Smart Cameras Blog

[From City putting surveillance cameras to use :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Politics]

The city has upgraded its dispatch system so “call takers and dispatchers now see real-time video if there is a surveillance cameras within 150 feet of a 911 call.” The idea here is that a 911 operator can see the area to help responders. So if there is a terrorist incident, major emergency-fire, or crime, the city can use its cameras to help the 911 operator and first responders. This is a useful feature. Two issues were raised when I read this article:

First, what, if any, are there limitations on the use of the private cameras?

Can the private cameras at Boeing be used for 911 calls related to crimes? Public drunkenness? Are they effectively the same as the cities cameras?

Second, people need to be reminded that these cameras currently cover a very small part of the city. The stated goal of Daley is to cover the city in cameras.

Orozco refused to say how many cameras are currently linked to the 911 center. But, he reiterated Daley’s earlier promise. We’re going to grow the system until we eventually cover one end of the city to the other,” he said.

If a camera can only cover 50 yards, this means you need at least 1200 cameras per square mile. Keep in mind the city of Chicago is on the size of 227 square miles. Theoretically to blanket the city, you need at least 272,400 cameras. The city has at most 15,000 cameras at its disposal, so at best 5%.

The camera network would have to be greatly expanded before there would be good coverage of the entire city. Also, remember the new cameras the city uses cost at least $5,000 each. (So adding another 100,000 cameras would cost 500 million dollars – that is just the physical cost of the cameras.)

rshah Chicago