NYPD Resorts to cameras

[HACKr]

The NYPD has resorted to using cameras to help prevent terrorism or crime. The cameras are all placed in completely public areas, and people think it's an invasion of privacy! Why?? They're in public areas, you don't have privacy there anyway!

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/16/nyc.cameras.ap/index.html

 

[Joey D]

It's no different then London where you are like on 3 cameras every time you step outta your home or some rediculious thing like that. But hey if you aren't doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about. The ones that are worried obiviously have something they want to hide and it's probably not good...sure they might not be terrorist, but they might be drug dealers, kidnappers, rapist, etc.

Being watched outside my home doesn't bother me, its when they start Big Brothering my home I'll start getting pissed.

 

[Sphinx]

We have CCTV in our small village. It's placed on a tall mast in the center of the village. It therefore looks down on a vast area, the chip shop, post office, newsagent and the pub. It also looks down on the 200yr old building that used to be the village school. Generations of kids have used this as a meeting place ("I'll meet you at the school wall at 6pm"), but now whenever the camera spots anyone hanging around a police car turns up and moves them on.

The popular argument of "if you're not doing anything wrong then you have nothing to worry about" has never been a strong argument for me. They are intrusive, and I personally dislike the idea of being watched when going about my normal daily life.

Imagine instead the camera is some person standing at a window with a spyglass watching your every move. It's the same thing really.

 

[Joey D]

Why? If you are doing nothing wrong you have nothing to be worried about, survallence is there to protect you.

 

[HACKr]

Yeah, but in New York, you have no privacy in public anyway. I mean, it's just useless and stupid to set them up just to nab loitering fellows, but in a huge city with a thru-the-roof crime rate, I don't mind them as much.

 

[Super T]

As a BMX'er my local skate park is in the local authorities park and is overlooked by two cameras. During the day they are usually pointed in the direction of the nearby car parks, (presumably to stop car crime, not that they stop the local scumbags). In the evening they occasionally pan round in the direction of the skate park, not a problem you might think especially as I've heard of kids that have had thier bikes/boards or phones taken from them.

So why is it when I'm in the park using it in the manner it was designed for I get hassled by the police as to why I'm there? OK so a thirty year old man on a BMX might not seem normal to most people, but surely even somebody who doesn't ride or skate can tell somebody who can from someone who's there selling drugs or beating twelve year olds over the head for thier bikes?

I'm glad that they are keeping an eye on the park as my son has also started riding BMX but even with the cameras, he won't be riding alone.