Our slow decline into Europe: Cameras everywhere in Manhattan

[sgreger1]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...H4g3NbI-Q8Fe2Q

NEW YORK — New York officials say they could stop attacks like the attempted Times Square car bomb by expanding a controversial surveillance system so sensitive that it will pick up even suspicious behavior.

But Saturday's failed terrorist bomb in the Times Square tourist hot spot has provided the authorities with a new argument for expanding a sometimes controversial security blanket of cameras, sensors and analytical software.

Headquartered at 55 Broadway, the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative goes far beyond the traditional hodgepodge of police cameras, such as the 82 devices installed around Times Square.
Instead, an integrated system maintains an unblinking eye, not just watching, but constantly collecting license plate numbers and video of pedestrians and drivers, as well as detecting explosives and other weapons.

Also, a separate, but similar program called Operation Sentinel plans to log every vehicle entering Manhattan island by scanning their license plates and checking for radiation.

For example, alarms would trigger when cameras noticed an unattended bag or a car circling a block too many times to be considered normal, Kelly said.



EDIT: Isn't it also kind weird how the last Simpsons episode was about them finding plutonium in Springfield and then taking away civil liberties to help fight future attempts. But it was really MR Burns all along? <---- AAAAH THEY'R IN ON IT!!!

[snusjus]

2010 is the new 1984. While I think terrorist attacks need to be prevented, I don't like the idea of all citizens getting their license plates scanned. So much for this:

The Fourth Amendment:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

[sgreger1]

2010 is the new 1984. While I think terrorist attacks need to be prevented, I don't like the idea of all citizens getting their license plates scanned. So much for this:

The Fourth Amendment:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Well technically they aren't violating the 4th ammendment because license plates etc should have no reasonable expectation of privacy since they are nailed to the back of every car, but still. Next will be the telescreens in each room. "Sure we are monitoring every conversation, but only for terrorist activities, and if you are not plotting terrorism than you have nothing to worry about".

It sounds crazy, but 100 years ago putting cameras up in a giant grid all over your country to establish a "unblinking eye" of surveilance and digital analysis would have sounded crazy. But it's happening now.


I am all for ifghting terrorism but they keep telling us "if you just let us do this, no more terror attacks". And even after the patriot act that striped us of any percieved privacy, we were having more attacks. So then they went a step further and took even more privacy by saying "we now have to scan your naked body at the airport", and then it still happened so they now want to establish an unblinking surveilance grid.

Funny how many "failed" terrorist attacks weve been having. Lots of little attacks but they never end up actually hurting anyone, and yet they can now justify taking something else from us. I just find it odd that such a well funded organization like Alquaida and the Taliban keep coming up with duds, they should be able to pull something off if they really wanted. These attempts seem much too rag tag to be any professional terrorists.

[Roo]

"Decline into Europe"? That's rather like spitting in the face of our European members, wouldn't you say?

[danielan]

Sure, or they could just license more street vendors - weren't they the ones that reported this one?

[sgreger1]

"Decline into Europe"? That's rather like spitting in the face of our European members, wouldn't you say?

To our European Members: This was in no way meant to put you down. I have talked to many people from different parts of europe and they all seem to be pissed at the increasing surveilance state that they have become. CCTV's on every corner in some places and sattelites issuing you speeding tickets. My comment was not against Europeans, but rather against European Government policy decisions.

For years Europe has been more into the "watch every move" mindset than most countries, and America seems hellbent on copying this, a decision of which i dissaprove of.

Why you ask? Because we always add our special brand of stupid into everything we do when trying to emulate Europe. Look at healthcare. In somewhere like Sweden, you pay higher taxes, and in return you get "free" health care, pensions etc. Here we raise taxes but just force you to buy it, and call that "bringing healthcare to millions". The US and Europe have been monitoring communications for some time under the Echelon program as well as others, but the US, as always, decided to add some crazyness to it by passing the patriot act, by which nothing is ever private again, and we have no way of knowing what they are listening to, when, or for what reason (and without warrant).

All I meant was that we are once again trying to copy Europe, and and will likely add our special brand of american engenuity to it by doing something crazy like having retinal scans of everyone walking through times square, to cross check with some out-of-date database like the no-fly list to see if your a terrorist.

[Darwin]

For some interesting perspectives on some of the ramifications of the ultimate surveillance state a good source, and cracking good reads, take a look at SF writer Bob Shaw's slowglass series of stories. The first was The Light of Other Days. Might be available online or maybe the library. Highly recommended.