Pa. city blankets streets with security cameras

Im all for private businesses and property owners putting whatever cameras they want up on their own property. Im all for the government making it easier for them to do so, via tax breaks, free cameras, whatever.

However, call me a crackpot conspiracy theorist, but I think someone has to be pretty naive to think that any government run security cameras wont ever be misused, abused, or evolve from simply watching an area for crime, whether those things take weeks, months, or even 50 years.

title of article is misleading..

This was not done by the city of lancaster

Quick Danno, whats that guy doing at urinial #3?

Let me tell you, Lancaster is far from a small town, when you think of small towns think Elizabethtown, Red Lion, etc. Lancaster is a small city with high rises, poverty, petty crime, murders, prostitution,drugs, etc. Like any big city, it has the same problems. I guess most people are not smart as they think they are, cause if you've been to Lancaster City you know why those cameras are there. Lancaster has been wild since the early 90s.

Add the facial recognition software to the system and much of the "liberty lost" is avoided since computers are watching for the most part.

The cameras in Lancaster are not run by the cops. It is a citizen’s watch group that runs the cameras. When they see a crime happening the call the police and tape the crime as evidence.
Cameras have been in use in England for years and they have stopped all kinds of crimes and help prevent some bombings as well.

The liberals in charge of the cities will do everything, but what they should actually be doing which is flooding crime ridden neighborhoods with police officers. I'm at a loss to explain why.

big brother police state anyone?

Having someone watch you while you go about your business doesn't seem to bother Wal-Mart shoppers, and they are constantly watched while in the store, and on the parking lot. It shouldn't matter with cameras watching you in the streets either. In both instances the camera monitors are looking for the BAD that people do, not the GOOD, although seeing good things is pretty neat. Someone mentioned "Big Brother". Well, duh, Big Brother has been watching us for years (satelite surveilance and Internet watchdogs). If cameras are installed publicly with the intent on cutting down crime it's a definite plus, especially if the area has a problem with unchecked crime.

Sounds like Indonesia to me.

The rights of citizens are slowly being taken away.

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING!

Funny that the aclu is upset that it's not just in high crime areas - but everywhere. I would have thought if they were in just high crime areas - then they'd be complaining of profiling. Agree - let the bad people be ware.

adam wrote:

big brother police state anyone?

Ever hear of gangstalking and gaslighting?

Going on for years, law enforcement does nothing to address it.

Sorry,

I can't worry about the little gangbangers in Lancaster, York, Lebanon, Reading, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh or anywhere else throughout the state.

The law enforcement powers did not worry about rounding them up for 50 years, why should I?

Their gangbanging mothers and fathers are too busy teaching them the gang rules and by-laws.

Their drug-dealing grandmoms are too busy handing out the crack for resale so they can bring more money home to grandma for the family.

Oh, well.

Pa is known as the most corrupt state in the nation.

This reminds me of a small coffee shop across the street from my house. It's owned by and full of liberals. They are against surveilance cameras and any intrusion into their privacy. I have a quite a few cameras watching my house and the street, plus have been working with some neighbors to get them to do the same. I've had discussions with the owners and patrons of the coffee shop about whether or not my cameras intrude onto their "right to privacy." They are worried that I'm spying on their patio or can see who enters and leaves their shop.

Early one morning someone broke in, stole the cash register and tried to strip the plumbing out of the wall. Mostly the just broke a few water lines and created a huge mess and created a LOT of damage.

All of a sudden the owners wanted to know if my cameras had recorded anything. They wanted me to infringe on the rights of criminals to be annonymous. I was suppose to violate the privacy of people who just happened to be in the area of the time, but had no relationship with the theft.

I made them put a request on their web-site for any information AND SURVEILANCE RECORDINGS before I copied my drive for them.

My cameras didn't show anything because I don't have an angle on the window used to enter the shop.(I knew that. I just wanted to jerk them around.) The funny thing is that they now have their own set of web-cams watching the place.

Remember: a Conservative is a Liberal who has been robbed.

Private cameras for use on ones' OWN PRIVATE PROPERTY(home or business) is a totally different subject from use on public thoroughfares and streets.

Remember, the Govt. that can give you all the rights you may need, can just as easily take them away!

Installation, maintenance, monitoring, and the cameras themselves cost the taxpayer millions of hard earned dollars.

A good community policing program such as Crime Watch working hand in glove with a good Police force
costs much less and is more efficient,without intrusion into a citizens privacy.

Keyword being cooperation between the POlice and the Crime Watch organization.

When you flood the inner city with cameras, the criminal element moves out into the residential, and outer area businesses.

Invest in your citizens, and Police force. They are the front line in the fight against crime.