Just Say No To Surveillance Camera Measure

It is in the middle of crime waves that the temptation exists to give up our civil liberties. Fearful of losing life and property, citizens will often rush to give up precious rights in a vain search for safety.

The Times realizes that Gotham citizens feel deeply unsafe after a spate of high-profile crimes. While officials claim that the crime rate is trending down, anybody who has ever played with numbers knows that statistics aren't completely trustworthy. Certainly citizens feel unsafe, and our violent crime rate is still one of the highest in the nation.

And just yesterday, open street battles between organized crime factions made it clear once again how vulnerable the city is to its lowest, most dangerous elements.

However, the City Council's proposed ordinance mandating 3,000 surveillance cameras be placed in parks, school yards, intersections, alleys, and other public places is an ill-thought out plan. There is no evidence that such a measure has reduced crime in other cities where it has been tried, such as London.

Instead, it marks a giant step towards an Orwellian police state where our every move is watched and recorded by a political and legal establishment that has been compromised by too many corruption scandals to fully trust.

The city faces two grave dangers. One is from the criminals that threaten our town's lifeblood. The other is from the unscrupulous men that promise us complete safety from the criminals. There is a better way to protect our city, and the surveillance camera measure is not it. The Times suggests we concentrate on the causes of crime — poverty, discrimination, poor schooling, and trace remains of Fear Toxin in our public water supply. That is the wise course of action, not rash measures such as the ill-conceived surveillance camera measure.