North CarolinaTown Debating over Public Surveillance

Residents and city council members of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, are currently divided over whether to install public surveillance cameras in the surrounding area. An increase in crimes, including prostitution and robberies, have raised concern among residents and business owners. Cameras would record activities on public streets, and although they could read license plates from up to 500 yards away, would not record activities within homes. Advocates of the surveillance cameras say that because they are recording activities on public property, they are not an invasion of privacy. Still, many residents and councilmen oppose the installation, saying the nearly $200,000 in projected costs could be used to hire more police officers and implement active security measures.

Read more at WAVY.com....

North Texas Traffic Cameras Met with High Approval

A survey of residents from Hurst, TX has shown that the installation of traffic cameras in the North Texas town have been met with overwhelming approval. Approximately 82% of residents surveyed say that they like the presence of the cameras at major intersections, and were a popular topic of discussion during the a phone survey which was conducted to gather opinions about new town ordinances.

Read more at DFW.com...

Transit Surveillance Pays Off

The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) has announced that a system of 450 surveillance cameras aboard local rail lines have greatly helped reduce crime on board. Originally an anti-terrorism measure, the cameras have also grown to become a valuable resource for transit police for pursuing suspected criminals. In 2005 alone, the MBTA transit police observed more than 200 attempted robberies, and have been able to suspect traits gleaned from the footage to help in the pursuit of the criminals. Most recently, a man suspected of robbing a passenger at gunpoint has been successfully identified and charged thanks to the surveillance footage.

Read more at The Boston Globe...