X-From_: info@notbored.org Wed Apr 10 22:06:27 2002 X-Sender: notbored@popserver.panix.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 22:10:50 -0500 To: info@notbored.org From: NOT BORED!Subject: news about surveillance cameras (generally) 1. England Goes Crazy for Surveillance Cameras 2. Baltimore Goes Crazy for Surveillance Cameras 3. Washington DC Goes Crazy for Surveillance Cameras 1. England Goes Crazy for Surveillance Cameras http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/story.jsp?story=283436 11 April 2002 00:40 GMT+1 Home > News > UK > Crime Police seek CCTV vans to combat street crime By Ian Burrell Home Affairs Correspondent 10 April 2002 Bright yellow "mugger detector" vans fitted with closed-circuit television cameras are being considered by the Home Office to tackle the rising problem of street crime. Police believe the mobile camera units are effective tools against street robbery, which has undermined the Government's record on law and order. The high-visibility police vehicles marked "Caught on Camera" are believed to have a deterrent effect similar to that of television detector vans in preventing the dodging of licence fees. Police forces in England and Wales may also be advised to set up FBI-style "Most Wanted" lists of their top 10 mugging suspects. The lists would be posted on the internet and circulated at gatherings in each force region, including football matches and other events. The Home Office has set up a working party to examine the best policies for tackling street crime, which is regarded as the key factor in heightening public fear of crime. A team of experts based at the new Central Police Training and Development Authority (Centrex) has been asked to identify the best tactics for fighting muggers, who are driving up crime figures in most urban areas. One element of the brief is to devise an optimum strategy for tackling what are termed "Blip Boys" individual young offenders who are so prolific that they can single-handedly send crime levels soaring in a neighbourhood. Police have also called for new measures to reduce the likelihood of young people becoming victims of street robbers, including printing warnings in school exercise books on how to guard against theft of mobile phones. They also want schools to teach youngsters the impact of street robbery on victims of crime, particularly old people who become too afraid to leave their homes. One Centrex team member said some forces were unaware how to deal with the spreading problem of street crime. Forces having difficulties with mugging gangs were at risk of "reinventing the wheel" when effective initiatives were being deployed elsewhere. He said: "We are looking at what works and what does not work. We are being robust about suggesting to forces which methods they should follow." The project is being co-ordinated by Chris Sims, Assistant Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, which is piloting the use of the detector vans with Merseyside. Mr Sims said street robbery was "very much a new phenomenon" and that it was important forces shared ideas on how to deal with it, rather than try to tackle it in isolation. Details of the effectiveness of the detector van and "Most Wanted" schemes were made available to senior government officials at recent meetings at the Home Office with representatives of the West Midlands and Merseyside forces. One member of the West Midlands delegation said: "The vans are really high profile and are painted bright yellow and have video cameras on them. We don't want to increase people's fear of crime but we want to show them that we are doing something to tackle it." Codenames for operations in tackling street crime will be duplicated in different police areas so money can be saved on poster campaigns, leaflets and radio appeals. The Centrex project, which will primarily examine methods used to combat mugging in the 10 urban forces with the most serious street crime problems, will report to ministers in the summer. 2. Baltimore Goes Crazy for Surveillance Cameras http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2002/04/08/daily26.html 11:26 EDT Wednesday Police department buys $2M in surveillance equipment The Baltimore Police Department purchased $2 million worth of electronic surveillance and security equipment from a Los Angeles company. The deal calls for NS Microwave, a subsidiary of publicly traded Allied Research Corp. of Vienna, Va., to supply the police department with fixed, vehicular and airborne security systems. The company said the systems would enable the department to provide electronic surveillance from any location in the city. It was unclear Wednesday what the Baltimore Police department planned to do with the equipment. Officials from the department were not immediately available for comment. 3. Washington DC Goes Crazy for Surveillance Cameras http://www.newsbytes.com/news/02/175784.html Police Propose DC Area Video Surveillance Rules By Spencer S Hsu, Washington Post WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 10 Apr 2002, 11:37 AM CST Washington, D.C., police Tuesday released a draft of proposed internal regulations on video surveillance, but a key lawmaker said that the guidelines are too vague and that legislation is needed to govern law enforcement use of the expanding technology. In a four-page document circulated to D.C. Council members, police officials propose limits for a computerized video monitoring system that is emerging as one of the nation's most extensive. The closed-circuit television network is capable of linking up eventually to 1,000 government cameras that monitor streets, subway stations, schools and federal facilities in the nation's capital. D.C. police have cameras of their own at 12 sites and can access those of other government agencies with their permission. The system, first activated during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, also was used during a terrorist alert issued by the federal government in February. The cameras will be used again during antiwar demonstrations scheduled for April 20 in downtown Washington, police officials said. The regulations proposed by police would allow them to activate the system for traffic control, "critical incidents," heightened states of alert or special events that pose a potential threat to public safety. The guidelines say police may record over any material they videotape after 72 hours, though they do not require that step. They also bar camera operators from monitoring individuals arbitrarily or based on race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability or other classifications protected by law. And the regulations prohibit camera operators from focusing on handbills or fliers being carried, to prevent violations of the First Amendment. But D.C. Council member Kathy Patterson (D-Ward 3), who chairs the panel's Judiciary Committee, said clearer rules are needed on activation of the system, retention of video records and sanctions for violators. "We are in fact going to write legislation. . . . Regulations are only the first step," Patterson said. "They probably aren't specific enough in a few areas." A spokesman for Rep. Constance A. Morella (R-Md.), chairman of the House Government Reform subcommittee on the District, who also had expressed misgivings