Big Brother is watching.....seriously

[B]Chicago video surveillance gets smarter[/B] By DON BABWIN, 
 
Associated Press Writer 
2 hours, 18 minutes ago
 

CHICAGO - A car circles a high-rise three times. Someone leaves a backpack in a park. 
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Such things go unnoticed in big cities every day. But that could change in Chicago with a new video surveillance system that would recognize such anomalies and alert authorities to take a closer look.
On Thursday, the city and IBM Corp. are announcing the initial phase of what officials say could be the most advanced video security network in any U.S. city. The City of Broad Shoulders is getting eyes in the back of its head.
"Chicago is really light years ahead of any metropolitan area in the U.S. now," said Sam Docknevich, who heads video-surveillance consulting for IBM.
Chicago already has thousands of security cameras in use by businesses and police — including some equipped with devices that recognize the sound of a gunshot, turn the cameras toward the source and place a 911 call. But the new system would let cameras analyze images in real time 24 hours a day.
 
"You're talking about creating (something) that knows no fatigue, no boredom and is absolutely focused," said Kevin Smith, spokesman for the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
For example, the system could be programmed to alert the city's emergency center whenever a camera spots a vehicle matching the description of one being sought by authorities.
The system could be programmed to recognize license plates. It could alert emergency officials if the same car or truck circles the Sears Tower three times or if nobody picks up a backpack in Grant Park for, say, 30 seconds.
 
IBM says this approach might be more effective than relying on a bleary-eyed employee to monitor video screens. "Studies have shown people fall asleep," Docknevich said.
It is unclear when the system will be fully operational. Existing cameras could be equipped with the new software, but additional cameras probably will be added as well, Smith said.
"The complexity of the software is going to define how quickly we are able to do this," he said.
Chicago's announcement comes as it is vying to bring the 2016 games to town. A purportedly security-enhancing surveillance system is something city officials could trumpet to International Olympic Committee.
 
"The eventual goal is to have elaborate video surveillance well in advance of the 2016 Olympics," said Bo Larsson, CEO of Firetide Inc., the company providing the wireless connectivity for the project.
 
[B]Neither Smith nor IBM would reveal the cost of the network, but Smith said much of it would be paid by the Department of Homeland Security.[/B] The cost of previous surveillance efforts has run into the millions of dollars. Just adding devices that allow surveillance cameras to turn toward the sound of gunfire was as much as $10,000 per unit.
 
Some critics question whether such systems are effective and whether they could lead to an unwarranted invasion of privacy.
 
Jonathan Schachter, a public policy lecturer at Northwestern University, said there are no studies that show cameras reduce crime. And the idea that placing cameras near "strategic assets" would prevent a terrorist attack is "absurd," he said.
 
Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, said he was concerned that more cameras and more sophisticated technology would lead to abuses of authority.
"It is incumbent on the city to ensure that there are practices and procedures in place to sort of watch the watchers," he said.

sounds kinda like Demolition Man....... freaky!!

so a kid puts his backpack down to go play, and it's there for more than 30 seconds and it triggers a possible terrorist attack?

This is some freaky stuff! What is the world coming to?

[QUOTE=Kuroikaze;93436]This is some freaky stuff! What is the world coming to?[/QUOTE]
I'll tell you what we're going to do...I like to think; I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I'm the kind of guy that likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder - "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?" I WANT high cholesterol. I wanna eat bacon and butter and BUCKETS of cheese, okay? I want to smoke Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section. I want to run through the streets naked with green Jell-o all over my body reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener".

[QUOTE=elpresidente;93486]I'll tell you what we're going to do...I like to think; I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I'm the kind of guy that likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder - "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?" I WANT high cholesterol. I wanna eat bacon and butter and BUCKETS of cheese, okay? I want to smoke Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section. I want to run through the streets naked with green Jell-o all over my body reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener".[/QUOTE]

HAHA!! YES! I embrace your attitude!

the beginning of the end...

[quote=elpresidente;93486]I'll tell you what we're going to do...I like to think; I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I'm the kind of guy that likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder - "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?" I WANT high cholesterol. I wanna eat bacon and butter and BUCKETS of cheese, okay? I want to smoke Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section. I want to run through the streets naked with green Jell-o all over my body reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener".[/quote]

Get ahold of yourself son! :slap:

sounds like some dennis leary (sp?) rant...

dennis leary in Demolition Man!!!! hahahahaha that was an awesome part hahahaha

the best line in the whole movie...

[QUOTE=SikNLow;93241]sounds kinda like Demolition Man....... freaky!![/QUOTE]

Well, I've already got my red and black muscle car.
Who wants to move to the underground of San Angeles with me?

[IMG]http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x158/DKapt/Yuri%20projects/Duster/P9060004.jpg[/IMG]

"Huxley, do you know what this is?"


"A 1974 Plymouth Duster, with a 318 cubic inch engine, 4-barrel carburetor, dual exhaust, and a bench seat!"

"Huxley, I'm not really that impressed with it."

yeah my buddy just got $600 worth of tickets in the mail.. caught by the cameras here in CHI.. ohh well .. i still love this city! =)

I'm waiting till they start to monitor our thoughts for thought crimes and sex crimes!!! :thelaw: Sounds alot like Orwell's 1984 too me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:turbonoes_3: :turbonoes_3: :wtcrun: :wtcrun:

i dont like the sound of this one bit. do i believe that capturing potential terror suspects should be a big priority? absolutely. should our government have the power to peer into our daily lives once in a while? sure.

but i feel that this definitely violates our right to privacy in one way or another. and i don't even live in chicago. :[