>>Valley Patriot>> |
So-called civil libertarians and opponents of the measure are beside themselves at the thought of "evil" government officials videotaping members of the public, but their faux outrage is not to be taken seriously. Under the United States Constitution, you have no expectation of privacy when you are out in public. In fact, you are videotaped a dozen times or more on any given day by both private citizens and the "evil" government" after you walk out your front door. When you walk by any ATM machine, whether you use it or not, your image is captured and stamped with the time and date you walked by. The police (or any other evil government official) can gain access to those videos any time they want, without a warrant. And when you drive into the parking lot of any local business, again, chances are you are being captured on video. The "government" has been using cameras for traffic flow and congestion, security in subway stations and inside government (court) buildings, inside police cruisers (and school buses) to protect the officers and detainees, etc. All these have been tested in the courts and declared legal. And all are by government authorities. Lets's face it. When you step outside your door, either a private business, a private person or the" evil" government has the right to record your moveements. So the phony shock and opposition concerning Chief Romero’s proposal to install video cameras at troubled intersections is just that - phony. The police have every right under the laws of this state and the U.S. Constitution to videotape anyone in public for any reason they want. The real question here is: should (not can) the police be doing this at all? The fact is, hundreds of people run red lights in the city of Lawrence every week putting the lives of their fellow citizens at risk. And, because the Lawrence Police are usually too busy flying from gun call to gun call, they simply do not have the time to park at troubled intersections where traffic violators flaunt the law with impunity. The revenue generated by installing a few video cameras in Lawrence can be used to hire more police officers, firefighters, teachers, and building inspectors. Of course, there will always be the malcontents who oppose anything that helps police catch lawbreakers, as well as paranoid conspiracy theorists who are more afraid of government and the police than criminals and terrorists. But the average person who has no intention of running a red light or breaking traffic laws sees right through the whining opposition that always arises when issues like this come before the City Council. My advice to councilors who will be tasked with voting on an ordinance to allow video cameras is this: no new ordinance or policy is ever perfect. It is irresponsible to oppose any proposal just because someone MIGHT abuse it at some time in the future. Any city ordinance can be abused by those who are charged with enforcing it. And, if abuse occurs, the City Council always has the power to amend the ordinance and eliminate the abuse. We all know what happens when we see a police car behind us in traffic. We become model drivers and make sure to obey the rules of the road. Having video cameras at intersections throughout the city of Lawrence will have the same affect on most drivers. Who is going to run a red light or double the speed limit at the intersection of South Union and Winthrop Avenue when they know police cameras will catch him in the act? Of course, most people obey the law when they know someone is watching. Those who decide to break the law anyway should not be able to escape the fines and penalties the law demands. Tom
Duggan is the president of Valley Patriot, Inc., and is a
former member of the Lawrence School Committee. He hosts
the Paying Attention Radio Program on 980AM every
Saturday afternoon from noon-2pm. You can email comments
or questions to him at Tdugjr@aol.com *Send your questions
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