-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Fw: Chicago plans advanced surveillance Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2004 18:05:53 -0700 From: Thomas Leavitt <thomas@private> To: Declan McCullagh <declan@private> > > Chicago plans advanced surveillance > > http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&ncid=676&e=2&u=/usatoday/20040910/ts_usatoday/chicagoplansadvancedsurveillance > > Fri Sep 10, 2004 > By Debbie Howlett, USA TODAY > > A surveillance system that uses 2,000 remote-control cameras and > motion-sensing software to spot crimes or terrorist acts as they happen is > being planned for the city. > > If that sounds a little like Big Brother is watching, he might be. > > "Cameras are the equivalent of hundreds of sets of eyes," Mayor Richard > Daley said Thursday. "They are the next best thing to having police > officers stationed at every potential trouble spot." > > The system would exceed existing projects in how it would tie cameras to > emergency operations, said Ron Huberman, executive director of the city's > Office of Emergency Management. > > Neither the courts nor the American Civil Liberties Union (news - web > sites) have objected to cameras in public places, saying there is no > expectation of privacy on a city street. > > "We live in a video world," said Ed Yohnka of the ACLU of Illinois. > > The high-definition, motorized cameras can rotate 360 degrees and include > night-vision capability. They will be mounted on buildings and utility > poles across the city. > > Most are already in use - 30 by the police department and 1,000 at O'Hare > International Airport. Other cameras are on elevated train platforms and > the city's 600 schools. An additional 250 cameras yet to be installed will > raise the number to more than 2,000. > > The city is also considering allowing private companies to join the > network, for a fee. Officials said the system size is nearly limitless. [...] _______________________________________________ Politech mailing list Archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Moderated by Declan McCullagh (http://www.mccullagh.org/)
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