The BC Civil Liberties Association is livid that the provincial government is moving forward with a plan to install surveillance cameras in public places.

Solicitor General John van Dongen and Attorney General Wally Oppal were in Vancouver yesterday to announce a $1 million pilot project to "examine increased use of closed circuit television cameras in high-crime urban areas."

Vancouver, Surrey and Kelowna have been specifically targeted.

Micheal Vonn, the policy director at the BCCLA, is outraged that the government would devote so much money on a "privacy-invasive technology."

"It's deeply troubling that they're conducting research of CCTV," she said. "It's a chilling effect when everything you do is recorded."

Vonn said research in England, which spends billions on its CCTV network, has shown cameras to be "almost useless" for deterring crime.

Oppal admitted the research is inconclusive, but said the cameras have their place.

"It's a very good investigative tool for the police," he said. "There is no better evidence in the courtroom [than video]."

Matt Kieltyka reports for Vancouver's 24 hours.