Big Brother

[dukalmighty]

MCALLEN - The McAllen police chief is working to add a technical neighborhood watch to the city.

If all goes as planned, hundreds of surveillance cameras will be strategically placed around the city. A fiber-optic line will connect them all to the police department.

McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez says, "We're trying to maximize infrastructure, use it to make McAllen a safer city, make us more effective, more efficient."

He tells us construction on the project should start by next summer.

This is McAllen Texas it is located on South 281 Highway about 10 miles north of Mexico,I guess they have seen how well cameras work in England.I'm thinking this isn't gonne be a crime prevention device ,all it will do is possibly point out possible suspects.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[goldshellback]

Isn't Great Britain using that already for crime control?

It's working for them wonderfuly I hear........that's sarcasm

[XD 45]

I guess they need to find you before you commit the crime.

[JD]

Hey, it'll make for great evidence in court AFTER the crime has been committed.

[Reborn]

Hey it creates a job........someone watching all those monitors.

[JonInNY]

I guess they need to find you before you commit the crime.

Reminds me of a Speilberg film, "Minority Report", in which they arrest a murdrerer BEFORE the crime was committed, because the knew for certain that he would do it!

[dukalmighty]

Last year their cops were so underpaid they were leaving for jobs with other departments but they got money for cameras,must be federally funded

[JD]

Last year their cops were so underpaid they were leaving for jobs with other departments but they got money for cameras,must be federally funded

Grant money.

[ccw9mm]

McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez says, "We're trying to maximize infrastructure ...

Well, yeah. It's a taxpayer-funded organization. It's what such groups do.

Of course, this particular group (police) has a different, overriding purpose to its existence, unlike some: protection of the people.

I suppose the community members can only hope its not abused, but they can basically kiss good-bye their basic privacy at this point. I hope they end up feeling it's worthwhile. I can't help but thinking they're going down a dark road.

[Hopyard]

I was initially very very unhappy when the Brits started the camera surveillance stuff. I don't like it, wish it weren't done, and think it is somewhat intrusive and snoopy.

But, it has been pointed out that in a way it is no different from a beat cop walking around to see what is going on.

From this perspective, if cameras allow the "beat cop" to see more, know more, I don't have too much of a problem. If it improves the chances that young toughs won't congregate in front of store, a bus stop, I'm willing to look at the balance/payoff/risk and evaluate.

Now as you all know, I'm a pretty hard headed guy when it comes to civil liberties stuff. I fully understand the big daddy concerns. I certainly don't accept the argument that it is O.K. because I have nothing to hide.

Still, so long as the tapes aren't kept too long, aren't allowed to become public before a trial, I'm willing to let the cops have extra (or improved) eyes. In fact, the very same cameras might prevent police abuse--something many here concern themselves with.

It doesn't matter to me if they see that I just drove into the parking space in front of the local hardware store--or saw me picking my nose. A cop walking the street would see the same thing.

SO, I have sort of done a 180 switch on how I feel about these things. By themselves they aren't evil. We certainly do need to be vigilant and hold our police chiefs, cops, mayors, and city managers accountable for any funny stuff which might happen with the images.

In a country as overpopulated as ours, with as large an underclass "addicted" to criminal behavior, this is not all that bad an idea.

(I've probably posted something just the opposite on the same subject here at some time. This is how I feel about it right now. Might change my mind again.)