Bloomberg: We can’t just say everybody can go everyplace and do anything they want.”

[PocketProtector]

In the name of security....

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/ny...rity.html?_r=1

Surveillance Will Expand To Midtown, Mayor Says



Article Tools Sponsored By
By KAREEM FAHIM
Published: October 4, 2009

A network of private and public surveillance cameras, license plate readers and weapons sensors already established in Lower Manhattan as an electronic bulwark against terrorist attacks will soon expand to a large patch of Midtown Manhattan, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said Sunday as they announced the allocation of $24 million in Homeland Security grants toward the effort.

Mr. Bloomberg said the expanded monitoring network would cover the areas between 30th and 60th Streets, from the Hudson to the East River.

“We cannot afford to be complacent,” he said, noting that Midtown includes landmarks like Grand Central Terminal, the Empire State Building and the United Nations.

Like the system downtown, the expanded surveillance network would feed streams of data for analysis to a coordination center at 55 Broadway. Mr. Bloomberg, who made the announcement at the center with Mr. Kelly, said work on the Midtown system would begin next year and be completed in 2011.

Behind the mayor, a 40-foot video wall displayed maps, incoming data from a police precinct and more than a dozen video streams, many of them showing tourists taking photographs on a sunny day.

The plan devised to protect downtown Manhattan, known as the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative, was introduced by Mr. Kelly in 2005. That raised concern among civil liberties groups, which have called for more public discussion as the police peer, with greater intensity, at more corners of the city.

Asked Sunday about criticism of the increased surveillance, Mr. Bloomberg said: “We live in a world where we have to have a balance. We can’t just say everybody can go everyplace and do anything they want.”

He added, “Do you really want to work in a building that doesn’t have security?”

[cgbudde]

In the name of security....

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/ny...rity.html?_r=1

Surveillance Will Expand To Midtown, Mayor Says



Article Tools Sponsored By
By KAREEM FAHIM
Published: October 4, 2009

A network of private and public surveillance cameras, license plate readers and weapons sensors already established in Lower Manhattan as an electronic bulwark against terrorist attacks will soon expand to a large patch of Midtown Manhattan, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said Sunday as they announced the allocation of $24 million in Homeland Security grants toward the effort.

Mr. Bloomberg said the expanded monitoring network would cover the areas between 30th and 60th Streets, from the Hudson to the East River.

“We cannot afford to be complacent,” he said, noting that Midtown includes landmarks like Grand Central Terminal, the Empire State Building and the United Nations.

Like the system downtown, the expanded surveillance network would feed streams of data for analysis to a coordination center at 55 Broadway. Mr. Bloomberg, who made the announcement at the center with Mr. Kelly, said work on the Midtown system would begin next year and be completed in 2011.

Behind the mayor, a 40-foot video wall displayed maps, incoming data from a police precinct and more than a dozen video streams, many of them showing tourists taking photographs on a sunny day.

The plan devised to protect downtown Manhattan, known as the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative, was introduced by Mr. Kelly in 2005. That raised concern among civil liberties groups, which have called for more public discussion as the police peer, with greater intensity, at more corners of the city.

Asked Sunday about criticism of the increased surveillance, Mr. Bloomberg said: “We live in a world where we have to have a balance. We can’t just say everybody can go everyplace and do anything they want.”

He added, “Do you really want to work in a building that doesn’t have security?”

Do I really want to live in a city that watches my every move. and what is this crap weapons sensors. How would that work for the lawabiding citizen legally carrying a firearm. I can see a quick violation of peoples rights.

[NikeBauer21]

Do I really want to live in a city that watches my every move. and what is this crap weapons sensors. How would that work for the lawabiding citizen legally carrying a firearm. I can see a quick violation of peoples rights.

Bloomberg violating people's rights? Nah....

[kunsunoke]

Bloomy's sounding more like Josef Stalin every day. I think he's off of his meds now, though. Time for some good shock therapy.

[schmol]

I wonder why they don't have a comment section under this article?

[dc dalton]

NYC = East Berlin



You guys do remember East Berlin right? Next you will have checkpoints at every entrance in and out of the city.

[ChamberedRound]

NYC = East Berlin



You guys do remember East Berlin right? Next you will have checkpoints at every entrance in and out of the city.

Port Authority pretty much has that already, they've had it since 9/11. It's definitely not as bad as it was right after the attacks, but it's still there.

[LorDiego01]

didnt anybody learn from the britts?

They have a zillion cameras, yet don't have the budget to pay anyone to sit down and watch them.

So essentially... they are useless.

[Yellowfin]

He's not interested in how useful to the public interest this is. He's interested in how much more effective this makes in making NYC a totalitarian state. The man is interested in nothing but his own power. I can't wait to see that gremlin start to get punk slapped by the McDonald and Palmer decisions.

[RoyJackson]

A nice form of peaceful protest would be a few million copies of "1984" sent to the (more or less) Honorable Mayor Bloomberg.

Hell, I'm still wondering why the ATF never prosecuted him for straw purchases based upon the illegal activities he pulled in southern gunshops a few years ago.