Smile For The Camera
Motorists have been the subject of many criminal investigations lately. Being that they have to the ability to leave the scene of the crime so quickly, methods are being employed to try and stop this unrestricted crime spree. First, there were cameras installed on police cars to tape chases and give indisputable evidence. Then, there were cameras installed on traffic lights to catch speeders and those who run the lights, and mail them a hardy ticket and a picture of themselves speeding. Now, in San Francisco, they wish to photograph every car that passes through the small town of Tiburon, to try and prevent crime and track criminals.
This city is full of many extremely swanky houses and is thusly a strong target for criminals hoping to make some money robbing the rich. The town proposes to take a picture with pre-installed cameras of every vehicle’s license plate that enters the city. They say that this will help combat crime in the some nine-thousand citizen city. People are a bit afraid as top the privacy repercussions this ratification could render, but the Town Manager assures everything will be anonymous and safe, provided you don’t come in on a stolen car or anything. If you are an average, law-abiding citizen, this will affect you absolutely zero says the Manager.
While it would seem like a daunting and impossible task to keep tabs and pictures of so many cars among so many roads in a city, this town is a bit different. Tiburon actually only has two roads that allow for entrance and exit into the city, and therefore could easily post cameras at these two borders.
Privacy advocates will have none of it. They say that we live in an innocent until proven guilty society, not a constant surveillance until you are caught society. Although the police say that the cameras will help them quite a bit, the truth is, many people simply bike or walk into the city to avoid the two congested roads.
The city is very ambivalent. Some people believe that the cameras bring the city one step closer to Big Brother, while others say they understand the necessity for a little bit of surveillance. The city will be meeting with a group of officials to discuss the idea and then cast a vote.
The city assures the public that the plates would be deleted out of the central database after thirty to sixty days, and would not be viewed otherwise unless a crime occurs. Although this seems reassuring, the public still is wary. Better safe than sorry they say.
DUSTIN WALLEN Says:
Keeping track of every car that comes into the city is ridiculous and taking it way to far. Even though there is only one way into and out of the city, this would still be very expensive and demand a lot of upkeep. As if the city isn’t cash strapped enough as it is. The recession doesn’t allow for this frivolous spending and throwing around of money. The city has good intentions, but I’m sure even the citizens of the town think this is a little much. It is one thing to have to get your picture taken when you speed through a red light, but going into a town for lunch shouldn’t make you have to have surveillance on you the whole way. How long would they keep the pictures too? I’m not sure I believe all of the “only sixty days” stuff, these places always have ways to keep it long after it has been useful to them. If my picture is just sitting around, it is just asking to be hacked and stolen. Not that license plate numbers are necessarily that dangerous, but it is the principle of the matter; I don’t want to be watched going for lunch.