Security Surveillance Camera: They Could Be Anywhere

Whether it’s because of novels such as Nineteen Eighty-Four or today’s reality-based television shows, the idea that “Big Brother” may always be watching has been floating around in the minds of individuals for decades. But how close are we to having a world where everything is being recorded by a security surveillance camera? Closer than you may think.

When the United States government formed the DHS following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the aim was to utilize the nation’s vast resources to make America and the lives of its citizens safer. As the department has evolved over the past decade, so too has its resources - both financially and through the ever-expanding scope of technology. Each year, millions of dollars in grants are given to cities and states around the country to help facilitate advancements in individual and collective safety.

A prime example of this money at work is Operation Virtual Shield, which is currently being carried out by the city of Chicago after being implemented by Mayor Richard Daley. At a cost of over $200 million, the majority of which was paid for through grant money, the program links video systems all over the city to create the largest and most complex video system in the country. This is an unprecedented use of the security surveillance camera.

Spearheaded by a central monitoring system that links thousands of video systems into a single hub, law enforcement officials are able to view the majority of the city from one location in real time. Advancements in the technology involved have also allowed a security surveillance camera to be equipped with facial recognition software capable of identifying possible perpetrators at a crime scene before police arrive.

The scope of the network is massive and growing larger. Municipal officials expect to have video systems at every intersection in the next five years, allowing the entire area to be under constant watch 24 hours per day.

Chicago isn’t the only place in America where video systems of this nature are popping up. Some 5,000 traffic cameras were recently installed in Washington D.C. to create a linked network that allows the city’s police department to monitor certain blocks and intersections on an around-the-clock basis.

Video systems of this nature are also common at major sporting events, such as the Super Bowl, the World Series and other high-profile events. Banks of cameras equipped with facial recognition software are used to scan the crowds at such events and locate potential threats as well as suspicious individuals or those with pending warrants.

American cities are not alone in this pursuit. The Chinese government has recently undertaken a similar project with a much broader reach. Plans for its Golden Shield Project include millions of cameras all over the country and a central computer system that will contain a facial image of every registered citizen. This would allow individuals to be tracked by a security surveillance camera wherever they go at all hours of the day.

Such a broad approach to monitoring its citizens isn’t likely in America’s future any time soon, but that’s not to say it isn’t at all. Advancements in tracking technology continue to allow Big Brother to have the potential for a constant eye in the sky, and you never know when he may be watching through a security surveillance camera.