Pennsylvania city blankets streets with security cameras | Durango Herald News

I know how the police feel, but I am big on privacy. I cherish my privacy so much, and do not want to be filmed when I walk around. Does this mean I have something to hide, or am I just a low-key citizen?
Okay, call me crazy.

I also don't trust so much of this kind of equipment in the hands any human being.

What's worse is how easy it is to manipulate video data. The potential for abuse is unnerving.

Well, your feelings and and mine on this cameras business are valid.
I am really fed up with losing so much of my privacy in the last several years.
Is it ever going to stop and regress?
I think not.
Most of us hate to fight but, unfortunately, if we sit back and do nothing it's going to get worse.

Woooo Use some Logic Here and history..

Wait until your car gets stolen or your house broken into and robbed. So how happy would you be if the camera caught the crime??

DID you forget for YEARS while shopping in a Public Place, cameras have BEEN watching you shop and looking for Shoplifters.

What if your child got lost in the store/ cameras can find your child Quicker then the Guards can covering More Area and less manpower to monitor them.

About the Parking Lot. You would probably be the first one to bitch asking where is was Security when your car got stolen at the stores parking area.

SO how in the Heck is it any different in a Public Street??!!

ImTiredOf_It wrote:

I am really fed up with losing so much of my privacy in the last several years.Is it ever going to stop and regress?

Blame it on the city dwellers that STARTS the CRIME. So how do you feel at night privately walking down the street?
It will NEVER stop read your newspaper almost a murder a month average this year. last was 4 murders

Justhefacts wrote:

<quoted text>
Blame it on the city dwellers that STARTS the CRIME. So how do you feel at night privately walking down the street?
It will NEVER stop read your newspaper almost a murder a month average this year. last was 4 murders

I am totally amazed by your thoughts, which represent a significant portion of the population.
So everytime there is a violation of my privacy..it's okay...so long as there's a reeeeally good excuse.
Our government has done everything but barcode and inventory my a__, and you T-R-U-S-T them?
Do you really believe that all of these law enforcement agencies are staffed by honorable people who only want to protect us?
What about the federal government who is sponsoring all of this? Do you believe our government's intentions are just to keep your car from getting stolen and catch murders?
Well, it is going to get more invasive because people like you seem to have no limits as to how much privacy you're willing to give up.
Neither my government nor any policing agency deserves so much power.
Gosh, you are way too trusting.

To my Tamaqua neighbors: Read about this issue of cameras from various sources that are easy to get from the Internet. Get various opinions from every angle rather than having someone like me spout.
After gaining a wealth of information, form your own quality opinion (which I'll bet will mirror mine) and raise hell if you are against this idea.

If "they" ignore you as if your opinion does not matter (I am sure they will), the least you can do is REMEMBER by keeping written notes which can be retrieved in 5 or so years when there is a long list various items that have irritated you about borough operations.

ImTiredOf_It wrote:

If I read you right I understand the implications of what you are saying. If I had my way Screw politically correctness and run the baddies out of town. I grew up never needing to lock the doors. In a school in the country. I HATE BIG GOV CONTROL and the LIGHTS we keep on for security.

What you mentioned that you hate seems an inevitable thing. But Crime will consume most all things unchecked. Aside from Hiring a ton more police and yes one can bitch and say we become a police state.

Bottom line anything to help stop the Explosion of crime is a necessary Evil.

Also never give up the rights to bear arm!

ImTiredOf_It wrote:

I usually Find this kind of person thats opposed to cameras.

1. Old or retired and lives out of the city

2. A democratic

3. Lives out of the City

5. Lives in the good side of the city

6. Lives in the rough side of the city and more so then not a Minority thats afraid of their face on a camera in case of outstanding warrants

My Dad felt the same thing until I took him to work in the Rough parts of the city and see the vandalism to the job sites and tools at times stolen weekly. So keep on thinking what you think and ask what the trade offs are here.

Justhefacts wrote:

<quoted text>
I usually Find this kind of person thats opposed to cameras.
1. Old or retired and lives out of the city
2. A democratic
3. Lives out of the City
5. Lives in the good side of the city
6. Lives in the rough side of the city and more so then not a Minority thats afraid of their face on a camera in case of outstanding warrants
My Dad felt the same thing until I took him to work in the Rough parts of the city and see the vandalism to the job sites and tools at times stolen weekly. So keep on thinking what you think and ask what the trade offs are here.

