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Under Surveillance

Posted by: Nate Berg

23 June 2009 - 9:00am

The city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, will soon be one of the most watched cities in the world, with plans for 165 closed circuit cameras monitoring public spaces.

The plan has some in the city concerned about privacy, but for the most part, little outcry has been heard.

"Some 165 closed-circuit TV cameras soon will provide live, round-the-clock scrutiny of nearly every street, park and other public space used by the 55,000 residents and the town's many tourists. That's more outdoor cameras than are used by many major cities, including San Francisco and Boston.

Unlike anywhere else, cash-strapped Lancaster outsourced its surveillance to a private nonprofit group that hires civilians to tilt, pan and zoom the cameras -- and to call police if they spot suspicious activity. No government agency is directly involved."

Full Story: Lancaster, Pa., keeps a close eye on itself
Source: Los Angeles Times, June 22, 2009
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Instead of demeaning so-called "third world cities", we would do well to observe, understand, and adapt such approach on a much more widescale basis.
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