about the reach of the camera network, agreed that the proposed police regulations are too spare. For instance, the police plan is silent about who may access the video records, whom the chief can designate to oversee surveillance operations and what disciplinary penalties will befall violators, said Morella spokesman Rob White. "It definitely needs to be clarified," he said. Executive Assistant Police Chief Terrance W. Gainer said in an interview that videotaping could be authorized by Chief Charles H. Ramsey or his designee, such as a police commander or an assistant chief. Gainer acknowledged that police must specify that recording will not be allowed in places out of public view, where there is "reasonable expectation of privacy." He said police are still thinking through issues of public access. Johnny Barnes, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union-National Capital Area, said he has forwarded a copy of the draft regulations to the NAACP's Metropolitan Police and Criminal Justice Review task force. "The position of the ACLU remains against cameras altogether," Barnes said. But he withheld further comment pending review by the task force, which monitors District prisons, courts and prosecutors. The group did not return a telephone call for comment. Gainer said he respected the political process but hoped that police tactics and enforcement would not be legislated. "I will not lose any sleep if we are forbidden from using cameras, but I do think we'll be less protected," he said. "Sometimes there are mixed messages we send to the police: 'I want higher police visibility. I want you to prevent crime. ... I don't want people to run red lights but I also don't want you to use technology.'" Reported by Washingtonpost.com, http://www.washingtopost.com 11:37 CST X-From_: info@notbored.org Fri Apr 19 02:37:15 2002 X-Sender: notbored@popserver.panix.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2002 02:37:56 -0500 To: info@notbored.org From: NOT BORED!Subject: surveillance cameras in the news 1. Hidden cameras (USA) 2. Debate about police camera (Canada) 3. Hawaii ends video program (USA) 4. License needed (Sweden) 1. Hidden Cameras http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2002/04/18/hidden-video.htm 04/18/2002 - Updated 09:15 AM ET Bill would outlaw hidden home video cameras WASHINGTON (Reuters) Hidden video cameras in bedrooms, bathrooms and other private places would be outlawed under a bill introduced in Congress Tuesday that would also limit pornographic Web sites to an online red-light district. Television star Angie Harmon and privacy activist Susan Wilson joined Louisiana Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu to announce a bill that would make it illegal to film someone for a "lewd or lascivious purpose" without that person's consent. Violators would face an unspecified fine and up to three years of jail time, or 10 years if the filmed subject was under 18. The bill would not apply to security cameras in private places such as department store dressing rooms, nor would it penalize those filming on city streets or other public places where privacy does not exist. Landrieu said she wrote the bill after hearing from Wilson, a Monroe, La, homemaker who found hidden video cameras above her bed and in her shower nearly four years ago. Wilson found she could not pursue criminal charges against the voyeur because secret video taping, unlike audio surveillance, is illegal in only a handful of states. "It's an outrageous, outrageous violation of someone's privacy and it's outrageous we don't have laws prohibiting this," Landrieu said. Harmon, best known for her role on the hit TV series Law and Order, played Wilson in a TV movie for the Lifetime network. A privacy expert said the bill would provide a needed update to existing laws, but should be extended to cover potential abuses by government or private surveillance systems. "It's getting to the point where every aspect of our lives is now subject to this kind of surveillance ... and there's a lack of procedures governing the use of that technology," said David Sobel, general counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center. Adults-only Internet domain The bill also would require Web sites that contain pornography, hate speech or other material deemed harmful to minors to give up their dot-com Web addresses and register under an adults-only Internet domain. Such an approach could prove troublesome, as other congressional attempts to regulate online content have been struck down in the courts or run aground on free-speech concerns. Moreover, Internet domains are created and approved not by the Congress but by an independent, international body. A bill approved last week by the House Commerce Committee would seek to protect children from inappropriate online content by creating a kid-safe Internet space within the United States' dot-us domain. A House staffer who has worked on the issue said that Commerce Committee members decided their approach was workable because it would not limit speech online, nor would it seek to impose decency standards on other countries. 2. Debate about police camera 2:00 a.m. April 16, 2002 PDT http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,51821,00.html KELOWNA, British Columbia -- Canada's privacy commissioner and solicitor general are locked in a battle over a surveillance camera in the city of Kelowna in British Columbia's interior. For months now, Privacy Commissioner George Radwanski has fought to have the Royal Canadian Mounted Police camera removed on the grounds that it intrudes on citizen privacy. And Radwanski's most recent salvo could lead to Canada outlawing public surveillance cameras entirely. A new report from a former Supreme Court of Canada judge -- commissioned by Radwanski -- claims the use of public surveillance cameras violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom, which is similar to the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution. In his lengthy report, Justice Gerard La Forest writes that comprehensive and continuous video surveillance permits the police to systematically observe everyone present within the camera's range. He says the cameras violate section 8 of the Charter, which guarantees a "broad and general right" to privacy, as laid out by Justice Dickson in Hunter vs. Southam. Section 8 of the Charter states: "Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure." "This type of video surveillance is equivalent to having individual police officers closely follow, 24 hours a day, every person within a certain geographical space," La Forest wrote. "That would be a police state, not a free society." The Kelowna camera was installed downtown in February 2001 and ran 24 hours a day until the commissioner intervened. Currently, the camera is only switched on if police have a specific concern, RCMP spokesman Dan Seibel said. While La Forest's report only qualifies as an opinion, it could become the basis for a successful legal challenge to the use of the surveillance camera in Kelowna. If that happens, other police forces will have to to take down security cameras across Canada, ranging from red light cameras to other municipally operated cams. Seibel said that in the next couple of weeks, the privacy commissioner, the solicitor