City Surveillance

What Happens In Vegas Does NOT Always Stay In Vegas With New Recording Street Lights

Wireless street lights can play music, video, interact with pedestrians and have ‘Homeland Security’ applications like video surveillance monitors Las Vegas r esidents worry that the lights are an invasion of privacy – ‘Who’s protecting our rights? Some cities in the UK and Holland have street lights that reprimand pedestrians for minor offenses like littering By Mail Online Reporter PUBLISHED: 12:31 EST, 10 November 2013 | UPDATED: 13:34 EST, 10 November 2013 Las Vegas is currently installing Intellistreet lights to their well-lit city. But Intellistreets are not just any street-lighting system. The wireless, LED lighting, computer-operated lights are not only capable of illuminating streets, they can also play music, interact with pedestrians and are equipped with video screens, which can display police alerts, weather alerts and traffic information. The high tech lights can also stream live video of activity in the surrounding area. But there’s one major concern.These new street lights, being rolled out with the aid of government funding, are also capable of recording video and audio. Neil Rohleder with the Public Works Department told NBC News 3 in Las Vegas that the main reason for installing the new lighting system is not to record anyone or anything. ‘We want to develop more than just the street lighting component,’ Rohleder said . ‘We want to develop an experience for the people who come downtown.’ But some residents worry that the lights, which are currently being tested in and around Las Vegas City Hall, are an invasion of privacy. […]

China Installed More Than 60 Security Cameras On One Street Pole

News Bot   Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Paranoid much, China? Cause it sure as hell looks like it when you have more than sixty security cameras strapped onto a single street light. This photograph, taken at an intersection in Shanghai by NetEase , hilariously captures the personal privacy be damned, big brother monster attitude that everyone imagines China to have. It’s perfect, really. Read more… More… News Bot   Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Remember that PC streaming feature Mad Catz’ MOJO is supposed to be getting sometime after launch? It might be powered by NVIDIA’s GameStream technology. “We’re talking to NVIDIA and we hope to enable GameStream soon after the launch of the console,” Alex Verrey, Mad Catz’ Global PR Director told … More… There are no threads newer than the previous one. Click the back button in your browser to return to it.

Safe City Municipal Video Surveillance In Colina, Chile

Safe City Municipal Video Surveillance in Colina, Chile – Located just 14 kilometers (8.5 miles) from the country’s capital, the Chilean city of Colina is home to one of the latest Safe City video surveillance projects powered by the innovative Axxon Next video management software – AxxonSoft.com Safe City Municipal Video Surveillance in Colina, Chile   NewswireToday – /newswire/ – Colina, Chile, 2013/10/30 – Located just 14 kilometers (8.5 miles) from the country’s capital, the Chilean city of Colina is home to one of the latest Safe City video surveillance projects powered by the innovative Axxon Next video management software – AxxonSoft.com .       Rank or share this free Newswire Press Release Distribution content. Join the network! Learn How! Your Banner Ad Here instead – Showing along with ALL Articles covering Audio/Video Equip./Surveillance Announcements   The surveillance system was installed at the initiative and with the approval of the city government and now spans 25 different cameras. Colina is the administrative center of the commune of the same name as well as the capital of Chacabuco Province, with a population of approximately 78,000. High crime rates made local residents fearful and anxious. Looking for solutions, the government decided that smart video surveillance is an essential tool for fighting crime, particularly street crime. The open-platform next-generation Axxon Next VMS was chosen as the platform for tying together the geographically scattered surveillance system. The unique features of Axxon Next, as well as its functionality, reliability, performance, effectiveness, and ease […]

Running: Security Tight For NYC Marathon

NEW YORK — With the New York City Marathon set to return Sunday after being sidelined last year by Superstorm Sandy, the specter of the Boston Marathon looms large. The New York City Police Department plans to beef up security along the 26.2-mile course, which winds through the city’s five boroughs. But the finish line has become perhaps the biggest worry after two homemade bombs detonated near the finish line in Boston, killing three people and injuring more than 260. “It will be tight,” police commissioner Raymond Kelly said recently when asked about the race’s finish area in Central Park. “It always is tight, but obviously we’re going to pay particular attention to that this year.” About 45,000 runners participate in the marathon. The NYPD bought 100 mobile security cameras in the wake of the Boston attack. Those will be positioned to keep an eye out for anything suspicious along the route in places where there are gaps in the sightline of permanent cameras, police said. Hundreds of police officers will be posted along the route; police helicopters will patrol the skies and police boats will keep watch from New York Harbor and the East River. As with any large-scale event in the city, the department also will deploy bomb-sniffing dogs and plainclothes officers whose job is to blend in with the crowd. “I think we’ve got a sound plan, but it always requires some adjustments, and that’s what we’re in the process of doing now,” Kelly said. Marathon […]

