People’s privacy concerns are at an all time high, mainly because the potential of the U.S. government or state government’s abilities to infringe upon those rights is similarly higher than ever. While you might be concerned about cameras on every street corner or drones flying overhead, NYC Mayor Bloomberg says your concerns are futile and that a Big Brother state is inevitable. [Read more…]
NYPD Testing Device That Scans Body for Guns
In all the recent talk about gun control and weapons laws, a new device being tested by the New York City Police Department won’t likely get much resistance. It’s a high-tech gadget that scans through your clothes and can apparently identify whether or not you are carrying a gun. It’s called a T-Ray machine, and despite some pretty obvious privacy concerns, even the New York Civil Liberties Union thinks it might have some redeeming qualities. [Read more…]
Buffalo Officials Defend Their Surveillance Camera Arsenal
The city of Buffalo has 125 surveillance cameras on its street corners and public areas. This is up from 60 just a few years ago. They want more and are consistently talking about how great the cameras are in an effort to gain support, and potential funding. [Read more…]
NYPD Scanning Eyes for Foolproof Identification
The NYPD has begun a controversial method of identifying arrestees this week—by scanning the irises of the eyes. Spurred by two separate cases of pretrial detainees escaping custody by posing as others, the Department has reportedly been working on this technology for some time, though the implementation caught some off guard. [Read more…]
New York Failed Bomb Exposes Weakness in Surveillance Cameras Crime Fighting
After the failed car bombing in Times Square last month, grainy video images were broadcast across the country of the vehicle and a man next to it changing his shirt. The video was likely poured over for days in an attempt to find some clue at who was responsible for the offense. Ultimately, however, it did nothing to help. [Read more…]