Mayor on WCPN now

[Bridget Conant]

Summers discussing the new security cameras and plate scanners in the city.

Says it’s to protect against terrorism.

We already have 48 camera/scanners.

It’s a regional anti-terrorism effort.

ACLU Rep saying that this technology doesn’t include any protection against misuse of the technology that could invade an individual’s civil rights.

He’s concerned with cities amassing a database of plate location information.

Other opponents think it’s too much money to spend for information that likely won’t affect terror activity.

[Michael Deneen]

Summers discussing the new security cameras and plate scanners in the city. Says it’s to protect against terrorism.We already have 48 camera/scanners. It’s a regional anti-terrorism effort.ACLU Rep saying that this technology doesn’t include any protection against misuse of the technology that could invade an individual’s civil rights. He’s concerned with cities amassing a database of plate location information.

I have mixed feelings on this.....as you may recall, Tim McVeigh was caught because a traffic camera captured his license plate number.

However, the growing "security state" is a concern....and the fact that a corporate tool like Summers favors these cameras is a BIG RED FLAG that they are dangerous.

BTW, would these cameras be able to detect our coyotes? There was another attack on Sunday.
Our "Safety Director" seems unwilling and/or unable to fix the situation.

[Dan Alaimo]

Was it the "Sound of Ideas" program? I think it's available by playback/podcast.

The one time I wholeheartedly agreed that more security was needed was when I heard about Judge Carroll's request a number of weeks ago for City Hall. Otherwise, I think there is eventually going to be a dramatic push-back against our security state and privacy invasions. Look out Facebook (and Inspector Clouseau).

[Dan Alaimo]

"Alexa, play the podcast 'The Sound of Ideas'."

There it is, listening now.

[Mark Kindt]

While this will ostensibly apply to all, the actual impact will be on those citizens who are in the borderline working zone. Those citizens who live paycheck-to-paycheck and can't afford a random ticket arriving out of the blue because their plate got scanned and then they got pulled-over...

These are the same folks that just lost their major local charity care provider...

These are the same folks that are on the brink of loosing their affordable care act coverage...

That might just have to have that one medical procedure that pushes them into insolvency....

These are the folks that just got evicted by their Lakewood landlord because they called 911 for help....

We need less electronic surveillance, not more.

[james fitzgibbons]

I agree Mark. They will be mounting cameras in the neighborhoods next. Thank you for your concern for the people that have the least.

[Tim Liston]

James says: "They will be mounting cameras in the neighborhoods next."

They already are. GE and others make streetlights with cameras, microphones and a load of other sensing and wireless transmission capabilities. Click for example here and here.

I have no confidence whatsoever that these things will be used only for benign purposes. The invasion of our privacy by various governmental entities and their proxies should be a big concern. Unfortunately it does not seem to be....

[Vince Frantz]

But there is money available for it soooo...

[Dan Alaimo]

He was only talking about traffic cameras that the city could get money for. Or in other words, they are putting them in because there is government money for them.

We are already on that very slippery slope, and I'm not sure how or if they are using the ones they have.

I was hoping he would say something about Judge Carroll's very real concern over security at city hall and his court, but I didn't hear it.

[Bridget Conant]

I was hoping he would say something about Judge Carroll's very real concern over security at city hall and his court, but I didn't hear it.

Yes, quite odd nothing has been done with a very REAL threat, yet the mayor brags on the program that these cameras will help thwart terrorism.

I’m more concerned about the higher probability that a resident will be the victim of an armed robbery, car jacking, or shooting.

He’s not worried about the courts, where every day there are often people with mental issues facing stressful situations that could lead to danger, for both the court employees and any bystander.

Judge Carroll has served Lakewood for a long time. He handily wins re-election every time. Why aren’t his concerns being attended to? I trust him to tell the truth.

[Jim O'Bryan]

I was hoping he would say something about Judge Carroll's very real concern over security at city hall and his court, but I didn't hear it.

Yes, quite odd nothing has been done with a very REAL threat, yet the mayor brags on the program that these cameras will help thwart terrorism.

I’m more concerned about the higher probability that a resident will be the victim of an armed robbery, car jacking, or shooting.

He’s not worried about the courts, where every day there are often people with mental issues facing stressful situations that could lead to danger, for both the court employees and any bystander.

Judge Carroll has served Lakewood for a long time. He handily wins re-election every time. Why aren’t his concerns being attended to? I trust him to tell the truth.

Funny

I remember when the Law Director and Summers said the cameras were only there to stop smog, from too many cars at the light.

More BS from a mayor and law director that know little else these days.

.

[Jim O'Bryan]

I received a call correcting me about the cameras tonight.

I was told the cameras on the poles at the light were part of a state project, and they control traffic.*

The cameras around the city and in the park that have blue lights, are monitored by police dispatch and other people at City Hall, and have been used to solve crimes like the recent spray painting on the Mission.

The cameras the Mayor talked about today were proposed by the county they are license plate readers which almost every community now has. These are also the similar to the ones on the back of police cars and were paid for through grants.

The last cameras are portable on trailers and were purchased with county money before the RNC. They are available for cities to use but have not been used by Lakewood.

* I disagree with this, as we have found out that some of the money for the poles these cameras are on, came from Homeland Security as part of a grant. Other cities have mentioned their cameras, just like ours, can do facial recognition, license recognition, and do not control traffic, but are part of a national grid, that does allow Feds to go back and look for terrorists, kidnappers etc. Lakewood has never said this, it was part of understanding who paid for the Detroit new poles and speaking with Cleveland and other cities.

Thank you for the correction.

.

[Mark Kindt]

We have seen an unbelievable increase in domestic electronic surveillance in the past 25 years; to the point that cameras in public places are now ubiquitous. This has also occurred during a time-period when constitutional rights under the Fourth Amendment have been deeply eroded.

I fully understand that cameras in public places have different purposes. I fully understand that plate scanners are already in use.

I simply object to any additional expansion of electronic or digital surveillance by government agencies, no matter what the purpose or rationalization. It's an expensive public policy dead-end that challenges basic and fundamental American values.

The safety gains are illusory.

[Lori Allen _]

Mark, I agree with the points you have brought up. It appears that what the Summer's Administration has done to the city and the assets could be considered an act of terrorism!

Has anyone ever seen so much work being done in the city? I believe that this surveillance system is another way to dump more of the money.

[Bridget Conant]

The fact that those cameras are being used for surveillance was made clear in this article.

The city used those cameras to find the man accused in the Florida murders.

Take it for what you will - some may feel “safer” being surveilled, but we are being exactly that.

https://www.cleveland.com/crime/2019/01/police-man-arrested-in-lakewood-admits-to-killing-florida-in-laws-in-triple-homicide-police-searching-for-wife.html