Page 2: Surveillance cameras play increased role for Boston Marathon security
Editor's note: This article is continued from page one.
In addition to the new cameras, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency has also declaredthe area a"no-drone zone."
While the addition of these cameras for an event the size of the Boston Marathon would seem to make sense, the long-term installation of the cameras may present privacy concerns for permanent citizens of the city. In the NPR article, Kade Crockford of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts says that the expanded use of these cameras is concerning.
"[A big event] doesn't trigger privacy concerns," she said in the article "What does trigger privacy concerns is the City of Boston installing a network of cameras — some in residential neighborhoods — that enable law enforcement to track individual people from the moment that we leave our homes in the morning until the moment we return at night, seeing basically everywhere we went and everything that we did."
Another interesting point raised in the article is from former Boston police commission Ed Davis, who reference a photo in his office which was taken as the first bomb went off in 2013. Davis noted that dramatic video footage was crucial in reaching a guilty verdict in the recent trial.
When new technologies, such as the aforementioned 30x optical zoom cameras—or other more contentious technologies such as UAVs and robots—become more and more prevalent in our society, people may not always welcome them with open arms. Given what occurred in 2013, however, it is hard to argue that the installation and deployment of additional security cameras is not a prudent move. Their long-term value and necessity, however, is perhaps a bit more of an open-ended discussion.
Editor’s note: Photos via WBUR.
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About the Author
James Carroll
Former VSD Editor James Carroll joined the team 2013. Carroll covered machine vision and imaging from numerous angles, including application stories, industry news, market updates, and new products. In addition to writing and editing articles, Carroll managed the Innovators Awards program and webcasts.