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Homeland Security's Tech Wonders

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the segways-and-calculator-watches dept.

Lucas123 writes "The multi-billion dollar budget of the Department of Homeland Security has spawned a myriad of new, whiz-bang technology that includes things like keychain-size, remote-controlled aerial vehicles designed to collect and transmit data for military and homeland security uses. It also includes infrared cameras that capture license plate images to match them in milliseconds to police records. "Seventy percent of all criminal activity can be tied to a vehicle," says Mark Windover, president of Remington ELSAG Law Enforcement Systems, which is marketing its product to 250 U.S. police agencies."

10 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. Thank God we have this technology by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Now we will see crime drop just like it did in the UK when they installed their cameras!

  2. bureaucratic incompetance is the greatest threat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How is stuff like correlating license plates to crime, or flying small recon drones around, helping catch terrorists? According to the Director of National Intelligence, Michael McConnell, the best thing Washington could have done to prevent the terrorist attacks in new york was to have listened to FBI agents when they repeatedly warned that Zacarias Moussaoui was acting suspiciously, and repeatedly requested search warrants (http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/Story?id=3621517&page=1 .) Homeland security should be doing research about how to prevent bureaucratic incompetance.

  3. Data is not the same as intelligence by Nomen+Publicus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    But where does one direct all this "wonderful" technology? There is a myth that seems to infest these new fangled security organisations, that if only they can gather sufficient data they will be able to identify and prevent bad things happening. They cannot, but are willing to spend huge amounts of money in the attempt.

  4. 70% bad vehicles by drseuk · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Seventy percent of all criminal activity can be tied to a vehicle," As vee say in the Netherlands, "Where's my bike?"
  5. Why use humans when you've technology by mister_woods · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It looks like the same track is being followed as in the United Kingdom, where we host the world's largest collection of CCTV cameras, not to mention cameras to catch speeding motorists, read registration plates, etc. Whilst it may give a nice warm glow of reassurance to those who believe the propaganda, does all this gadgetry do anything to reduce the amount of crime as opposed to the fear thereof? Not really: CCTV cameras, for example, have blind spots in their coverage. Technology is being used as a fig-leaf to cover the fact that the powers that be cannot or will not use the presence of humans patrolling in uniforms as a means of catching or deterring ne'er do wells. Technological fixes seem to be preferred too since they do not require wages, meal breaks, holidays or other such luxuries which drain the public purse.

  6. Re: "a myriad" eh? by foobsr · · Score: 4, Informative

    "usage: Recent criticism of the use of myriad as a noun, both in the plural form myriads and in the phrase a myriad of, seems to reflect a mistaken belief that the word was originally and is still properly only an adjective. As the entries here show, however, the noun is in fact the older form, dating to the 16th century. The noun myriad has appeared in the works of such writers as Milton (plural myriads) and Thoreau (a myriad of), and it continues to occur frequently in reputable English. There is no reason to avoid it."

    http://m-w.com/dictionary/myriad (Definition of myriad from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary)

    A problem with information on 'the Internets' is that there are chances that the quality of the sources are not always properly assessed.

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  7. hmmmm by phoenixwade · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Seems to me that it isn't the huge budget of the department of homeland security that's pushing these innovations, it's DARPA, the same group that has been pushing everything from AI (with cool desert races) to the internet.....

    --
    A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
    1. Re:hmmmm by ScrewMaster · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Maybe, but that's what we pay DARPA to do, when you get right down to it.

      People come up with nifty toys all the time. It's part of living in a high-tech society. The problem comes in when law-enforcement substitutes ineffective technological measures for quality police work.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  8. More than you understand. by khasim · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Pop quiz, in the USofA are there:
    #1. More terrorists?

    #2. More crooked cops?

    Now, which of these is this new surveillance technology supposed to protect you from and which ones will have it?

    http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/conductunbecoming/

  9. Look up "incest". by khasim · · Score: 4, Interesting

    There is a myth that seems to infest these new fangled security organisations, that if only they can gather sufficient data they will be able to identify and prevent bad things happening. They cannot, but are willing to spend huge amounts of money in the attempt.

    The companies making the products often hire politicians who voted to purchase those products to fight [crime|terrorism|kiddie_porn].

    It's all an incestuous cycle.