New York police on Wednesday launched a new network of surveillance cameras called “revolutionary.” It will simultaneously monitor the streets and find data on possible suspects of crimes and offenses.
This network of cameras, developed by Microsoft, “is an innovative tool that should revolutionize public surveillance and law enforcement operations,” according to the mayor’s office. In addition to the images reported as with a simple surveillance camera, it instantly gives law enforcement a large amount of information on what its agents are watching.
Direct access to the criminal record
The camera “aggregates and analyzes public safety data in real time. This allows New York City police investigators to gain an overview of threats or criminal activity,” added the mayor’s office.
For example, the police officers who observe live images of suspects in the street will have immediate access to their criminal records, will have a history of offenses committed in the area as well as other elements that will allow them to act faster. A suspect’s car can be analyzed, allowing investigators to find out where the vehicle was up to several months in the past.
3000 cameras
“This system is an evolving tool, it was created by police officers for police officers,” said New York police chief Ray Kelly.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg added that the system uses new, more powerful software that allows faster access to information from cameras, emergency calls, past violation reports and other tools and technologies.
About 3000 cameras are connected to this new system. Most of them are located in Manhattan’s business districts, where most of the city’s skyscrapers are located. The network should quickly expand to other neighborhoods.
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