general and the RCMP commissioner might revisit the issue. He noted any decision would affect other cameras. "I would say we're the case law," Seibel said. "If there's a particular set of circumstances and a decision made that would apply to others in the same position." However, Solicitor General Lawrence MacAulay has been resisting the commissioner's pressure to have the camera removed and has refused to even acknowledge jurisdiction over the camera, claiming the RCMP are under contract to the municipality. In his opinion, La Forest said the RCMP are subject to the authority of the solicitor general and that the Supreme Court of Canada has "repeatedly held that in matters relating to the 'administration and management' of the force, the federal government has exclusive jurisdiction." Dan Brien, a solicitor-general spokesman, said he'd have to examine La Forest's opinion before he could make any kind of comment. Brien said Radwanski sprang the opinion on them and they haven't had time to examine it. This is not the first time Radwanski has broadsided the minister's office, Brien said. A couple of weeks ago, the commissioner released a letter to the media before giving it to the minister, to whom it was addressed. "I thought that was kind of ironic in view of who he was," Brien said. Suggesting that he takes his title seriously, however, the privacy commissioner turned down an interview with Wired News. The fight over the Kelowna cam began on June 25, 2001, after British Columbia's Information and Privacy commissioner complained about the cam to Radwanski. In an earlier report of his own, Radwanski opined, "Let me begin by saying that I am well aware that, in the wake of the tragic events of Sept. 11, there is probably some considerable public perception that a proliferation of video surveillance cameras in our streets and parks would somehow make us safer >from terrorist attacks. "But even if New York City had been endowed with so many surveillance cameras as to turn the whole city into a giant TV studio, this would have done nothing to prevent the terrorists from crashing aircraft into the World Trade Center." 3. Hawaii Halts Use of Traffic Cameras http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020410/ap_on_re_us/traffic_c ameras_1&printer=1 Hawaii Halts Use of Traffic Cameras Wed Apr 10, 6:52 PM ET By BRUCE DUNFORD, Associated Press Writer HONOLULU - Gov. Ben Cayetano on Wednesday ordered a halt to the use of cameras to catch speeders, a safety measure many Hawaii motorists considered so underhanded they tried to subvert the system. Cayetano said the Legislature was about to repeal the program anyway. "The traffic van cam law is the creation of the Legislature, and if they want to now cancel the program it will be canceled," he said in a statement. The van-mounted cameras, introduced on Oahu two months ago and operated by a private company, were coupled with radar and automatically photographed a speeder's license plate. A ticket was then issued by mail to the car's owner. Some drivers mockingly called them the "talivans." The House late Tuesday tentatively decided to abandon the system, and Cayetano said he would allow the repeal bill to become law without his signature. He maintained, though, that the program's aims were good. "Driving at faster speeds has become a habit for many drivers and explains, at least in part, why there was so much opposition to the traffic van cam," he said. The devices were supposed to catch violators the way red-light cameras have been doing for years, without the danger of a police chase. Proponents said the system would slow traffic and save lives. Drivers and civil liberties lawyers complained the system unfairly assumed the owner of the car was the person behind the wheel. They also said the cameras were an invasion of privacy. Judges threw out the first batch of citations on a technicality that was later fixed. But lawyers then successfully argued that tickets issued to drivers going less than 10 mph over the speed limit should be dismissed because it conflicted with Honolulu Police Department practice. While many states use cameras to catch people running red lights, Hawaii was the first state to pass a law allowing photo-enforced radar along state roads. State Rep. Charles Djou (news, bio, voting record) said Wednesday he was pleased "this very much hated system is finally going to get yanked." ___ 4. No License to Video (Sweden) Wired News.com 4/3/02 A 22-year-old man is looking at up to a year in prison after rigging up a video camera on his balcony to watch the street below. Zoran Zmejkoski is charged with violating Sweden's public surveillance law. He's admitted to mounting the camera on his balcony for a month and hooking it up to a monitor in his apartment, but says he didn't know he was doing anything wrong. "He says he did it just for fun," the prosecutor said. Police, however, were not amused and pulled the plug. Under Swedish law, video surveillance of a public place requires a permit. Usually, only banks or museums that can prove they need the cameras to prevent crime receive permits. X-From_: info@notbored.org Tue Apr 23 08:55:44 2002 X-Sender: notbored@popserver.panix.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 09:00:34 -0500 To: NOT BORED!From: NOT BORED!Subject: surveillance cams in the news 1. Gesture recognition software (England) 2. Cameras in MetroCard vending machines (USA) 1. Robot cameras 'will predict crimes before they happen' CCTV: By learning behaviour patterns, computers could soon alert police when an unmanned camera sees 'suspicious' activity By Andrew Johnson 21 April 2002 Computers and CCTV cameras could be used to predict and prevent crime before it happens. Scientists at Kingston University in London have developed software able to anticipate if someone is about to mug an old lady or plant a bomb at an airport. It works by examining images coming in from close circuit television cameras (CCTV) and comparing them to behaviour patterns that have already programmed into its memory. The software, called Cromatica, can then mathematically work out what is likely to happen next. And if it is likely to be a crime it can send a warning signal to a security guard or police officer. The system was developed by Dr Sergio Velastin, of Kingston University's Digital Imaging Research Centre, to improve public transport. By predicting crowd flow, congestion patterns and potential suicides on the London Underground, the aim was to increase the efficiency and safety of transport systems. The software has already been tested at London's Liverpool Street Station. Dr Velastin explained that not feeling safe was a major reason why some people did not use public transport. "In some ways, women and the elderly are effectively excluded from the public transport system," he said. CCTV cameras help improve security, he said, but they are monitored by humans who can lose concentration or miss things. It is especially difficult for the person watching CCTV to remain vigilant if nothing happens for a long period of time, he said. "Our technology excels at carrying out the boring, repetitive tasks and highlighting potential situations that could otherwise go unnoticed," he added. While recent studies have shown that cameras tend to move crime on elsewhere rather than prevent