Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has unveiled a plan to link more than 2,000 surveillance cameras in public areas around the city into an emergency network.
Daley says the unified network of thousands of cameras is a safety issue and should not evoke an image of an Orwellian "Big Brother." The cameras will be used to monitor emergency situations, road conditions, improve security and fight crime.
Chicago will be the first city in the world with software to coordinate 9-11 calls with video surveillance.
"It's only on the public view, it's not is your home. We own the sidewalk. The city owns the sidewalk, we own the street and we own the alley. We don't own your private property," Daley said.
The Chicago Police Department already has 30 mobile camera pods installed in high-crime areas and the city plans to put up 250 new cameras.
The project is funded by a $5 million Homeland Security grant and should be completed in 2006.
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