A system for automatically determining the placement of cameras receives data relating to a plurality of polygons. T polygons represent one or more of a surveillance area, a non-surveillance area, a blank area, and an obstacle. The system selects one or more initial cameras, including one or more initial camera positions, initial camera orientations, and initial camera features, wherein the initial camera positions and the initial camera orientations cause one or more fields of view of the initial cameras to cover at least a part of the surveillance area. The system alters one or more of a number of cameras, an orientation of the cameras, a location of the cameras, a type of the cameras, and a crossover of two or more cameras. The system uses a fitness function to evaluate all of the cameras and all of the camera positions, and selects one or more cameras and the locations and orientations of the one or more cameras as a function of the fitness function.