it completely, in certain environments, such as train stations, they are still useful. And Dr Velastin believes his creation has a much wider social use than just improving transport. His team of European researchers are improving the software so that eventually it will be capable of spotting unattended luggage in an airport. And it will be able to tell who left it there and where that person has gone. However, the computer is not yet set to replace the human being altogether. "The idea is that the computer detects a potential event and shows it to the operator, who then decides what to do; so we are still a long way off from machines replacing humans," Dr Velastin says. independent.co.uk 2. Cameras in MetroCard Vending Machines http://www.mostnewyork.com/2002-04-22/News_and_Views/City_Beat/a-148452.asp Camera-Ready TA Targets Scammers By PETE DONOHUE Daily News Staff Writer Smile, you're on MetroCard camera. A hidden video camera in a Manhattan subway station is helping police identify crooks who steal money or fare cards from MetroCard machines. And more cameras are on the way, the Daily News has learned. "It's the start of a very successful program," said Tom Savage, a top Transit Authority official. A crackdown on MetroCard machine scammers has netted 113 arrests the past seven months, police said, with at least five identified through the so-called MetroCam since it was installed in January. Going to the videotape works, authorities said, not only because it provides good evidence, but because it allows police to help identify MetroCard thieves without having to use officers to stake out machines. Photographs of those caught on tape - but not yet by police - have been distributed to officers throughout the subway system. Many of those who commit crimes in the subway system have long rap sheets and are well-known to transit police. "These are people who frequent the system for reasons other than to get from one point to another," said Transit Bureau Police Chief William Calhoun. "These are people we have locked up previously for similar activities." A typical vandal jams a MetroCard vending machine chute or money slot using toothpicks or bits of plastic and waits for a rider to attempt a purchase with cash, a credit card or a debit card. Because the machine is jammed, the frustrated buyer usually walks away empty-handed. The thief moves in, unjams the machine and takes the cash or MetroCard that comes out - and then jams the machine again. "It's like fishing," said Sgt. James Donovan, of the Transit Bureau's MetroCard fraud task force. "You put bait in the water and come back and see if you've caught anything." The crooks often sell their ill-gotten MetroCards, or sometimes sell discounted fares to individuals from those cards. One thief was caught with 21 cards, another with 18, police said. Busy Stations Popular When authorities noticed MetroCard machine scams were increasing, the TA provided police with lists of stations where machines were being targeted. Undercover officers staked out those areas and made arrests and, more recently, uniformed officers were trained to identify the various scams. Most of the criminal activity has been in busy stations in midtown Manhattan and Queens, although it has occurred throughout the system, said Lt. Paul Murphy, commanding officer of the bureau's special investigations unit. Authorities said the TA is testing new software that would thwart MetroCard machine criminals by programming machines not to release money or cards once a machine is jammed. "It knocks out the profit motive," Murphy said. Riders who use cash to buy new MetroCards or refill their cards from a vending machine are stuck if it is jammed, since no receipt with an identifying tracking number is issued. Victims who use credit or debit cards, however, can seek a refund because the TA can check its computer records against a receipt to help verify a theft. Original Publication Date: 4/22/02 X-From_: info@notbored.org Tue Apr 30 10:03:09 2002 X-Sender: notbored@popserver.panix.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 10:08:07 -0500 To: info@notbored.org From: NOT BORED!Subject: Surveillance cams in the news, again! 1. cameras used to protect other cameras (Holland) 2. satelitte imaging (Pakistan) 3. tennessee gets with the program (USA) 1. Police use cameras to protect cameras Police in Holland are installing security cameras to monitor their speed cameras. They are acting after losing a fifth of all speed cameras in the province of Brabant to attacks from vandals and irate drivers. The new security cameras will be placed high up, looking down on the speed cameras. Speed cameras in the province have had burning tyres placed around them, had lenses sprayed with foam and been attacked with tools. Police spokesman Henk Achten told De Volkskrant newspaper they were also setting up a mobile camera system to keep an eye on speed cameras and deter vandals. 16th April 2002 http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_567932.html 2. satellite imaging http://www.middleeastwire.com:8080/storypage.jsp?id=5754 FBI free to trace al-Qaeda financial channels in Pakistan publisher: Jang.com By: Sajjad Shafiq Butt Posted: 2002-04-29 LAHORE: Officials of American FBI Financial Wing are in Pakistan as the US government has chalked out a comprehensive plan to trace the financial channels, if any, of al-Qaeda in Pakistan. The FBI agents in collaboration with a number of Pakistani authorities have started their new assignment of stopping illegal money transactions through laundering and an amount exceeding the $10,000 mark would not be allowed to be transferred from America or any European country to Pakistan, well-placed sources confided to The News. The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) and National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) have already provided the FBI with their entire data enabling it to know the family backgrounds of the people with suspected al-Qaeda links. Before a crackdown, the data would help the FBI know the suspects' family backgrounds, religious affiliations, relations abroad and conversion of business under different names and identities besides knowing the motives. The FBI team is training seven high-ranking Karachi and Islamabad based officers of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the FIA. The training is scheduled to end by the first week of May. According to the sources, the three-member team apparently headed by Alex Andrew initially interviewed and discussed ideas with local high officials. "Some 11 to 12 FIA and SBP officers are being trained, while seven are being given special attention because of their earlier expertise," sources said, adding that two of the under training people belonged to the SBP. On the other hand, the sources said, the FBI men had already acquired the digital maps of all major cities of Pakistan. "Nadra and the EPB have also been contacted in this regard so that FBI personnel may attribute all provided data to the digital maps," the sources said. It is pertinent to quote a senior government officer as telling The News that "Nespak demanded from the government as much as Rs 13 million for a single digital map of Lahore that it had made". To a query, other high-profile sources in a Pakistani intelligence wing told