Security Cameras Roll Out In North Augusta SC

Staff Photo by Scott Rodgers The new security cameras are up at the municipal center. North Augusta will soon have a new tool in its fight on crime. The City has already installed a number of high-tech surveillance cameras at the municipal center. Following the numerous break-ins that occurred throughout the summer, action was taken to put in place some preventive measures. Even John Thomas, the chief at North Augusta Public Safety, had his unmarked Tahoe broken into. “What really spurred the decision was the number of break-ins we experienced in the Greeneway parking lots, where folks would park out in the remote areas and go walk,” Rick Meyer, director of North Augusta Parks, Recreation and Leisure Services, said. “Also in front of the activity center and Riverview Park. It comes in cycles – we’ll go six months and not have any; then we’ll have a rash of them. These folks are pretty good; they can break into your car, we’ve timed it on video, in 10 seconds or less.” Meyer noted that although there are some existing cameras in place, they do not have the coverage and capability of the new ones. He also said there are currently zero on the Greeneway, so this will be brand-new along that area. “We have a few when you walk in the door here, but they’re ancient and need to be replaced,” he said. “All of the locations themselves – and this also includes the soon-to-be-built Park and Ride out on […]

Emanuel Touts Savings In Red-Light Camera Contract

BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter October 25, 2013 2:52PM Sun-Times Library storyidforme: 56887440 tmspicid: 18319330 fileheaderid: 8232492 Updated: October 25, 2013 6:41PM Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Friday turned the page from a $2 million bribery scandal plaguing Chicago’s decade-old red-light camera program in a way, he claims, will save taxpayers $10 million a year. The city signed a five-year contract — with three, two-year extensions — that calls for Xerox State & Local Solutions, Inc. to be paid $1,819 per month to manage and maintain each of the city’s 384 red-light cameras. That’s just 42 percent of the $4,300 monthly fee that Chicago was paying Arizona-based Redflex Traffic Solutions, the company forced out by the bribery scandal. The more favorable terms are expected to save taxpayers $10 million a year over the life of the contract, City Hall said. Mayoral spokesman Bill McCaffrey said the dramatic drop in prices stems from the “different technology” used by the two companies. Redflex had “loop detectors mounted in the street.” Xerox is using less costly radar technology, McCaffrey said. Xerox spokesman Carl Langsenkamp had no immediate comment on the contract finalized Friday. A press release issued by City Hall said the “transition to the new management team” would begin immediately. “Automated red-light enforcement changes drivers’ behavior to reduce the number of crashes and increase the level of safety for everyone,” Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein was quoted as saying in a statement. “We plan to continue this important program with a new […]

Cambridge MA Blocks Surveillance Cameras

How one Mass city watches the watchers, and how others should follow suit On February 2, 2009, the Cambridge City Council voted in unanimous opposition to the installation of eight Department of Homeland Security cameras at major intersections on the basis that “the potential threats to invasion of privacy and individual civil liberties outweigh the current benefits” of accepting the DHS funds. While six such cameras were installed all the same, the council and a vocal citizenry has since successfully opposed their activation. At a follow-up meeting earlier this month, all nine Cambridge councilors reaffirmed their position: the cameras must remain off until police prove beyond doubt that their department has the capacity to balance investigative methods with civil liberties. Such aggressive civilian oversight of law enforcement should serve as a model not only for the Boston region, but for the whole country. Since 9-11, police chiefs, sheriffs, and commissioners have had an open invitation to request any range of surveillance and tactical gear from federal coffers, often without accountability checks to ensure that deployment squares with the Bill of Rights. Between DHS, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Defense, local overseers can secure every conceivable toy that they could ever covet without spending a dime of their own. From drones, to armored vehicles, to Long Range Acoustic Devices, which are essentially giant human dog whistles, it’s a veritable buffet via federal grants. Since these checks are written by the feds, such arrangements are often executed without […]

On Proliferating State And Local Surveillance Technologies

Over at  Security States,   I have this piece up , about the proliferation of city- and state-operated surveillance technologies—and the need to pair collection rules for these technologies with effective use and access rules.  The piece begins: The  New York Times  reports today that “ Privacy Fears Grow as Cities Increase Surveillance .” The main theme is that municipal police and law enforcement agencies around the country are deploying new and more sophisticated data gathering and analysis technology, some of it bought with counter-terrorism funds, stoking privacy concerns among residents and watchdog groups. As with much of the early reporting of National Security Agency surveillance programs disclosed by Edward Snowden, the  Times  piece is heavy on what the systems collect and how they store and combine information.  Only near the end of the piece, however, does it address accompanying rules and guidelines being developed to regulate such issues as who can access this information, for what purposes, under what supervision, and with what checks. Rapid technological development and lower price-tags for it are inevitable, and the most important question is whether regulation for how surveillance technology and data may be used can keep up. It is no surprise that local governments are deploying technologies like video surveillance systems, license plate readers, drones, networks of sensors, and systems for aggregating and analyzing the information streams they produce. The New York Police Department has  been out in front of other cities  in this regard, on account of its size, resources, threats, […]

