Another look at McAllen’s 120 surveillance cameras
on Friday, September 5th, 2008
A Rant by Keen
The Monitor ran a story a couple of days ago about the cameras imposed by McAllen, and I’d like to point out the folly of this Police State attitude. What I will attempt is take portions of the story and analysis it for the masses. Given my analysis, I intend on proposing a reasonable solution that will be largely ignored by my fellow citizens. Take my warning now, your apathy will lock you in a prison unlike any other time in history. I’m just kidding, let’s look at it for the bozo idea that it is. On to the count-down!
1. Deterrent
“”We want to do everything we can to have the safest city around,” [McAllen Police Chief Victor] Rodriguez said.
In addition to deterring crime, Rodriguez hopes the cameras will help police identify suspects.
“Let’s suppose you’re the owner of a subdivision that’s within range of the system,” Rodriguez said. “We’d like cameras there in case we ever need to find someone in a black Chevy at 3 a.m.”"
The “HUH?” Factor
For one, a black Chevy sounds pretty generic, but OK - let’s say it’s true that it will deter crime. Who then will be watched? If you answered, law-abiding citizens, then you are correct! The fact that any criminal can take an alley way or canal to their get-a-way car with your TV or kilo of cocaine is out of the question because they’re obviously dumb enough (and comical enough) to fumble through the entrance of a subdivision after they broke into a couple of houses. I bet if police patrolled the streets like my tax dollars paid for, they’d eventually catch a criminal, that is, if the police weren’t at Shipley’s at 3 in the morning.
Reasonable solution
Work with local business owners to provide jobs and local vocational schools to provide more training for jobs that are desperately needed to be filled with legal workers. Then perhaps people wont need to steel because they’ll have money in their pockets. Reform, much like infrastructure, is a logistical burden, but, who gives a shit? - cameras are way cooler.
Reality is…
Local criminals looking for a fix can simply steel copper or any metal for that matter. It’s rural and much easier to steel than a TV. Additionally, any enterprising thief can see the logic simply on the return of copper. You get about $2 per pound at the scrap yard and each line stolen is about 1,400 pounds worth, which gives you about $2,800 in the black market. Even if you get pennies on the dollar, you’re still banking it on a couple hours of hacking away at live wire; who cares if you leave a hundred thousand people within the city limits without light for a couple of days?
2. Price
“Expected” cost of cameras are as followed per this report.
$4,000 per camera X 120 cameras = $480,000 (includes installation)
$11,000 per mile X 42 miles fiber optic cable = $462,000 (12 miles installed, 30 to be installed within two years.)
TOTAL = $942,000 within 2 years (Which is a bargain, who want’s to spend a million on this anyway?)
Estimated cost of personnel not covered in report.
$12 per hour x 5 personnel = $60 per hour
$60 per hour X 40 hours per week = $ 2,400 per week
$2,400 per week X 52 weeks per year = $124,800 per year or $249,600 for two years (Oops, I guess we did get past the million dollar mark.)
What is not considered is cost of maintenance but it’s cool when you have a warranty!
3. Concerns
“Most academic research - including all studies in the United States - indicates the cameras don’t result in a significant reduction in crime, according to a University of Southern California study published in May.”
That is because it’s the same as pollution. You really cannot get rid of it, you simply shift it. For example, if you have a gas powered car and you say, “It’s time I go electric.” Great idea you hippy bastard, but when you plug the car into your house’s wall socket, and using up that clean electricity, where the fuck does the electric company get their power from? If you guessed from gasoline and from foreign oil, then you are correct! How, then, did you get rid of the pollution when you simply washed your hands clean of it and left it to someone else to pollute the environment for you? It is the same with the cameras, deterring crime is not the same as proactive approach to preventing crime (which is impossible, just throw everyone in jail in that case).
4. Critics
“[Chief Victor Rodriguez] emphasized the neighborhood cameras would be placed at “control points” - exits and entrances into communities - and not pointed into private areas.
“We’re sensitive to that thinking,” Rodriguez said. “Our approach is strictly along public areas.”"
Let me tell you what I read: “control points” tell me that they found a pretty combination of words which really mean, “where we want.” Because as stated earlier in the article, they still didn’t know where the cameras will be placed.
The “We’re sensitive to that thinking,” tells me that they found a pretty combination of words which really mean, “yeah, some ass holes on the internet are talking trash but we X’ed out of the window.”
Lastly, “Our approach is strictly along public areas,” which tells me that they are aware that if their cameras are pointed at private property without a warrant, they are not only breaking the law but behaving un-constitutionally and could be sued by educated citizens; but, who cares when our president himself said, “The Constitution is just a goddamned piece of paper!”
5. City Commission has not yet approved the purchase
“The City Commission has not taken official action yet approving the surveillance, though the commission would eventually have to vote to approve the purchase of the cameras.”
Within the article it appears that Mayor Cortez is totally keen on the idea. The mayor also said that no one would actively monitor the cameras and they’d be used as archives in case there’s a crime. Like when Anikin Skywalker slaughtered the Jedi children and Obi-wan was able to see the event through the archived surveillance of the temple - just like that. See, that is super cool.
It’s still to be determined what kind of crimes are defined within the peramiters of this project. Reality is, you can Jay walk and if the police, from one day to the next, feel like enforcing the law, then you’re going to need a lawyer. That’s if you don’t have a heart attack from the use of cattle prongs, er, I mean tazers.
