Mayor Alan Autry wants to spend $1.2 million in the next city budget for "video policing." The program would start with 75 cameras in public places such as Roeding Park, Manchester Center, the Tower District and the Fulton Mall.
Being under constant surveillance has become a fact of life in 21st century society. You're on camera when you go to the ATM, at the grocery store, in most shopping center parking lots and often at work. The NSA has our phone records. The Patriot Act allows all sorts of government snooping.
This may not be a big deal to some, but I'm worried that we no longer have a right to privacy. Maybe the city will install listening devices in public places so they can hear our conversations while we're sitting on a bench at River Park or having lunch at a restaurant. You never knows who is plotting the overthrow of something. If they can watch you on camera in public places, why can't they listen to you?
The privacy battle has mostly been lost and technology is our master. But there are ramifications. Maybe it will help police catch more bad people. That's definitely good. But there are many trade offs. Am I just being paranoid?
Jim: the short answer is "Yes." London is totally video taped and it has helped security immensely. It is only taping folks outdoors and in public places where you have no expectation of privacy. (Why wear those new clothes if you are in secret?)
The loss of privacy is nothing compared to the gain in security. Of course, there should be severe penalties for violation of privacy: no fair calling a wife to say you just saw her husband out with some bimbo.
Big Brother is watching!
There are trade offs. Unfortunately, the trade is collective rather than individual, so it'll be hard to find a middle ground that keeps many people happy. Phil's -- The loss of privacy is nothing compared to the gain in security -- is much further along the spectrum than I'd desire, for example.
As a parallel, I'd sacrifice instant credit for fraud protection [via credit freezes, etc.], but the Feds want to override that.
Having one of those cop cameras zeroed on you is no different than having an actual cop in your face, monitoring all of your movements. Is this the kind of society we want to live in??
Do we always want to be looking over our shoulder worrying somebody might be watching??
If anybody should be watched it should be our good ol' Republican mayor. Funny how everytime we get anykind of surplus he sure loves spending it all. I don't have any qualms about funding law enforcement but they look like they're in pretty good shape. This business of giving them more spy gadgetry is just a way of giving some work for some of their overstaffed personnel.
Those monies could of been better spent elsewhere primarily on infrastructure and job growth just to name a few. But no!! Give us our cameras!! Let's just have an Owellian society and see our freedoms and liberties really erode.
First off, privacy is a fallacy in public places.
"Do we always want to be looking over our shoulder worrying somebody might be watching?"
If you're worried about someone watching, then you're already, more than likely, doing something you shouldn't. Hello...?
If you're not doing anything wrong, you'll be filmed walking confidently to your destination...
"...they look like they're in pretty good shape..."
Obviously, you have no clue about our overcrowded jails & juvenile hall facilities, as well as the overwhelmed county courts with pending shedules that are BOOKED up until Fall 2008.
As for the "1984", get real. The society represented in the George Orwell book, were reflective of an oppressive society bent on shutting down creativity, love and personal freedom.
The cameras are a tool for facilitating the SAVING the money involved in court costs and investigative work.
"If you're not doing anything wrong, you'll be filmed walking confidently to your destination..."
I'm not one who's likely to be "doing anything wrong," but something about that sentence struck me as very Big-Brotherish.
Do we really want to live in a society where we are under constant surveillance outside of our homes, while our communications from inside our homes are subject to being monitored by the authorities?
I'm not the paranoid type, and have no interest in criminal activity, but that prospect gives me the willies.
Gives me the willies too along with a hellava of anger as well. There's no specific reason as to why they're needed other than it sounds like a good idea. Ha!! No wonder our valuable tax dollars get wasted especially having a big spendthrift mayor like we've got. I don't want those damn peeping tom cams near my home. I say stick 'em on Mayor Bubba and all the rest of the folks who welcome this video voyerism.