Newark and the Future of Crime Fighting

theodp writes "Newark Mayor Cory Booker is betting that cutting-edge technology will reduce crime and spark an economic renaissance. From a newly opened Surveillance Operations Center, cops armed with joystick controllers monitor live video feeds from more than 100 donated cameras scattered across the crime-ridden city. The moves are drawing kudos from businesses like Amazon subsidiary Audible.com, which has moved its HQ to downtown Newark, where space is 50% cheaper than in Manhattan. But are citizens giving up too much privacy?"

Comments

Crowdsource it!

[bennybertow]

Just think about it. If everybody had access to these camera streams, everyone could watch everyone doing... er... crime. Then call the cops if needed. Would work like Wikipedia, as everybody could possibly vote on where the cops should be sent next, or which direction the camera should turn. Then make money with advertising.

Re:Crowdsource it!

[sakdoctor]

This police report is a stub. You can help the Metropolitan Police by expanding it.

Re:Crowdsource it!

[Das Modell]

Don't bother. It's not notable enough, we're deleting it.

Re:Crowdsource it!

[laejoh]

[Citation needed]

"so this is how liberty dies, to thunderous applau

[plasmacutter]

"So this is how liberty dies, to thunderous applause"

at least that's how this summary paints it.

They've had this in london for a while, and it's been a severe invasion of privacy.

There have been several instances where the police have used cameras to follow people home and actually gaze through their windows.

One particular man was so horrified he started protesting it, dressing up in bizarre costumes and skulking the streets provoking police responses.

note to self: scratch newark off potential career location list.

Any numbers to compare?

[houghi]

The UK has the most camera's per capita, I think. Are there any numbers available on how much crime has decreased in those areas where the camera's are? Also how much have they incread in surrounding areas where they are not.

Next what is the cost to keep them running and what was the value of goods being stolen.

Also it would be interesting to see if people feel safer because there are camera's to watch over them or if they feel unsafer to have camera's watch over them.

I can imagine that the cost is much higher and that theft has just moved and people feel less safe while it costs much more even when compared to what is stolen. So all in all good for the few companies in those areas, but bad for the community as a whole.

Only real figures will tell.

Re:Any numbers to compare?

[Halo1]

The UK has the most camera's per capita, I think. Are there any numbers available on how much crime has decreased in those areas where the camera's are? Also how much have they incread in surrounding areas where they are not.

Crime doesn't move away when cctv's are installed. They simply have pretty much no consistent effects on crime rates at all. And they generally don't help with solving crimes either.

Except, of course, cameras don't work.

[Noryungi]

Nope, they don't reduce crime. They don't even prevent them. They don't deter and they are pretty much useless.

CCTV cameras are everywhere in the UK, but, according to a recent report by the CCTV manager of Scotland Yard... They simply don't work, despite billions of UKP invested. You can read this analysis here.

Putting real, flesh-and-blood policemen, on the beat is the way to go. Putting cameras (which hardly qualifies as high-tech anyway) don't work.

Re:Except, of course, cameras don't work.

[dattaway]

I can confirm these cameras DO NOT prevent crime. I have a drug house in front of mine. Lots of vandalism, theft, noise, and hooliganism. So I got a top of the line $2500 PTZ network camera. Here's my little story:

The camera did what I wanted it to do. It takes clear snapshots of the fistfulls of cash, the hits from the water bongs, and where they hide the goods. Great pictures. Gave them to the police. That was months ago. Drug house still going strong. Recently, the camera caught the guy returning from a bad hit and run accident and tried to hide his car in the back yard. The guy is still running around. If I bought the camera to watch a bunch of thugs, its working. To reduce crime, haha. They know the camera is here and wave their middle finger at it.

Here's my Axis network cam if you want to play with it:

http://www.dattaway.net/

There's links at the bottom of the camera page for some of the pictures I saved as the drama continues...

Re:"so this is how liberty dies, to thunderous app

[Halo1]

They've had this in london for a while, and it's been a severe invasion of privacy.

And it cost billions of pounds yet doesn't help in actually fighting crime.

Re:Won't Stop Crime.

[dintech]

For that, we have Batman.

HAVE NO FEAR!

[denzacar]

It is Newark.

Keanu Reeves will (eventually) save the day.
With a little help from Ice-T and his cyber dolphin friend Jones.

I worked in Newark for 9 years

[spineboy]

And these are going to be soooo shot out.

I give them about a week or two , now that people know about them.

Re:"so this is how liberty dies, to thunderous app

[ShieldW0lf]

Screw your privacy. This is great. It should be accessible to the public at all times. This is a way to watch the cops and the politicians, not the other way around.

Re:As someone who lives in the UK

[flyinhigh]

As someone that lives in the UK as well, the criminals don't even care if the cameras see them, because most of the images are totally useless. Also when they put the cameras in they pulled bobbies off the beat. So now instead of getting mugged and just losing your wallet, they stab you first and pull your wallet because its faster. Thank the lord im moving to the U.S. next month.

Re:As someone who lives in the UK

[xaxa]

So now instead of getting mugged and just losing your wallet, they stab you first and pull your wallet because its faster. Thank the lord im moving to the U.S. next month.

Where you will be shot first, then lose your wallet?