BALTIMORE -- Baltimore city's blue light cameras are getting part of the credit for a conviction in court on Wednesday. Police called the case against Bernard Ramseur was a testament of the power of the new technology, but not everyone agreed with that. Ramseur, 17, was caught on camera attacking a woman and putting a knife to her throat in June. He stole the woman's cell phone and some cash, and nearly assaulted her. But police said they spotted the crime as it happened and were able to catch Ramseur in the act. Officials then showed Ramseur the tape, which lead to a plea deal. He was convicted of a third-degree sexual assault and armed robbery and was sentenced to 30 years in prison with all but five years suspended. Prosecutors warned that the cameras could lead to unrealistic expectations. They said that the devices can provide good evidence, but don't always lead to a slam-dunk. Officials said that of the 105 cases using pole cameras that went to trial in October, about 44 percent led to convictions. About 49.5 percent of those had to be thrown out. In 70 percent of the thrown out cases, they were nearly all connected to police work -- meaning officer didn't show up, there was insufficient probable cause or there was insufficient evidence. City police Chief Sterling Clifford said the department does its best, but there's always room for improvement. Prosecutors said that the department spends millions of dollars on the cameras, but they would prefer the money be spent on more officers to put on the streets. But Clifford said that money is not a problem when it comes to officers -- it's recruitment that's tough.
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