Posted on 02/16/2006 12:12:49 PM PST by ActionNewsBill
HOUSTON -- Houston's police chief on Wednesday proposed placing surveillance cameras in apartment complexes, downtown streets, shopping malls and even private homes to fight crime during a shortage of police officers.
"I know a lot of people are concerned about Big Brother, but my response to that is, if you are not doing anything wrong, why should you worry about it?" Chief Harold Hurtt told reporters Wednesday at a regular briefing.
Houston is facing a severe police shortage because of too many retirements and too few recruits, and the city has absorbed 150,000 hurricane evacuees who are filling apartment complexes in crime-ridden neighborhoods. The City Council is considering a public safety tax to pay for more officers.
Building permits should require malls and large apartment complexes to install surveillance cameras, Hurtt said. And if a homeowner requires repeated police response, it is reasonable to require camera surveillance of the property, he said.
Scott Henson, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Police Accountability Project in Texas, called Hurtt's building-permit proposal "radical and extreme" and said it may violate the Fourth Amendment's protections against unreasonable searches.
Andy Teas with the Houston Apartment Association said that although some would consider cameras an invasion of privacy, "I think a lot of people would appreciate the thought of extra eyes looking out for them."
Such cameras are costly, Houston Mayor Bill White said, "but on the other hand we spend an awful lot for patrol presence." He called the chief's proposal a "brainstorm" rather than a decision.
The program would require City Council approval.
Wiretaps, TSA, and Homeland inSecurity are just smoke screens. Stop gap measures and expansion of Federal power. It has little to do with real safety.
Exactly. Of course, that can be said of virtually everything that goes on in government.
I have long championed the notion that just a few guns on 9/11 could have saved 3,000 lives. The way Washington has dragged its feet in arming pilots is all the proof I need that politicians aren't the least bit concerned for the rest of us.
"Monitoring an international phone call"
Do you really believe that only international calls are monitored?
"Do you really believe that only international calls are monitored?"
You have evidence to the contrary? MSM would love to hear from you.
"You have evidence to the contrary?"
No, but I can think. What sense would it make to monitor only overseas calls? Maybe initially, but once you know that person "A" had a call from Pakistan does it not make sense to follow all the calls this person makes here in the States? And the calls they make etc, etc. If I was in charge I would.
OTOH, I've heard the same thing from right-wingers here in support of warrantless surveillance. This disease exists on both sides.
Yes, nearly all the large cities to my knowledge have leftist-statist leadership. Urban dwellers believe in government programs. I think that San Diego has had some "conservative" leadership occasionally.
Funny thing is a good many hear would cheer as the cameras were installed.
More evidence that Hurtt is a complete idiot.
Bump
This post needs more visibility.
But that's okay, because he has met the expectations of the people who put him into office, who rely on private security, chauffeured vehicles, and helicopter transport.
The really important thing is more, bigger, and better club-level suites in newer, bigger stadiums, so that executives can entertain and show off better.
That, and leverage.
Conservative essayist James Q. Wilson showed 35 years ago that mayors leaned left in the 1950's and 1960's because the liberals had taken control of, first, the big foundations that often made grants to cities, and second, the federal bureaucracy that Lyndon Johnson created for the same purpose, only leveraged with an illimitable call on the public fisc.
Mayors lean left because that is what they need to do, to satisfy the people who have the next available program and political dollar.
http://www.hurttprize.org/
"If you are not doing anything wrong, why should you worry about it?"
- Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt
"The Hurtt Prize is a $1465 (and growing) reward for the first person who can provide definitive videotaped evidence of Houston police chief Harold Hurtt committing a crime, any crime. This evidence will posted here and forward to the Houston Police Department along with a demand that action be taken."
The governor just whacked Bob-White (over-termed MayorBob's puppet replacement) by filing for more powers for the office of governor when it comes to disasters (like the Rita evacuation).
I was stuck in the 22 hour traffic jam (14+ hours in HOUSTON which is the mayor's domain, he kept telling people to GET ON the highway). I know what a lying idiot he is (did I mention that like Mayor Brown, he's also a member of the Clinton Administration?).
My office has just hired private security to police our parking area and escort our staff too and from the garage late at night. The building we are in (which has a Social Security office and is near a gangster plagued mall) has it's own security but our management does not feel that existing security or city police offer sufficient protection.
It's been getting some responses today.
Houston has come close to having a Republican in the non-partisan office. But that is when the DNC comes into the fight and the local media calls it a "partisan battle". 3 Democrats running for mayor is business and usual.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.