The News that the FBI's contact with Nadra and the EPB were the most important links that would not only enable Americans to find out all the details of people involved in exports and imports under different names and identities but would also bring their family backgrounds to their notice. "The list of exporters and importers during the last decade has been provided to the FBI," the sources said, adding all this exercise and cooperation of local authorities with the US agents could be gauged through President Musharraf's repeated statements whereby he had acknowledged to have allowed Americans "just sharing of information". The sources said that the FIA had already prepared a report to unearth modern ways of laundering money. The report was expected to be delivered to the FBI and was meant to stop money from reaching the al-Qaeda. The sources said the FBI Financial Wing had also established a network to keep watch on money laundering. Based in Italy, Singapore and Dubai, the network would maintain a record of all exports and imports in this region. "Money laundering is routed to Karachi through Italy, Singapore and Dubai. In face of any threat at Singapore, the route changes and the people involved in the trade opt for going to Bombay instead of Singapore," said the sources. The network would also scrutinise the amounts transferred to and from Pakistan. Italy is reported to be the centre of money laundering and the hundi business, while in Karachi there is a family that has special knack for the business of making money. An initial probe has found some exporters and importers from Karachi, Faisalabad and Chiniot involved in suspicious activities. "The network of >hundi and money laundering is undoubtedly run by people who have lust for money, but there are clues that lead to the fact that some of these people were funding the al-Qaeda network," said a source, adding the involvement of foreigners and people from abroad was also a fact. Moreover, the sources said, the main actors involved in the hundi business had already been taken into confidence. The network against money laundering would be having an inter-linked connection through a database system so that the "information sharing" could be made possible at all stations here and abroad. "A special software pro forma has been developed and every transaction will be noted down the moment a money transaction takes place," sources said and added that two FIA officials had tried to discuss some "special affairs" and were removed as they were not found quite fit for keeping things secret even at an initial stage. The plan would be in full swing by the end of May and the system would be made foolproof. Geographical Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS): "Massive funding is involved in this phenomenon of information sharing, developing work plans while using electronic gadgets and paying informants so highly for tipping off any possible connection," said a high-ranking officer of a Pakistani intelligence agency, on the condition of anonymity. "In the war on terror in a peaceful country like Pakistan, the FBI officials would be equipped with the digital maps and in possession of the data fed by the EPB and Nadra. This would make possible for them to exactly locate a place, know how many people reside there and what are their backgrounds and what are the possible ways of their escape." The sources said the assignment was in progress rather steadily, as the maps of at least 12 major cities were with the FBI personnel to accomplish their mission. The maps also included even the meticulous details of people with different backgrounds in different localities of these cities. For instance, the sources elaborated, the FBI team had to move for an operation in Karachi. The team would have all details that from Lyari they had to go to Sham Nagar and the map would lead them to the exact house, while the details and possible consequences were already with the agents. Thus, every pre-emptive measure would have already been taken so far. A place that is going to be raided would also be under surveillance through the GIS. Elaborating about the system, an expert said that as many as 24 US army spy satellites were covering all over the earth. The network is called 'tessellation'. The GPS was a device that could acquire information through that network freely, he said. He added that the satellite system continued moving and all that a GPS device needed was to catch signals of at least three spy satellites, though it easily caught signals from four satellites the instant it started functioning. "The civil satellites revolve at an altitude of 600 to 800 km and can draw images of an object of one meter while the spy satellite can cover an object of 25 centimetres with hundred per cent accuracy at an altitude of 250 to 350 km in space." The expert said only the US had spy satellites. "The 24 US spy satellites are covering the whole world and may draw the picture and satellite images of every nook and cranny," he said. "By sharing information and acquiring reports through highly-paid local informants, the US agents who are equipped with sophisticated electronic gadgets will smoke out al-Qaeda fighters from Pakistan and any man associated with the most-feared network will easily be nabbed," said a senior Pakistani intelligence officer. Terming the operation another phase of the US war on terror, the officer said that the US had made the dash from war-torn Afghanistan to Pakistan that had assisted them since the beginning. "Though the Faisalabad operation has netted a key man of the al-Qaeda network, Abu Zubaidah, the same has also caused some embarrassment for Pakistani authorities as well as US personnel and there was a need for evolving a strategy to conduct operations more safely and successfully," the officer said. "As it did in Aimal Kasi's case, Pakistan has allowed Americans to use its land for hunting down the culprits they wanted." "With the data provided by Nadra, EPB and other sensitive local departments to the already inter-linked computers and laptops, the fullest cooperation of the governmental organs by joining with the US and checking of money laundering, the war against terror in Pakistan would be fought most technologically. The mission would be carried out without any fuss as in case of the Faisalabad operation," a senior intelligence official said. The source said that the static map and the established data available with the help of spy satellites would ensure safe operations with the participation of least number of agents. "With this help, only two to three agents are required to sift a whole city - be it Lahore or Karachi," he said, adding that satellite images could even show every moment's movement of vehicles and people once the spotted place on a static map is linked to the installed data and the spy satellite. 