Surveillance Cameras Reach New Heights

We’ve become so used to CCTV cameras in public areas that we don’t even notice the signs announcing their presence anymore. Video surveillance is a given aspect of modern society, and is something we no longer question. There are so many CCTV cameras in London that individual people can be tracked on their journeys through the city, from the minute they step out of their front door to the minute they close their doors behind them again. While the public protests the lack of respect for its privacy, and demands freedom of movement as an inalienable right, government officials insist that tighter control is necessary to maintain law and order.

Continuous developments in surveillance technology mean that our simple every-day actions are under increased scrutiny, particularly in Chicago, where new intelligent cameras are being installed. In an article on abclocal.go.com, Paul Meincke reports that new technology, called “video analytics” is being added to Chicago’s network of surveillance cameras. The system uses specially programmed algorithms to tell cameras exactly what behaviour to look for, and to then draw attention to instances that meet the criteria. For instance you could programme a camera to look for cars that linger at particular buildings. The camera will take note of all cases of unnecessary loitering and relay that information to a human operator for closer inspection.

According to Meincke’s article, all camera feeds go into a 60-terrabyte storage bin, where data is held for 30 days. Video data can then be accessed retroactively to monitor suspicious activity or to find footage that could possibly count in the prosecution of criminal cases.

In a separate development, Newscientist.com has written an article on specialised surveillance cameras that could soon be installed in passenger aircraft to monitor passenger activity and identify possible terrorist suspects. New software has been developed that analyses the behaviour and ****** expressions of all passengers. In theory, this software allows cameras installed on passengers’ seats to identify suspicious activity and prevent possible air-rage incidents before they happen. The footage will be supplemented by data supplied by 6 additional wide-angled cameras monitoring the aisles.

Some of the things that the cameras are programmed to take note of are running in the cabin, undue loitering around the cockpit, nervous face touching and excessive sweating. The public has been assured that incidents will not be viewed in isolation, and that only certain combinations of unusual behaviour will be monitored. It still seems, however, that nervous passengers have just got more reason to be nervous.

As impressive as both these developments are, they are not without detractors. There is some doubt as to the effectiveness of CCTV cameras in preventing crime. Many people believe that surveillance simply displaces crime, and is only really effective after the event, when it comes to possible prosecution, but that as a deterrent, they are largely useless. People are also reluctant to buy into the increasing global paranoia and wonder at the wisdom of creating an eerily Orwellian society.

Mohan Trivedi, who has experience in surveillance and tracking systems, says that as for surveillance on airplanes, the challenges of correctly identifying and monitoring individuals are simply too great. Lighting and reflections affect image resolution, and active cabin crew continually get in the way. According to Trivedi, they haven’t conclusively shown that the software is capable of overcoming these problems.

Dr Nancy LaVigne of the Urban Institute has said that people are so easily enamoured with new technology that they seldom stop to ask if implementing it is a good idea. She is launching a study that will focus on the effectiveness of surveillance cameras. Whatever she finds, we can be sure that those in charge will continue to push for greater control and more access to our everyday lives, freedom and privacy be damned. Security is important, but at what price?

By: Sandy Cosser

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