Boy have you made a lot of generalizations. Demos and Republicans are for cameras. And I'm not a political person either.

As for "rough parts of town," I didn't grow up a sheltered child, but actually grew up in rough part of town. If you wanna put cameras in Reading, Pa, in the rough parts, be my guest.
You wanna put them in little ol' coal town Tamaqua, no way. We are not Reading. We don't have the "rough parts" (surprisingly, a few locals think we do).

And yes, I do live outside of the city, in Tamaqua, PA! However, the standard I apply to Tamaqua is completely different than the one I'd apply to Reading's for-real rough side.

About needing more police, I think not. The real problem is the courts who plea bargain and are easy to manipulate. Today the bad guy has more rights than the victim. Also, arresting people doesn't do much except getting some bad guy off of the streets for a short period of time. Then they get out and brag to the world.

Gun control: I am against it!

P.S.: I don't mind lights. Everyone should light up their property.

ImTiredOf_It wrote:

<quoted text>
1. If you wanna put cameras in Reading, Pa, in the rough parts, be my guest.
2. You wanna put them in little ol' coal town Tamaqua, no way. We don't have the "rough parts" (surprisingly, a few locals think we do).
3. The real problem is the courts who plea bargain and are easy to manipulate. Today the bad guy has more rights than the victim. Also, arresting people doesn't do much except getting some bad guy off of the streets for a short period of time. Then they get out and brag to the world.
4. Gun control: I am against it!

1b. Kind of selective
2b. Who ever said your town is getting cameras? How can you compare Tamagua of 7,000 people to Lanc over 50.0000 People and make a judgment that way? In essence you live in a Bubble compared to the rest of Reading. Lancaster. York, Allentown, Nice to be in a safe all but crime free bubble. I'm actually jealous
Tamaqua
98.69% White, 0.18% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the pop
Your turn will come in time. Lancaster, 40 years ago one could walk virtually anywhere in relatively Safe. Now basically a murder a month. Look at Suzie's Hole in Pequea and how far away from the City. The arrest there was mostly Puerto Ricans from the CITY trashing the place and Booze and drugs.. Need to wake up a bit here.
3b. Thank the Dem's for That!!!
4b. KNOW ONE WILL EVER TAKE MY GUNS !!!!!Thats when it will get Ugly.

Justhefacts wrote:

<quoted text>
1b. Kind of selective
2b. Who ever said your town is getting cameras? How can you compare Tamagua of 7,000 people to Lanc over 50.0000 People and make a judgment that way? In essence you live in a Bubble compared to the rest of Reading. Lancaster. York, Allentown, Nice to be in a safe all but crime free bubble. I'm actually jealous
Tamaqua
98.69% White, 0.18% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the pop
Your turn will come in time. Lancaster, 40 years ago one could walk virtually anywhere in relatively Safe. Now basically a murder a month. Look at Suzie's Hole in Pequea and how far away from the City. The arrest there was mostly Puerto Ricans from the CITY trashing the place and Booze and drugs.. Need to wake up a bit here.
3b. Thank the Dem's for That!!!
4b. KNOW ONE WILL EVER TAKE MY GUNS !!!!!Thats when it will get Ugly.

I am lost. It looks like you are with me in my views, but it also looks like you read me wrong and are against me.
I never said anything about taking away your gun. I never said Tamaqua compares to Reading, Lancaster or any other big city.

ImTiredOf_It wrote:

<quoted text>
I am totally amazed by your thoughts, which represent a significant portion of the population.
So everytime there is a violation of my privacy..it's okay...so long as there's a reeeeally good excuse.
Our government has done everything but barcode and inventory my a__, and you T-R-U-S-T them?
Do you really believe that all of these law enforcement agencies are staffed by honorable people who only want to protect us?
What about the federal government who is sponsoring all of this? Do you believe our government's intentions are just to keep your car from getting stolen and catch murders?
Well, it is going to get more invasive because people like you seem to have no limits as to how much privacy you're willing to give up.
Neither my government nor any policing agency deserves so much power.
Gosh, you are way too trusting.

