Annapolis Capital Punishment

Very quietly Annapolis has been installing some cameras around town. Thankfully they were funded by the DHS and did not come out of the city coffers and I say BRAVO--well sort of.

First to the detractors that scream "privacy"....what part of being out in public eludes you? These are not installed in your bathrooms or on your headboard (you can use your own webcam for that if so inclined), these are installed in public places. Get over it. And if you are doing something less than legal or ethical in public, well, that is your fault!

They are installed under the guise of protecting us against terrorism, but are able to be used by the local police as needed. Amazing deal.

But here is where it get's a little cloudy. The police have the ability to control them (pan, tilt, zoom) remotely. They can of course review the images as well. But they do not have anyone monitoring them. Is it just me, or does it seem silly to have a photo of a suicide bomber that just blew uyp downtown Annapolis (and himself)? I mean the guy is dead--case closed. But on a more local (and realistic) level, what about the increase in crime? Why not have the cameras monitored live to hopefully prevent any incidents? Maybe the answer is to monitor it during the times when we know that crimes occur?

All in all, they are a fantastic idea and a little late coming. If you go to Europe or Asia (and even some parts of Central and South America) you are almost constantly being observed. If you have nothing to hide, what is the problem?

What is disappointing is that the cameras apparently cannot capture the person(s) who keep robbing Embassy Opticians on Main Street. And how nice of The Capital to point that out to the crooks! Maybe the local paper can run a list of the Top 10 Places To Mug a Tourist and Not Get Caught, or maybe the Top Spots For Unfettered Carjacking. Just a thought!