Chicago’s (Hidden) Surveillance Cameras
In Chicago a few weeks ago, Mayor Daley held a press conference to announce a second generation of police surveillance cameras. The first generation cameras were large, white and blue boxes with a flashing blue light on the top and a large police seal painted on each side. These cameras were mounted on telephone poles and were visible for blocks.
The cameras were initially announced under the name “Operation Disruption,” which was fitting, if one interpreted the name to mean that the camera’s unmistakable presence itself was intended to disrupt criminal activity. I think I remember someone suggesting that the cameras might not even have to be turned on, or that they may even be fake. The deterrence factor was the primary function.
The second generation cameras do not have lights or the police seal, and could be mistaken for street lights. I find this change of tack somewhat troubling. Upon hearing about the first generation of cameras, before they were installed, I though the installation of surveillance cameras was pretty Big Brotherish, but became less concerned when I saw that they would be highly visible, or more accurately, intentionally impossible to miss. With the announcement that the second generation of cameras will be less obtrusive, more portable, and may be installed without any notification, my concern is back. The questions logically follow: how long until the cameras are true hidden cameras? Will there even be a press conference for the third generation?
Another 100 police cameras are headed to high-crime street corners as the city expands a security system intended to disrupt crime, Mayor Richard Daley announced Tuesday.
But the new generation of cameras will be less obtrusive than the 200 already on the street. They will be a fraction of the weight and size of the current model and not be equipped with flashing blue lights.
Operation Disruption cameras used to be about as subtle as a punch in the nose. They weighed 100 pounds, had flashing blue lights and were encased in the Chicago Police Department’s classic logo. The $30,000 cameras virtually announced that you were entering a high-crime neighborhood.
The next generation of video surveillance — in a city that’s fast become famous for it — is a lot more discreet. The camera weighs just 15 pounds, costs $6,000 and looks about as unobtrusive as a street light.
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Police Supt. Phil Cline said the new and improved cameras can be moved more easily to accommodate shifting crime patterns. In some neighborhoods, signs will be posted warning criminals that Big Brother is watching. In other places, there will be no warning signs.
“It looks like a streetlight. So it’ll come to our tactical advantage,” Cline said.
More to come on this topic as I refine my thoughts on the matter.