3. tennessee http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/02/04/16707384.shtml?Element_ID=167 07384 Sunday, 04/28/02 Capitol surveillance plan raises privacy concerns Hedy Weinberg By DUREN CHEEK Staff Writer The legislature is planning to expand its security measures to include surveillance cameras in the Capitol complex raising fears by some of >electronic eavesdropping and is considering legislation that would keep virtually every aspect of the plan secret. Buried deep in the proposed Terrorism Prevention and Response Act, which deals mostly with criminal penalties for terrorism, is a provision that reads: ''Any materials, including but not limited to books, records, notes, memoranda, audiotapes, videotapes, or computer records, generated or prepared by or in connection with any security measures adopted by the general assembly are not public records and shall not be subject to provisions of'' the Public Records Act. The American Civil Liberties Union has a number of concerns about the bill, according to state Director Hedy Weinberg. ''We have major concerns if there is going to be videotaping that includes audio and who is going to be able to access those tapes,'' Weinberg said. ''Are legislators going to hear strategies by lobbyists? Are certain people in government going to be privy to private conversa- tions? ''The idea of government monitoring conversations between private people or conversations between a legislator and a lobbyist is very troubling.'' The legislation is scheduled for hearings Tuesday in the Senate Judiciary Committee and Wednesday in the House Judiciary Committee. Complaints have centered on the secrecy surrounding the increased security as well as on the security itself. The Kingsport Times-News said in an editorial last week that the language of the secrecy portion of the bill was so broad that ''it could cover every aspect of the plan the budget for it, bids to set up or memos later that may deal with problems with the system or other safety issues.'' Officials began tightening security procedures in July after hundreds of anti-tax protesters swarmed the Capitol complex, which includes the Capitol, the Legislative Plaza and the War Memorial Building. They tightened them further after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11. An assessment of the complex's security needs was made by a Virginia security firm, U.S. Investigations of Alexandria, at the request of the state Department of Finance and Administration. Heavy concrete barriers have been placed at entrances of the buildings. Legislators, staff, lobbyists and reporters must wear special identification badges or tags. Visitors must pass through metal detectors manned by state troopers, and armed National Guardsmen patrol the area. Those changes and others planned, such as the surveillance cameras and a card swipe system for doors to the complex, are the result of a study of the security needs of the complex and other state buildings, said Bernie Durham, chief clerk of the House and chief of staff for House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh. ''What you want to accomplish in the end is to make sure the staff that works here feel safe and be safe,'' he said. ''You want the public that visits here to feel safe and be safe. We want the members to feel safe and be safe.'' The cameras are expected to be in place by midsummer, although Durham, who is working on the plan with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Office of Homeland Security, said no firm date had been set. Four exterior cameras and 11 interior cameras are planned at the Capitol, according to Larry Kirk, assistant commissioner of Finance and Administration. There will be two cameras on the ground floor, where staff offices are located; five on the first floor, where the governor's office and offices of the three constitutional officers, Comptroller, Treasurer and Secretary of State, are located; and four on the second floor, where House and Senate chambers are located. Swipe card keys will be used for all entrances to the Capitol except the east entrance, which will remain a public entrance with a metal detector and a contingent of state troopers. As for fears that the cameras could be used to spy on members of the legislature and others, Durham had this to say: ''Back when this first started, nobody sat around one night and said, 'Let's put cameras out there and watch staff.' Nobody said, 'Let's put cameras out there and see what constituent goes to whose office.' This all came about as the result of recommendations that were made. ''In schematics, they laid out where the cameras would be, in public areas and hallways. Not in bathrooms. Nothing like that.'' Many details have yet to be worked out, such as how many cameras would be used, where the cameras would be monitored and who would monitor them, he said. The overall cost of the plan will ultimately be made public, but no breakdown of that cost or any other details will be available, Durham said. John Reed, lobbyist for the Tennessee Press Association, noted that the anti-terrorism bill would make all records for the security system confidential but did not spell out what the plan would include and how much it would cost. ''No one knows how it is going to work. Who is going to be on the tapes and how long will they be kept. There is no language to describe the system. It just says we have a system and it will be confidential,'' he said. ''Nobody knows how much it is going to cost, whether it has been ordered or whether there is a contract to design, build and install.'' Sponsoring the legislation are Rep. Matt Kisber, D-Jackson, chairman of the House Finance Committee, and Sen. Bill Clabough, R-Maryville. ''I do believe that since most businesses have security systems that deal with their physical assets and for the protection of their employees and customers, it is worth consideration as to what would be appropriate for the Capitol complex,'' Kisber said. It may be more efficient in the long run to use the cameras and re-duce the number of security personnel guarding the complex, he said. As far as closing records of the plan, Kisber said, ''I can understand concerns about cameras in the interior of the complex that could be perceived as someone watching over someone else.'' X-From_: info@notbored.org Wed May 15 00:37:39 2002 X-Sender: notbored@popserver.panix.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 00:43:12 -0500 To: info@notbored.org From: SCP-New YorkSubject: surveillance cameras in the news 1. Re-postings from Working for Change (USA) 2. Son blames camera in merchant's slaying (USA) 1. Working for Change http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?ItemId=13257 Surveillance cameras are watching you in the name of the "war on terrorism" By Bill Berkowitz WorkingForChange 05.03.02 A) Surf and surveillance It's a different kind of heat that drives Southern Californians to the beaches in droves. Soon, however, they won't only be experiencing the sun and surf: In late April, the Washington Post reported that several Southern California beaches would soon be coming under 24/7 surveillance by 360-degree-view cameras. The Post reports that Los Angeles County is using a federal grant of $557,000 -- which comes from a Clinton-era program called Technology Opportunities, aimed at using the Internet for the public good, to "install 27 panoramic, wide-angle cameras along 72 miles of coastline over the next year." This will allow "lifeguard monitors at the Fire Department" (they're in charge of L.A. beaches) to, among other things, be able to make sure they have adequate staffing at secluded locations. The monitors will also send the images to Web sites, where the public will be able to check weather, beach, crowd and parking