AGT International Raises The Bar For Safe City Solutions

AGT International Appoints Jens Wegmann as Chief Corporate Development Officer Those that are successful will adopt an integrated model of public safety continue reading this.. and security that protects citizens and businesses. The new UrbanShield 5.0 release unveiled today by AGT International at the Global Security Asia Conference in Singapore, enables this visionary approach with its centralized system of advanced technology capabilities that facilitate different levels of government, agencies and the private sector to share data, decision-making and costs and deliver a faster and more effective response to the many threats and incidents facing cities every day. Mati Kochavi, CEO of AGT International, said: “Our UrbanShield public safety and security platform was designed to provide the foundation for the integrated cities of the future, such as Singapore. Our latest enhancements within UrbanShield 5.0 raise the bar for Safe City solutions globally. By developing leading-edge information and communications technologies and deploying proven solutions that enable safer, as well as smarter cities, we make the critical infrastructure and services of a city more aware, more interactive, and more efficient.” The latest release of UrbanShield builds on earlier versions of the software that provide city authorities and law enforcement officials with a single, holistic situational awareness picture of what is happening in their city, enabling them to evaluate the current situation in real-time; simulate outcomes of possible actions; potentially predict incidents before they occur; prepare for various contingencies; and mitigate loss and damage when incidents do occur by managing them as effectively […]

Politicians Weigh In On Boston ?Surveillance Cameras

Search quickly: You could use mouse crossed, get unlimited reading. Pols weigh in on Boston ?surveillance cameras bostonherald.com 2013-09-11 08:15:38 Boston needs more public surveillance cameras to help law enforcement respond to terrorist threats and even thwart potential attacks, several mayoral candidates reached by the Herald agreed yesterday. “Those cameras, they’re out there and they’ve been helpful; that’s really how the Boston Marathon case was solved,” said Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F Follow-up report to me Any reported complete Just news photo Just video . Conley, who said a closed-circuit television system monitored by officers with cameras at key locations throughout the city would allow quicker police response. “If I’m mayor of Boston, I’m going to make sure that we have a publicly deployed system down on Boylston Street for sure, and we’re going to harden that target.” Federal funding for surveillance skyrocketed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York City, and Bay State authorities have been more strident in their support for them since the April 15 marathon bombings. This summer, state police installed an unspecified number of new cameras on the Esplanade ahead of the Fourth of July. The growth of video surveillance in cities such as New York and London has sparked civil liberties concerns. State Rep. Martin J. Walsh said if elected mayor, he will “certainly take a look” at adding more cameras, but he added, “There are already a lot of security cameras in Boston, including private security cameras that have been […]

NEC Argentina To Provide Urban Surveillance Solution For The Province Of Santa Fe

09/10/2013 | 02:10am US/Eastern Recommend: *** For immediate use September 10, 2013 Argentina, September 10, 2013 – NEC Argentina (NEC), a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation, has been selected by the government of Santa Fe Province to provide, install and operate an urban surveillance system for the cities and metropolitan areas of Santa Fe and Rosario. The contract is worth more than 10 million US dollars, including command and control centers, 600 cameras and a multi service data network. “NEC Corporation and Global View, a fully owned NEC subsidiary based in Argentina, have established a leading position in the provision of urban surveillance in Argentina,” said Carlos Martinangeli, general manager, NEC Argentina. “This new contract enables NEC to expand its contributions to safer cities with its advanced technologies in the security area.” Main features of the video surveillance solution include the following: Security cameras – 600 cameras deployed in 254 monitoring points within the cities of Santa Fe and Rosario. Cameras include 240 PTZ Dome-type and 360 fixed cameras. 40 of the cameras feature HD technology. Urban Safety Center – Video data is integrated into an Urban Safety Center located in each city featuring video walls, and over 70 monitoring stations. Network as a service – A 200km multi service data network deployed, including optical fiber and wireless systems. Santa Fe City´s Metropolitan Backbone expansion- Provision and construction of a 70km fiber optic cable, integrating over 50 public facilities into the government network. Infrastructure – Provision of a […]

Research Methods Cctv

2012/17: Increasing the use of CCTV: should Australia install more closed circuit TV cameras? What they said… ‘You can still be murdered, raped, bashed, robbed or harassed or whatever and you know walking in front of the CCTV camera doesn’t necessarily protect you from that’ David Vaile, the vice-chair of the Australian Privacy Foundation ‘For the most part, it is for our safety…In public you are in full view. You should expect to be filmed’ Charlie Bezzina, a former Victoria Police homicide squad detective The issue at a glance Following the alleged abduction and murder of Brunswick resident, Jill Meagher, in September 2012, the Victorian Government has ordered an audit of Melbourne’s CCTV network. Melbourne lord mayor, Robert Doyle, has stated, ‘I would be very happy to look at putting more (cameras) in.’ Similarly, Western Australia’s Police Union and the State Opposition have called for more security cameras in Perth’s nightlife areas amid concerns there are big blind spots in the CCTV network. Western Australian Police Minister, Liza Harvey, has claimed that the cameras, which played a role in the arrest of the alleged killer of former Perth resident, Jill Meagher, were ‘an effective tool in both preventing and solving crimes’. Though proposals for increased CCTV surveillance appear to have general public support, there are those who are concerned about the privacy implications of a proliferation of CCTV cameras. There have also been significant doubts raised about the efficacy of this form of surveillance as a crime prevention measure. […]