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May 23, 2005

Counterterror grants fund city cameras

From the Wash Times
A story on the role of federal grants for city surveillance cameras.

New York City has the largest and oldest system, with more than 7,000 public and private surveillance cameras. Baltimore, Chicago and New Orleans are installing camera surveillance networks with federal homeland security dollars.

Chicago financed its 2,250 cameras with a $5.1 million grant and is adding more cameras over the next two years with another $48 million first-responder grant. The cameras, which cost up to $60,000 each, are controlled remotely by police to zoom and rotate, and are equipped with night vision.

In 2004, homeland security funds bought $193 million worth of surveillance cameras. Similar "physical security enhancement equipment" for large cities is to be used primarily for ports, said Homeland Security Department spokesman Marc Short. "I can't imagine a more logical expenditure of funds," he said.

Maryland is spending $1.3 million in federal grants for a camera system that will expand to Anne Arundel, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties. Washington has a camera system, but it is turned on only for major events or during emergencies, said Melissa Ngo, staff counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

Posted by rshah at May 23, 2005 07:54 PM

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