* subscribe at http://techPolice.com Florida police deploy high tech tool Critics say surveillance cameras pose privacy concerns By Pete Williams NBC NEWS July 2 — In what could be the shape of things to come, Florida police are using surveillance cameras they hope will catch criminals walking the streets. But some civil liberty experts call it a big-time, Big Brother style invasion of privacy. POLICE in Florida are deploying a new high tech tool that they hope will help catch criminals walking the streets. But civil libertarians object that the new system is an invasion of privacy, Big Brother style. To help control crime in Tampa’s Ybor City neighborhood — a tourist draw and nighttime hangout for young people — police have long used surveillance cameras to spot trouble. But now, those same cameras are hooked to a powerful new computer system, one that can instantly scan a crowd, looking for thousands of criminal suspects or missing children: “Hoping to make the area safer for our citizens, reduce crime, and locate runaway kids,” says Tampa Police Detective Bill Todd. Here’s how it works. The system’s three-dozen cameras scan every face in range and compare each image to the 30,000 mug shots on file, using 80 facial features like distance between eyes. If the computer finds a likely match, it sounds an alarm allowing the operator to make a visual comparison. Police officers on patrol can then be alerted to stop that person for questioning. While Tampa is the first U.S. city to deploy the system, authorities in east London, where it’s been in operation for nearly three years, claim it help cut crime by a third. Surveillance cameras now commonly watch America’s streets for red-light runners, and legal scholars say there’s nothing about the Tampa face-recognition system that would make it unconstitutional. But the ACLU in Florida calls it an invasion of privacy — an involuntary digital lineup — and objects that the city installed the new system with no public debate. “What this does is open up the possibility for erroneous arrest, and it’s a total violation of privacy,” says Darlene Williams of the ACLU. Even so, if Tampa’s experiment proves successful, police in other cities may soon follow, looking for that familiar face in the crowd. ============================================================ Apply now for a special offer from Topica.com and Discover® Platinum Card Get started with $10 on us!* 0% Introductory APR* - No Annual Fee - Up to 2% Cashback® Bonus Award *See Important Information section of application. http://click.topica.com/caaacd2b1dhr0b2EDp2f/Discover ============================================================ --via http://techPolice.com archive: http://theMezz.com/cybercrime/archive subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --via http://theMezz.com ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?b1dhr0.b2EDp2 Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: archive@jab.org T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
