Chicago Mayor Wants to Require Security Cameras

The use of security cameras is becoming more and more popular by the day. We already see them at businesses, government buildings, school, and now we are even seeing them at intersections watching for people who run red lights. What could be next? Well in Chicago, Mayor Richard Daley wants to require security cameras in bars open until 4 in the morning along with other businesses that are open for longer than 12 hours a day. "Cameras are the equivalent of hundreds of sets of eyes," Mr. Daley said when he unveiled the new project. "They're the next best thing to having police officers stationed at every potential trouble spot."

Obviously some people feel that their privacy will be intruded if this were to go into effect. Some believe that this is just more government intrusion in the name of terrorist attacks. But Mayor Daley makes it clear when he says, "We're not inside your home or your business. The city owns the sidewalks. We own the streets and we own the alleys."

"The safer we make the city, the better it is for everyone," says Chicago Alderman Ray Suarez, "If you're not doing anything wrong, what do you have to worry about?"

Some business owners agree with Daley and the city saying that having security cameras makes customers feel safer and more comfortable. Ala Carte Entertainment in Chicago put security cameras in all of their bars, restaurants, and clubs. Their spokeswoman Julia Shell says: "It's far more cost-effective for us to have them, then to not have them."

Security Cameras will begin being installed at various locations in Chicago. By spring, over 2,000 cameras will be linked to an emergency command center and 30 cameras will be places at interesections to catch drivers who run red lights. Chicago also will be using thier newest "smart" camera that has a microphone and can detect the sound of a gunshot within a two-block radius. The "smart" camera will also notify the command center when someone leaves a suspicious package or lingers outside of public buildings for an unusual amount of time.

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