If you ever go to New York City, you have to know that you rarely have any sort of privacy if you’re on the street. Fellow visitors (and even locals) will constantly take photos and you’re sure to be in some of them. Times Square has its famous EarthCam running 24/7, 365 days per year. And if you know where to look, you’ll see security cameras – some private, some run by the local government – all over The Big Apple.
If you go underground, NYC’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has installed 10,000 cameras across all 472 city subway stations over time. With 60% of subway stations without cameras at the start of 2021, the project was completed in September of that year. And now they plan to expand, and install 2 security cameras in all of the city’s nearly 6,400 subway cars.
Subway ridership is stuck at about 60% of prepandemic levels.
From the New York Times:
The surveillance program comes after many New Yorkers abandoned the subways when the coronavirus pandemic led to the lockdown of the city two years ago. As more people have found ways to navigate New York above ground, crime has become more common below.
Expected to take about 3 years to complete, it’s an effort to rebuild riders’ faith in the system’s safety.
“You think Big Brother’s watching you on the subways? You’re absolutely right,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said early last week, when she announced the city’s plans at a rail yard in Queens. “That is our intent — to get the message out that we’re going to be having surveillance of activities on the subway trains and that is going to give people great peace of mind.”
Already anticipating potential privacy or civil liberties concerns, Hochul also added: “If you’re concerned about this, the best answer is don’t commit any crimes on the subway.”
The cameras won’t be monitored live. But the city is certain they’ll still work as a deterrent, since people will know they’re being recorded and the footage could be used by authorities.
The cameras in the subway stations have had some ability to help the city identify some criminals who have committed crimes at subway stations, although it’s been nowhere near a 100% success. Will cameras in subway cars provide a useful law enforcement tool and a deterrent to subterranean crime? I’ve lived in Florida for 22 years but was a cynical native New Yorker for many years before that I’m….iffy. But we’ll see.
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1 comment
The ACLU is against everything but when a major crime happens everyone dislike “Why didn’t they have cameras?” So Damned if you do and damned if you don’t !
Screw the ACLU…put the damn cameras in !
Maybe they will see all those rats on the cameras and do something about that too !(wishful thinking!)
Bring it on !