Most Spied-Upon US City - New England Patriots Forums

***Leave No Doubt*** · 06-22-2009, 04:59 PM

Lancaster, Pa., keeps a close eye on itself - Los Angeles Times

Serious business. Interesting quotes from the article (which was listed as Counterpunch's website of the day:

Quote:

Perhaps most surprising, the near-saturation surveillance of a community that saw four murders last year has sparked little public debate about whether the benefits for law enforcement outweigh the loss of privacy.

"Years ago, there's no way we could do this," said Keith Sadler, Lancaster's police chief. "It brings to mind Big Brother, George Orwell and '1984.' It's just funny how Americans have softened on these issues."

alvinnf · 06-22-2009, 05:14 PM

Can you imagine being a teenager there, you can't even get away with TPin' someones house. No more tomfoolery...

***Leave No Doubt*** · 06-22-2009, 05:39 PM

The Stepford Teens

Somewhere(I forget exactly where) I read that even law enforcement surveillance personnel were caught abusing the surveillance,using it to spy on their wives,girlfriends,etcetc. I don't think this occured in Lancaster,but if a few law enforcement/DHS/etc members abuse it just think what private citizens will come up with.

Lancaster's project isn't even govt sponsored, the task of surveillance has been outsourced to a private,non-profit group who hires citizens to work the cameras and call police if they spot "suspicious activity". I wonder why Lancaster in particular went this heavy-duty route.

PatsFanInVa · 06-22-2009, 06:32 PM

Absolutely no doubt law enforcement et al do exactly that. I base this on anecdotal stories, but stories in first-person.

wistahpatsfan · 06-22-2009, 06:39 PM

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

alvinnf · 06-22-2009, 06:42 PM

This must be a very paranoid community......