Since the
9/11 incident, the number of surveillance cameras on the streets of New York
have skyrocketed. What is more intriguing is that street cameras in
metropolitan areas don’t look like what they really are. Cameras and thousands
like it in New York and other cities look more like street lamps that can
revolve 360 degrees and zoom in close enough to identify faces.
In fact, in a
visit to London, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that more
surveillance cameras can help bring down street crimes, track criminal
activity, and deter terrorists. The mayor got a firsthand look at how a large
network of security cameras at the Westminster Station operate, and thought
about making them as a model for the New York subway system.
Video cameras
and surveillance systems are being deployed all throughout the world, mainly to
keep order and for security and maintenance purposes. In England, for example, closed–circuit
television (CCTV) cameras have been in use for years. Officials claim,
meanwhile, to have seen a dramatic drop in the street crime rate. With all this
talk of a need for increased security, those living in residential areas have adopted
ways to keep their homes secure.
The new breed
of New
York home security systems promise to be simple enough to be installed by
yourself without any professional help, taking advantage of advances in modern
technology such as wireless connectivity. These systems allow you to monitor
your homes while you are away for work, typically connected to the internet and
uses live stream video monitoring to keep track of activity in and around your
house.
For those willing
to go the extra mile for security, New
York security systems that require a little more effort to install are
available. These, however, can be thought of as an investment in the long run.
After all, the security of one’s property is not something a lot of people are
willing to risk.
In addition, New
York surveillance cameras will be monitoring the streets of New York and
its subway systems. The new cameras will transmit live image information
instantly, unlike the 250 or so cameras which capture images that have to be
downloaded. This only goes to show that technology plays an important role in
law enforcement and order and safety.