Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 6.3
After the Boston Marathon bombing, images from surveillance cameras played
an important role in the apprehension of the suspects.
The use of closed-circuit television cameras for video surveillance in the United States
began in western New York in 1968. The small town of Olean installed a surveillance
camera along its main business street in an effort to reduce crime. Within a year, more
than 160 police chiefs from around the country visited Olean to learn more about their
system [9]. Today there are an estimated 30 million surveillance cameras operating in
the United States [10].
The number of surveillance cameras keeps increasing (Figure 6.3). New York City is
spending $201 million to install 3,000 closed-circuit security cameras in lower Manhat-
tan. These surveillance cameras are connected to computer systems with sophisticated
image-scanning software that can sound alarms if someone leaves an unattended pack-
age. The cameras are part of a larger network of sensors that also includes license plate
readers and radiation detectors [11].
The New York Civil Liberties Union has expressed opposition to the large increase
in security cameras, saying they represent a violation of privacy and will not prevent
terrorist attacks. The associate legal director of the NYCLU, Christopher Dunn, said
“Our main concern is that it's unlike most police activity, which is focused on people
who are suspected of unlawful activity. In fact, 99.9 percent of people who are captured
in the system are just going to be people walking around, going about their business”
[11].
