Is Your City Watching You?

"In the first such public effort in the US, New York is planning to begin the installation of a permanent camera system for lower Manhattan by year's end."

"In the struggle against terrorism at home, its backers say CCTV is both a forensic tool and a deterrent to all but the most dedicated suicide bombers. Sophisticated imaging technology allows cameras to alert police to unattended packages, zoom in on objects hundreds of feet away, identify license plates, and "mine" archived footage for specific data."

"Opponents contend that this very technology is overly intrusive and open to abuse, raising serious constitutional questions."

"Millions of private cameras already guard building entrances, chemical plants, and malls. Most police departments in big cities, such as New York and Los Angeles, use surveillance cameras in high-crime areas and to identify traffic scofflaws."

"American cities, however, don't have extensive live networks tied to a central surveillance center like London's. New York's plan is the first to emulate it."

"The first 115 cameras are expected to be operating by the end of the year. By 2010, as many as 3,000 cameras could be installed. One-third would be owned by the New York Police Department and the other two-thirds by private security agencies working with businesses."