halleyscomet
04-02-2009, 04:46 PM
Why the Cambridge City Council said no to surveillance cameras (http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/x1452241353/Guest-commentary-Why-the-Cambridge-City-Council-said-no-to-surveillance-cameras)
Cambridge - In a unanimous vote of 9-0 the City Council voted to halt the installation of the Department of Homeland Security funded surveillance cameras throughout Cambridge. Although, this project has been in the works for the last 4-6 years--it was only late this summer that we learned of the DHS grant and our city's participation.We need to be clear about what is, and is not, objectionable about their use.
There is a difference between the use of surveillance cameras by private entities in private spaces like banks, convenience stores, or churches, and the use of cameras by public agencies in public places. Private cameras are for use limited to private spaces and are not, or should not, be networked to law enforcement agencies with the capability of capturing images for placement into databases that have the potential to be accessed by a wide range of local, state or federal jurisdictions. Similarly, prisons and police lock-ups are not public spaces and the use of cameras in such detention facilities is not problematic. Private cameras in private spaces are not being challenged.
Cambridge - In a unanimous vote of 9-0 the City Council voted to halt the installation of the Department of Homeland Security funded surveillance cameras throughout Cambridge. Although, this project has been in the works for the last 4-6 years--it was only late this summer that we learned of the DHS grant and our city's participation.We need to be clear about what is, and is not, objectionable about their use.
There is a difference between the use of surveillance cameras by private entities in private spaces like banks, convenience stores, or churches, and the use of cameras by public agencies in public places. Private cameras are for use limited to private spaces and are not, or should not, be networked to law enforcement agencies with the capability of capturing images for placement into databases that have the potential to be accessed by a wide range of local, state or federal jurisdictions. Similarly, prisons and police lock-ups are not public spaces and the use of cameras in such detention facilities is not problematic. Private cameras in private spaces are not being challenged.