In a controversial move that is certain to be challenged by privacy-loving Americans, the police of New York City want to set up a "ring of steel" defensive perimeter to help thwart terrorist attacks. Dubbed the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative, the program is based on a similar initiative already existing in London, and involves installing license plate-reading cameras in lower Manhattan by the end of the year.
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The initial phase of the program will see 116 cameras and pivoting gates being installed at an estimated cost of $90 million, i.e. approximately £45 million. The pivoting gateways have been found to be useful in isolating suspicious vehicles. In combination with the cameras, this can be an effective way of thwarting terrorist attacks, especially of the car bomb variety. The program will be the first of its kind in the US.
Inspired by the success of the program in London city, UK, where CCTVs helped successfully track the July 7 bombers recently, the program has managed to impress even those police chiefs in the United States who had earlier expressed their doubts about its feasibility and propriety.
According to New York City police commissioner Raymond Kelly, the target area for the initial phase was Lower Manhattan as it includes vital areas like the Wall Street, and is critical to the lifeblood of the nation. He said launching the program in this region would help scale down its vulnerability in the event of future terrorist attacks.
Once implemented, the program envisions the placement of 3000 surveillance cameras below Canal Street by the end of next year. Some of these cameras would be owned by shop owners in the area, a tactic that many think would help finance the project to an extent. And this is critical, because many of the critics have been predicting the program would fall on its face because of the financing aspect. They feel the NYPD would not be able to find enough financing to make the project a success.
The NYPD are upbeat about the project, however. According to sources, the installation of the cameras is certain, what is still being considered is whether they would be using face-recognition technology.