more on Police use cameras to track vehicles of suspects

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

note "if you are not doing anything wrong"

Begin forwarded message:

From: PBradfield () aol com
Date: July 21, 2005 8:59:31 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Police use cameras to track vehicles of  
suspects


Dear Dave,

I am a liberal and I have been thinking about this issue for the last  
couple of days.   A few things came to mind.

I visit New York City (NYC) for business on occasion, and frequently  
I walk from one appointment to another.  Especially since 9-11 (but  
even before then), the presence of police officers on foot patrol is  
notable.  At first I thought it made NYC look like a "police state"  
but after a short while I realized that they were not monitoring me.   
They were just there making the city safe for pedestrians like me.  I  
must say that I feel very safe walking the streets of NYC.   In  
addition, they are a great resource whenever I am curious about which  
direction to go to get to my next appointment.   As long as I am not  
going to commit any crimes, they are "on my side."

How much different are the these cameras?    It seems to me that if  
you are not doing anything wrong, you can ignore them and/or take  
comfort that they serve as a deterrent for crime.  When I point this  
out to those that are anxious about "being monitored" they mutter  
stuff about "big brother" and "living in a police state."

These people need to check their ego and self-centeredness.   The  
world does not live to see what they are doing, and unless they  
commit a crime, their presence on a police TV monitor is at worst,  
barely noted.   Tracking innocent people takes time away from trying  
to catch the bad guys which is what police are trained to do.

I believe it is the responsibility of our government (and one of the  
reasons you pay taxes) to provide a safe and secure environment for  
the progress of our society.   Police are a necessary part of that,  
and as long as the police are overseen by the public, there will be  
few problems and abuses.

Note: These cameras would provide evidence of criminal behavior by  
the police as well.

My $0.02.
Philip Bradfield, Ph. D.
VP-Tailored Lighting Inc.
Where SoLux was invented.
www.solux.net

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