Cameras to Keep Watch in Hollywood-(1984 and beyond)

la times ^ | Oct 28, 7:55 AM ET | Jessica Garrison Times Staff Write

[Flavius]

Five video cameras will train their electronic eyes on one of the world's most famous

[daviddennis]

Won't this just displace the crime to areas just past the cameras?

It's pretty clear from the article that the cameras are simply too expensive to provide a genuine 1984-style experience.

D

[newgeezer]

[Recovering_Democrat]

I don't have a problem with this. Public streets need to be safe...if there are abuses that can be demonstrated, then action should be taken to punish those who abuse the information on the cameras. But the existence of the cameras themselves are not abuses, in my opinion.

[OlBlue]

Unless you enjoy having govenment law enforcement operatives looking over your shoulder all the time, you
should have a problem with this. And note, with the number of laws on the books today, EVERYBODY is guilty of some infraction or other.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Unless you enjoy having govenment law enforcement operatives looking over your shoulder all the time...

Well, like I said, if abuses are committed, those committing the abuses should be punished. Severely. For instance, I remember a case some years back when some IRS employees, I think it was, were looking at neighbors' tax returns...just because they could.

Use of surveillace cameras has a legitimate law enforcement role, just like they do in my local Sears. If someone could find a way to put up virtually "indestructible" surveillance cameras in our more crime-ridden areas, we might see a decline in street crime.

One might object that the criminals will then retire to the privacy of their homes to break the law. But this is where the cop on the beat--feet on the street--has to do his job. Technology can help, but the human presence is essential to any good and humane justice system.

I understand the concerns, olblue, I really do. I just don't think this is an Orwellian step into the abyss.