It isn't in my nature to trust anyone. If I have to go to court because someone accuses me of doing something I haven't, or, I'm there because someone has done something to a member of my family, I'd much rather have it on tape. What are they going to use this info for?

The project calls for cameras to be installed at the entrances and exits to the borough, the downtown area and known trouble spots, areas that see a lot of vandalism. IF there is any trouble or crime reported in the area, this will give officers another investigative tool to use. Officers will be able to review the tapes, when required. No one will be paid to watch 24/7 and I'm Tired of It's privacy will not be violated, as long as he's not committing a crime.

Not confused wrote:

The project calls for cameras to be installed at the entrances and exits to the borough, the downtown area and known trouble spots, areas that see a lot of vandalism. IF there is any trouble or crime reported in the area, this will give officers another investigative tool to use. Officers will be able to review the tapes, when required. No one will be paid to watch 24/7 and I'm Tired of It's privacy will not be violated, as long as he's not committing a crime.

Your words are overly measured, with excerpts of the truth put forth as the whole truth. For instance, "No one will be paid to watch 24/7.." is a fact at 7pm, Friday, 11/27/2009. A year from not that could change dramatically. Based on historical trends in governmenet, IT WILL CHANGE significantly.

You speak like the Whitehouse Press Secretary which, unfortunately, many in the general public don't pick up on.
Anyone, regardless of background, who wants to get through to most of the masses, especially the highly intelligent ones, must tell the whole RAW truth from every angle in order to gain the everyone's trust and respect.

If I was on Council,(haha) I believe my outlook might horrify most of them with frequent calls for complete honesty in everything we do. Public meetings would encourage OPEN DISCUSSION with concerned ears on Council's part. If the public says "no," I'd go along with it, EVEN IF I was looking for a "yes".

THat's honorable. It's what people want and need.
Do it!
And please, don't retain a lawyer with our money to coach you on how to conduct yourselves in public, and protect you from us. Just tell the whole truth and let OUR WILL supersede yours if there's a majority consensus. Have I been fair?

Final note: Wealthier politicians who are on council for self serving interests, and politicians who are easily swayed by money interests are garbage.
Have I been too honest?

I say give the Tamaqua PD all the tools they need to keep us safe. It is only a matter of time before the gangs invade Tamaqua, and if you've ever watched an episode of "Gangland", they don't exactly try to hide under the radar because they have no fear of law enforcement or anyone else. I really fear for the lives of Tamaquans if they invade our hamlet. I`m willing to pay a reasonable ammount through taxes to protect my family.

Yo-Yo-Yo wrote:

I say give the Tamaqua PD all the tools they need to keep us safe. It is only a matter of time before the gangs invade Tamaqua, and if you've ever watched an episode of "Gangland", they don't exactly try to hide under the radar because they have no fear of law enforcement or anyone else. I really fear for the lives of Tamaquans if they invade our hamlet. I`m willing to pay a reasonable ammount through taxes to protect my family.

Dear Yo-Yo-Yo, you know nothing about gangs. I can assure you that crime will continue to rise in spite of our grandiose cameras, and ALL OF THE MONEY bled from us FEARFUL taxpayers.
Real gangs these days, especially the leadership, are not just cold mindless thugs, but rather, highly intelligent, calculating young men who know all about cameras and their weaknesses by now. If you take an area of town and flood it with cameras and lighting, the bad boys will move to another area. Now watcha gonna do? Move all of the cameras, or buy new ones. And so on.....
The cheapest most effective thing for people to do is go on the offensive by giving the gangs no reason to come here!!!! We the People must be perceived as a close-knit community of protective, FEARLESS, vigilant, intelligent, ready-to-take-action persons.
First off, light up your properties real well. Bad boys hate light. If you hear something outside, run out, so people on foot (who might be assessing a neighborhood to gauge predictable habits) will know we are alert. If everyone is on the same page, it will make a big bad impact.
Spending money will not save you people. Physically going on the attack will.
Forget the cameras.
Fighting bad guys is real-man's (grunt) work that the public has to get involved in to make policing easier.
Cameras have LIMITED value and a big fat price tag.