[Peace] Fwd: Speak out against comprehensive video surveillance in the nation's capital

[Jay Mittenthal]

>Date: Thu, 05  Dec  2002 14:45:08 -0500
>From: action at dcaclu.org
>X-Mailer: SMTP-Mailer
>To: aclu_list at capwiz.mailmanager.net
>Subject: Speak out against comprehensive video surveillance in the 
>nation's capital
>X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
>
>From: Matt Howes, National Internet Organizer, ACLU
>To: ACLU Action Network Members
>Date: December 5, 2002
>
>The next time you visit the nation's capital, your every move may be 
>watched and recorded. The DC Police Department, without public knowledge 
>or city council approval, has set up a centralized video surveillance 
>network. The system can bring together video feeds from police cameras on 
>streets and buildings, in neighborhoods, within the city’s subway system 
>and even at public schools. With the flip of a switch, officers can zoom 
>in on people a half-mile away.
>
>The implicit justification for the video surveillance system is security. 
>But it is far from clear how the proliferation of video cameras through 
>public spaces in D.C. would have any real impact on crime.  In Oakland, 
>CA, officials considered video surveillance for three years and rejected 
>it. Police Chief Joseph Samuels, Jr., stated that his department had hoped 
>to be “
among the pioneers in the field of taped video camera 
>surveillance” but ultimately found that “there is no conclusive way to 
>establish that the presence of video surveillance resulted in the 
>prevention or reduction of crime.”
>
>Instead, tourists, opposition politicians, racial and ethnic minorities, 
>peaceful dissidents and other people could have their every move 
>catalogued and tracked. This system of cameras could be used to monitor 
>peaceful protests and the activities of innocent people throughout the 
>city.  This information could then be misused to blackmail, intimidate or 
>bully people who are exercising their freedom of speech, freedom of 
>peaceful assembly, or just going about their daily lives.
>
>This is not just a local issue and not only because D.C. is our nation’s 
>capital. This system would make D.C. the first city in the nation to have 
>comprehensive video surveillance and unless it is stopped, other cities 
>and communities will inevitably follow its example.  We must not allow 
>Main Street USA to become Surveillance Central.
>
>You can have an impact. Outcry from activists like you helped to squash 
>the Administration's Operation TIPS which would have made domestic spies 
>out of postal office employees, repair crews, and other service 
>providers.  Over 63,000 emails and faxes were sent by ACLU Action Network 
>members to Members of Congress to protest this spying and as a result of 
>these and other actions, TIPS was prohibited by the Homeland Security Act.
>
>We need your help again and this is a great example of how people can make 
>a difference.  The D.C. city council is going to hold hearings on video 
>surveillance next week.  By urging the city council to shut down the video 
>surveillance network, we can ensure that funds earmarked for this system 
>are invested in proven police practices instead of expanding an expensive, 
>ineffective, easily abused surveillance system.
>
>Click here to find out more about this issue and protest this new system.
>
>http://www.aclu.org/Privacy/Privacy.cfm?ID=11419&c=130
>
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