[IP] more on Police use cameras to track vehicles of suspects
note "if you are not doing anything wrong"
Begin forwarded message:
From: PBradfield@xxxxxxx
Date: July 21, 2005 8:59:31 AM EDT
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Police use cameras to track vehicles of
suspects
Dear Dave,
I am a liberal and I have been thinking about this issue for the last
couple of days. A few things came to mind.
I visit New York City (NYC) for business on occasion, and frequently
I walk from one appointment to another. Especially since 9-11 (but
even before then), the presence of police officers on foot patrol is
notable. At first I thought it made NYC look like a "police state"
but after a short while I realized that they were not monitoring me.
They were just there making the city safe for pedestrians like me. I
must say that I feel very safe walking the streets of NYC. In
addition, they are a great resource whenever I am curious about which
direction to go to get to my next appointment. As long as I am not
going to commit any crimes, they are "on my side."
How much different are the these cameras? It seems to me that if
you are not doing anything wrong, you can ignore them and/or take
comfort that they serve as a deterrent for crime. When I point this
out to those that are anxious about "being monitored" they mutter
stuff about "big brother" and "living in a police state."
These people need to check their ego and self-centeredness. The
world does not live to see what they are doing, and unless they
commit a crime, their presence on a police TV monitor is at worst,
barely noted. Tracking innocent people takes time away from trying
to catch the bad guys which is what police are trained to do.
I believe it is the responsibility of our government (and one of the
reasons you pay taxes) to provide a safe and secure environment for
the progress of our society. Police are a necessary part of that,
and as long as the police are overseen by the public, there will be
few problems and abuses.
Note: These cameras would provide evidence of criminal behavior by
the police as well.
My $0.02.
Philip Bradfield, Ph. D.
VP-Tailored Lighting Inc.
Where SoLux was invented.
www.solux.net
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