Minority Report-style CCTV that spots crimes BEFORE they happen

The Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | November 28, 2008 | James Slack

[Stoat]

CCTV cameras which can 'predict' if a crime is about to take place are being introduced on Britain's streets.

The cameras can alert operators to suspicious behaviour, such as loitering and unusually slow walking. Anyone spotted could then have to explain their behaviour to a police officer.

The move has been compared to the Tom Cruise science-fiction film Minority Report, in which people are arrested before they commit planned offences.

It will also fuel fears that Britain is becoming a surveillance society. There are already 4.2million cameras trained on the public. The technology could be used alongside many of these to allow evermore advanced scrutiny of our movements.

(edit)

Computers are programmed to analyse the movements of people or vehicles in the camera frame. If someone is seen lurking in a particular area, the computer will send out an alarm to a CCTV operator.

(edit)

The system has been run successfully in several U.S. cities, including New York. Government departments here are said to be interested in putting it to wider use.

(edit)

[Stoat]

Thanks to Matt Drudge for the article link

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My apologies for posting such a severely edited article....this was done in order to remain in compliance with Free Republic posting rules pertaining to articles from the Daily Mail.  Please click on the main article link to read the full story.

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CCTV frame 1: Two men appear to be meeting on a deserted street. Is a crime about to happen?

 

CCTV frame 2: The two men are now seen exchanging words and perhaps something else. The operator is alerted

 

Crystal ball: This new CCTV in Portsmouth can automatically detect potential crimes before they happen

 

How it works: The CCTV system being used in Portsmouth to detect potential criminal behaviour

 

Under watch: A man is caught on CCTV loitering in a stairwell

 

Crimes are predicted by special CCTV operators in

 

Smile you're on camera: Portsmouth City Council is introducing a new sophisticated CCTV system

[SIDENET]

It will also fuel fears that Britain is becoming a surveillance society.

Now, where would someone get such a crazy idea?

(rolls eyes)

[BenLurkin]

Anyone spotted could then have to explain their behaviour to a police officer.

Pathetic.

[arthurus]

fears that Britain is becoming a surveillance society

Becoming ? ? ?

[omega4179]

easily abusedinto uselessness. People who care about freedom could deliberately walk slowly past jewelry stores, loiter, etc.

[MississippiMan]

This kind of “smart” surveillance technology has been around for several years now, and it’s pretty amazing in that it can drastically reduce the personnel needed to monitor large numbers of CCTV feeds.

MM

[ItsOurTimeNow]

As terrible as this is - it’ll be the next generation’s job security. Not a bad field to get into.

[Redbob]

But when they DO catch a criminal, they immediately let him go.
And prosecute the VICTIMS of crime.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2139355/posts

The Brits are way beyond “weird.”

[tbw2]

What’s the point? It isn’t as if the criminals will actually get punished.

[Wolfhound777]

“The cameras can alert operators to suspicious behaviour, such as loitering and unusually slow walking. Anyone spotted could then have to explain their behaviour to a police officer.”

Unless your an alienated Muslim over turning cars or burning things in the street of course. Or a hate spewing Imam preaching death to all Britians...the cameras are unfortunately blind in this area.

[Yo-Yo]

Hmm. Something is nagging me in the back of my head about “prior restratnt,” but I’m sure it’s nothing...

[Vanders9]

AND in breaking news tonight, as “walking slowly” has been linked with crimes about to be committed, police have arrested forty-one people who have just had hip replacements, four with bad foot pronation, ninety-four with piles, two with diarrohea, one hundred and twenty-eight who are depressed because they think “someone is watching them”; two with PMT,eighteen with arthritis, two who are taking the p*ss and fifty-one doing it deliberately so they can sue for wrongful arrest. The offenders were sentenced to a total of nine hundred and fifty years in prison. Chief Inspector Pedantic of the serious crimes squad said “We are pleased that this new initiative has made the streets safter”.

In other news: Sterling collapses, Russia invades Germany, Islamist explode nuclear bomb over Basildon.

[Still Thinking]

They will if it’s a crime the state is interested in. I.E. a crime against the state.

[reagan_fanatic]

“Your papers...please.”