www.mcclureforcouncil.com, call the campaign headquarters at 215-843-0917, email us at info@McClureforCouncil.com, or stop by the campaign headquarters at 4163 Ridge Avenue in East Falls.

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Last Updated: March 28, 2007