Re: On January 28th, Criminals No Longer Another Face in theTampa Stadium Crowd

From: Michael Lorrey (mike@datamann.com)
Date: Thu Feb 01 2001 - 09:38:05 MST


Chris Russo wrote:
>
> >Makes you afraid to show your face in public--criminal or no.
> >Next the thing will trap suspected criminals as they pass through a
> >gateway.
> >
> >Welcome to the future.
>
> What's the difference between this system and being in a small town,
> where the local police officers know who the typical "trouble makers"
> are?
> What's the difference between this system and having a large team of
> police officers, who have thoroughly studied hundreds of photos of
> felons and wanted criminals, watching near the gate?
> No matter how you slice it, law enforcement is intrusive. It's hard
> to make a case against the use of technology in law enforcement just
> because it's more thorough at its job. They're not breaking into
> anyones' houses. They're not tapping anyones' phone conversations.
> They're not racially profiling and detaining people. So what's the
> problem besides the fact that they're now better at their jobs?
> Personally, I think that there's too much real crime in our society,
> so solutions like this that don't violate anyones' rights don't
> bother me.

If this system is only used to find and catch wanted serious criminals,
that is one thing. If it's used to keep tabs on the whereabouts of
politically active people who oppose the government in power, or else
things so minor as apprehending people like you and me when we forget to
pay a parking ticket, and trussing us up like enemy number one in front
of people we know, then such technology is most certainly violating
people's rights.



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