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We're Caught in Camera's Eye More Often than You Realize 7/31/05 |
In the war against terror and urban crime, one weapon rising in popularity is the
surveillance camera. Using images captured from high-tech security lenses, British authorities on Friday arrested four suspects in the failed bomb attacks on July 21.
Surveillance videotape also helped London police identify one suicide bomber in the July 7 terror attacks.
There are approximately 500,000
closed circuit cameras in London, making it perhaps the most monitored city in the world.
According to one estimate, Londoners are captured on videotape every five minutes. That's almost 300 times a day.
We in San Antonio are under far less scrutiny. But our movements are recorded more often than we realize.
Security cameras not only videotape us at convenience stores, ATMs and malls. They monitor us in public streets, parking lots and office buildings.
There are cameras on Loop 410. Cameras at the airport. Cameras at City Hall. There are cameras all over security-sensitive areas downtown.
If you feel as if someone is watching every step you take outside your home, get used to it.
Surveillance is expanding.
"Homeland security money is being spent on not only
camera systems, but controlled access, card readers, and different security measures that will limit and monitor access to strategic areas," says Nim Kidd, homeland security coordinator for San Antonio.
In post 9-11 America, security advocates — not civil libertarians — wield power.
Recent bombings in London have put many on edge in the U.S. In Los Angeles, city officials say security gaps are enormous.
State-of-the-art surveillance cameras are needed for mass transit. Current cameras do not pan, tilt or zoom. The city is playing catch-up.
In San Antonio, security has been upgraded at City Hall, Municipal Plaza, downtown police headquarters and other sensitive areas, thanks to a $500,000
Homeland Security Grant.
Kidd, a District fire chief, won't disclose where many cameras are placed. And he won't provide details on surveillance of public transportation. But he acknowledges that private businesses and local residents are expanding their use of
security cameras.
Cameras cannot prevent terror attacks. Indeed, some suicide bombers may want to be captured on videotape. But
security cameras can lead to arrests, as events in London have shown.
Police say urban crime falls in areas under known surveillance. In New York City,
security cameras are credited with a sharp decline in housing project crime.
The roving, high-tech eye of the
security camera is not perfect. Some captured images are not always sharp. Some faces are concealed. There can be cases of mistaken identity. But for many watching events across the Atlantic, the upside is hard to ignore.
On July 21, four bombs were placed on subway trains and a transit bus in London. The next day, police released photographs of four suspects.
Today, all are under arrest. Source: mysanantonio.com |
