CNN.com – Cameras put police ears to the ground – Jul 5, 2005 — Here’s looking at you, kid.
CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) — Police installed video surveillance cameras around town and saw Chicago’s murder rate fall to its lowest level in four decades. Now the cops hope to further cut crime by not only watching, but listening, too.
The city is employing new technology that recognizes the sound of a gunshot within a two-block radius, pinpoints the source, turns a surveillance camera toward the shooter and places a 911 call.
Welcome to crime-fighting in the 21st century.
pegged by K. Burel
And the funny thing is people are going to complain.
Big brother and such.
I guess I just don’t see the diffrence between a police officer, and a police camara – As long as the camaras stay in public areas.
I honestly doubt the efficacy of video cameras as crime prevention. To the point of wondering whether those crime figures are fabricated.
I really think video evidence is only useful for forensic purposes, not for prevention. I can’t honestly think anyone thinking of commiting some crime will be frightened of a camera – especially if it’s a small, non-violent crime. Just cover your face and go ahead – nobody will be able to identify you and very few will actually care. So break into that shop at night and take away the TV set you want – there are no policemen anywhere to stop you!
Miguel, the breadth of well set-up surveillance and the techology used — down to stuff as small as a dot over an “i” on a billboard — is what catches criminals. It’s usually not the “security cam” in a store that catches a burglar, for example, it’s the traffic cam that monitors the idiots getting into their car parked around the corner.
More to the point —
Once again, questions of security, surveillance and democracy must be debated as folks go forward from the London disaster, this morning. That city has the greatest incidence and frequency of CCTV cameras — dedicated to public safety. Even if it’s only after the fact.
In the weeks and months to come, there will be, should be, investigation and debate over the usefulness of this technology. If, in fact, it proves to be measurable assistance to the capture and conviction of the terrorists who committed today’s crime — there will be increased support for greater use, worldwide. And, especially, here in the belly of the beast that would consume the rest of the world.
Of course, the discussion isn’t only about terrorism; but, our own US specialties included: gangbangers, native-or-foreign born, and serious criminals. ID cards help to some extent, even absent a bad cop’s reliance on profiling. The British press, from Glasgow to Birmingham, from the terraces of Old Trafford to Villa Park, report confidence in what CCTV, etc., have accomplished when the technology is actually monitored and utilized — not just nailed up as a sop to the fearful.
The most theoretical portions of the discussion revolve around [1] democracy doesn’t especially guarantee privacy in public places — [2] should it? Caterwauling about what the government may do with this stuff is completely irrelevant. Bureaucrats and politicians will break any law they damned well feel like. Their best practices ignore constitutions and ethics. All they care about is getting what they want, when they want it and screw anyone who gets in the way!
Let’s get on with it. We’ll sort out both the real criminals and the wannabe’s. Including the suits.