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Today's Poll: Should police agencies install cameras to monitor public areas?

By Howard B. Owens
Ed Gentner

Who will be watching the watchers? What is a public area limited to? Will we have CCTV that covers us from the time we leave our homes until we return and monitor every move in between?

Aug 1, 2011, 11:39am Permalink
Sue Ferringer

Doesn't anyone recall reading about "Big Brother is watching". Perhaps we should be making people more responsible for their behavior in public - Own Your Actions - and if they know they'll have to "pay" for misbehaving, they might Not misbehave.

By the way, cameras are just about EVERYWHERE already - can't even scratch your nose without looking around to see who is "watching". Paranoia strikes deep......

Aug 1, 2011, 1:20pm Permalink
Bob Rathenburgh

I know they have them in buffalo. Thing is these cameras are there and guess what?!? Not even recording half of the time. There was a huge "gang" fight there and some serious injuries, yet it never got recorded because our tax money got wasted to put them in and wired up to not even use them. The police said well, we didnt have the camera on so we didnt catch the fight so we dont know exactly what happened.. Well dont put them in if you wont use them. Isnt that what it is there for, to go back and look at it incase something happens....

Aug 1, 2011, 1:38pm Permalink
George Richardson

In Austin the cameras have resulted in big taxpayer funded settlements for people who were victims of police brutality. It is a two edged sword.

Aug 1, 2011, 2:23pm Permalink
Gabor Deutsch

If you are in "public" anyone can take your picture or record you now. With the technology they have with phones you might not even know it. Further more they can post those pictures to almost any website and ad captions to them as well. This is worse to me then letting the police put up a few cameras. I am very interested to hear what Howard has to say about this too.

Aug 1, 2011, 2:35pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Gabor,

There's a difference between a government agency doing something and a private party doing something.

The government can arrest you and take away your freedom. A private person can only embarrass you.

So without proper oversight and clear rules how cameras by police can be used, there is a danger of abuse.

I've mixed feelings, because in a high crime area, cameras could help. But I'm not particularly interested in living in a society where the government is watching my every move. There's definitely a chance for abuse, and human history has shown that when people are given the tools to try and control the lives of others, they will.

Of course, I'm waiting for the cops with x-ray cameras to spy on criminals: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sGYULzoQCgA/Ri1mi-yeJgI/AAAAAAAAAfA/ZQj8kWE5u…

Aug 1, 2011, 3:33pm Permalink
Gabor Deutsch

"The government can arrest you and take away your freedom. A private person can only embarrass you". Unless private person videos or takes a picture of you breaking the law and turn it in to the "government".

The "government" uses night vision and heat sensor infra red technology now. If someone is breaking the law what is the harm ? I would rather see that then some pictures posted of embarrassing moments of law abiding citizens.

If I am in public and minding my own business not breaking the law and anyone wants to take a picture or video of me without my permission sucks. If they post it and I ever find out I have to try to sue them to get it taken down. Don't seem right to me.

I understand there is a market for it when famous people are involved but how would people feel if someone went around and took pictures of oh, let's say your relatives mangled body and posted it. Or maybe over weight disabled people etc. That seems to be totally legal and quite the rage lately.

Why is it legal to film the "government" but not vice versa ?
I don't see me trusting a stranger over someone in the "government" especially considering they are working for me and upholding laws not trying to get any financial gains or a few laughs by embarrassing me.

Aug 1, 2011, 5:33pm Permalink
Frank Bartholomew

I can't take anymore government in my life. Cameras in public places may or may not benefit police in solving crimes. Maybe the taxpayers could ask for video cameras to be installed in all taxpayer funded government entities.They don't pay us, but want to watch us, so I think it would be reasonable to want to watch how our tax dollars are spent,or wasted.
Maybe the time has arrived to watch "big brother".
An example of costly errors by the powers that be is all over the news;"Judge orders Casey Anthony back to Orlando".
This Judge has ordered Casey back to a community that, for all intent and purposes, would lynch her at the drop of a hat.The Orlando taxpayers will foot the bill for the additional security costs,or worse, if Casey should be hurt.

Aug 1, 2011, 7:23pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Gabor, if you're in public and break the law and Joe Citizen takes your picture and it becomes evidence against you, I say, too bad for you and thank you Joe Citizen.

When I was in New York a few weeks ago, I was talking lots of "street photography" pictures. At one point I passed a fruit stand and started taking pictures. The guy running the stand comes up to me, "what you don't ask my permission first?" I'm like, "What?" He says "You should ask my permission first." I just shrugged and walked away. I don't need his permission and pausing to get it would destroy the moment and ruin the picture. The is no right to privacy in a public place, so I'll take a picture of whatever I want. I see no reason to apologize for doing what I have a right to do.

The fruit stand picture is the second one down in this series (the picture I published was the first of five or six frames I took ... liked it the best).

http://vufindr.com/2011/07/15/nyc-street-photos-july-8/

Aug 1, 2011, 10:14pm Permalink
George Richardson

If you ask, they might say no. Just do it and then ask forgiveness, if necessary. That almost always works. Don't ask me how I know, but I do know.

Aug 1, 2011, 10:33pm Permalink
Greg Siedlecki

Because of the lack of parenting skills and kids walking the streets at all hours of the night, I have no problem with cameras watching these kids or anyone else.
I am in the "business" of surviellance cameras and always tell people who complain ... "if you're not doing anything wrong, you won't even think about the cameras".

Aug 2, 2011, 7:53am Permalink
Mary E DelPlato

I voted no...because...this is not rochester or buffalo albeit there is crime here and most doesnt take place in a lit public place...and if the idiots in control do do that then what of the police? will there be less need? Cameras cant pick up everything....get out and patrol areas thats what i pay them for....and what happened to bike patrol? I ll say this...if city and town merge then maybe...hey...what happened to that topic....dont want to discuss it anymore????dont want to help me save money by paying just one city tax and not city and county....waitin for an international tax as well..lol..we got city, county , state, federal....that day will come if its not allready here and we just dont see it....international tax!!!!!LMAO...Idiots....btw...howard? have u noticed more for sale signs are going up around here....

Aug 2, 2011, 11:11am Permalink

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