conditions via still images that will be updated every five minutes. Are the camera placements just another handy tool for lifeguards and would-be vacationers? Or is it another example of the creeping assault on the peoples right to privacy. Los Angeles County spokespersons contend that its a win-win situation for the public and it has more to do with public service than scrutinizing sun-worshippers. The Washington Post: The cameras do not record, officials say, at least not yet. Private areas of the beach, like homes and restrooms, will be blacked out. The cameras will be fixed in place typically, atop the lifeguard tower, maybe two stories high, and unable to zoom. Images of people will be blurry, and even gender will be difficult to decipher (unlike the planned Washington D.C. surveillance system, which would be able to distinguish individuals). And the county promises to place signs warning beachgoers of the presence of cameras. "It concerns me," Elizabeth Schroeder, associate director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, told the Post. "I can understand why the city thinks it will be a public benefit. But there are serious problems with having public spaces widely covered by cameras, and putting the public under surveillance." Schroeder called it "function creep." The cameras are not recording at this time, but what about the future? "We know that once the technology is in place, it's not going to be very difficult to upgrade these cameras to have far greater capability," she says. "Having someone else pay to upgrade the cameras is a lot less money, and it may be picked up by another government agency that sees a crime-fighting benefit." B) Armey's inquiry into face recognition technology Surveillance technology research by government agencies has been going on for decades. In mid-April, the Washington Times reported that Government agencies have spent more than $50 million during the past five years developing camera surveillance technology, and proposed federal spending on such systems has increased since September 11, according to a recent report released by the General Accounting Office [GAO]. At the request of House Majority Leader Dick Armey, (R-Texas), the GAO surveyed 35 agencies and found that "17 reported obligating $51 million to [red-light, photo radar and biometric camera surveillance] as of June 2001, with the largest amount reported for facial recognition technology." According to the report, "Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, federal interest in facial recognition technology as a security measure appears to have increased." The report found that the development of facial recognition technology was not a new project, the first funding requests for photo-radar cameras came from the Navy in 1974. But no one seems to recall why the Navy wanted the devices or what they planned to do with them. The report also found that the Defense and Justice departments have spent more money than the other agencies combined on facial recognition since 1997. Katie Corrigan, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, said part of the reason the government has not fully committed to using facial recognition is that "the technology is ineffective and fallible. Several government studies have found, including a National Institute for Standards in Technology [report], that the technology has a high number of false negatives" She said that its study found that after faces were inserted into a database for 18 months, 43 percent of all scans turned up false negatives. Rep. Armey said that, "his goal in requesting the report was to spark public debate on the growth of government surveillance and the erosion of civil liberties Americans take for granted." I do not think I have ever agreed with Dick Armey. The "war on terrorism" is making for some strange bedfellows! 2. Son blames camera in merchant's slaying; Court ordered surveillance at S.F. liquor store http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/05/10/BA96892.DTL Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer Friday, May 10, 2002 San Francisco -- San Francisco police are investigating the possibility that a masked gunman killed a liquor store owner Thursday because of a court-ordered surveillance system he installed last month outside the Bayview District store. Ribhi "Sam" Hussein, 60, was shot to death at 10:30 a.m. as he tended counter at the store he owned for 15 years at Third Street and Newcomb Avenue. Last month, a court spared Hussein's Third Street Liquors from being closed as a public nuisance because of alleged drug activity there, but ordered Hussein to pay a $30,000 fine and install surveillance cameras outside. Monday morning, a man was shot and wounded outside the store, and police seized the store's tape. Now, police are investigating whether Hussein's killing may have been in retaliation for handing over the tape. "This is all because they forced us to put the cameras outside," said Hussein's son, Hasan, who added that nothing had been taken from the store. "This shooting had everything to do with the Police Department and the city attorney." Hussein's attorney, George Walker, said the settlement with the city that kept the store open "invited danger, invited death." "We violently opposed them becoming informants related to activities around the store," Walker said. "We basically predicted that this would force the people out on the street to become violent against our client." Police said they were also investigating events about two hours before the shooting, when Hussein kicked an unruly drug addict out of his store. She promised revenge, police say. The problem now is to sort out the possible motives, Inspector Armand Gordon said. "We're hoping that anyone with information will contact the homicide detail." 1. face recognition software (England) 2. students strike against video surveillance (Luxembourg) 3. National Bank installs new digital surveillance (New Zealand) 1.. face recognition software http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/content.cfm?story=339959 Spy system will identify criminals CRIMINALS are running out of places to hide in Tameside. The borough is one of the first in the country to install new CCTV software which can instantly recognise the faces of wanted villains. The L30,000 system, launched yesterday, is capable of holding up to 10,000 photographs of people whom the police want to trace. It is linked to 42 existing spy cameras, which are positioned at strategic locations across Tameside and monitored by a central control room run by the council. Chief Inspector David Bleackley, of Stalybridge Police, said the system will be updated at least once a week to target specific individuals. He said: "These people may be known criminals who are wanted for questioning about a particular offence or unknown people who have been caught on security cameras committing a particular crime." The software will also be used to help police keep on the look-out for missing people. Mr Blackley said: "Only recently we ploughed a lot of resources into looking for a 16-year-old girl who was missing from home. "As it happens, we later learned she had spent much of her time in Ashton town centre and would have probably been quickly picked up by this system had it been running at the