EspañolOver the next few months, the Miami Police Department plans to install approximately 400 new security cameras to monitor various areas of the city through 200 closed-circuit TV screens. This system features a network of sensors to detect shootings called ShotSpotter and a technology that includes face recognition.
The security scheme has been criticized by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida. Howard Simon, executive director of ACLU, expressed that similar plans have failed in Tampa and Oakland. “We are concerned that these devices may violate the privacy of people at home,” said Simon.
ShotSpotter is comprised of a network of sensors and GPS signals strategically placed on ceilings. The device turns on when it hears the noise caused by, presumably, a gun shot. If the noise reaches three sensors, its source can be located with a margin of error of 33 feet. The system was dismantled in Tampa because it frequently registered common noises as shootings, which led to the detention of innocent people.
The program will cost around US$700,000, and half of it will be funded by the Federal Funding to Combat Terrorism.
Source: Diario de las Américas, El Nuevo Herald.