time. It is fantastic. "The council is committed to helping us in a number of ways and we are very pleased they have been so keen to introduce the facial recognition software." Detection increase Tameside council leader Roy Oldham said the system was another means of tackling crime and disorder in Tameside, which has recently been the centre of a string of murders and serious crimes. It has already been tested in Newham, London, where it was credited for a fall in crime and increase in detections. Coun Oldham said: "We can't have a situation where people, particularly the elderly, have a curfew imposed on them because they don't feel safe to go out at night. The fight against crime is one of four main areas of focus for the council. "We have a good working partnership with the police and this new CCTV software is a further step to help the police act on and cut down crime." The facial recognition software will be used by trained CCTV operators but only the police will have access to the details of people programmed into the system. Tameside council community safety officer Mike Rhodes said: "If the system recognises a person a code will flash on to the screen which the operators will then pass on to the police. It is then up to the police to decide what level of response they should give to the information." 2. European school pupils against surveillance http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?selected_topic=9&action=view&article_id=62 37 13.05.2002 Students say no to surveillance at Europe school in Luxembourg. (Photo: Notat) A strike broke out at the European school in Luxembourg on Friday. Students held the spontaneous up-rising as a protest against plans to heighten the fence around the school and to erect surveillance cameras. The director of the school, Jacques Descamps, said that discussions to raise the existing wall to a height of 1,80 meters had been going on for years. It was only after the September 11 terrorists attacks in New York that the go-ahead was given. The wall will be designed not only to protect the students but also to save the expensive school buildings from damage by outsiders. The director, whom the strike took by surprise, insisted that although this had been discussed with the students it was very difficult to ensure that the information was filtered down to each pupil in a school where eleven languages are spoken. The students themselves fear that the raised wall and the possibility of surveillance cameras which have yet to be approved will give the school a prison atmosphere. They feel that pupils will not be protected from the outside world through isolation but rather through responsible education. Written by Honor Mahony Edited by Lisbeth Kirk 3. National Bank installs new digital surveillance http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/0,1008,1198066a1896,FF.html THURSDAY, 16 MAY 2002 National Bank installs new digital surveillance 13 May 2002 By HEATHER WRIGHT Criminals and fraudsters beware: a new digital surveillance system being installed by National Bank will provide crisp, clear images of you. The system is being installed at branches and ATMs throughout New Zealand in a deal potentially worth seven figures for Auckland company Guardall New Zealand. The March Networks Digital Video Recorders provide high-quality colour images and more images per second than standard analogue video security systems. National Bank, which has 153 branches throughout New Zealand plus 15 corporate offices, trialled the product early last year. Rollout has begun, though the locations are not being revealed for security reasons. The March systems capture one, four or eight frames-a-second with images archived on the hard drive. The system connects into Internet Protocol networks to allow centralised management of multiple sites, reducing support issues. The systems manager can view action as it happens or call up events later. Each bank location is understood to be installing about eight cameras. John Chisholm, Guardall New Zealand chief executive, says the March systems have advanced search capabilities, allowing quick searching of events rather than requiring the watching of large amounts of video footage, and allow customers to specify events -- such as doors being opened or transactions being started at an ATM, which will trigger recording. Charles O'Donnell, National Bank senior security adviser for financial crime and security, says National Bank has selected the March product as its standard for digital video recording. Guardall New Zealand customers already using the March DVR systems include a telecommunications provider and a large fishing/seafood business. The services are being trialled by a public transport operator, using a wireless local area network, and a pharmacy chain. X-From_: info@notbored.org Mon Jun 3 13:03:48 2002 X-Sender: notbored@popserver.panix.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2002 12:56:22 -0500 To: info@notbored.org From: SCP-New YorkSubject: news about cameras 1. military use of video surveillance cameras (USA) 2. face recognition cameras in NYC (USA) 3. face recognition cameras in Palm Beach (USA) 1. A Rolling Robo-Spy The Dragon Runner vehicle has a forward-mounted video camera and sensors on the front and sides to allow Marines to safely assess dangerous urban situations, such as determining what's around a building's corner. (ABCNEWS.com) A Rolling Robo-Spy Unmanned Spy Vehicle May Help Marines in Future Urban Combat http://media.abcnews.com/media/SciTech/images/abc_dragon_runner_020523_nh.jpg By Paul Eng May 24 High-flying, unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) have helped soldiers spot and fight terrorists in Afghanistan's hilly terrain. But some military planners believe that UAVs won't be as useful in future battles especially those that will take place in urban landscapes and buildings. In such confined spaces, soldiers would be more concerned with more immediate dangers such as threats around the next corner, as well as what's behind the building across the street. So instead of high-flying UAVs, many researchers and military planners have been thinking more down to earth. Enter the Dragon Runner. Designed by the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab in Quantico, Va., the Dragon Runner is a flat, remote-controlled dune buggy that resembles the type of toy found at many hobby shops. Just like a UAV, the mini-buggy contains radio gear and a camera that allows a soldier to wirelessly control the vehicle and spy out suspicious areas >from safe distances. Video Game Controls But since the Marines designed the remote-controlled buggy specifically for urban combat situations, the Dragon Runner is unique from other robo-vehicles. Built by a team of researchers from the Naval Research Laboratory and Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute, Dragon Runner contains software that makes it extremely easy to operate. According to Major Greg Heines, a Marine attached to the Warfighting Lab project, the remote control unit for Dragon Runner resembles those found on most handheld video game systems. "Most of the 18- and 19-year old Marines will pick up [how to drive it] in a few minutes," he says. "Heck, I'm almost 40 and I have no problems." Toss 'n' Go or Sit 'n' Watch Another interesting feature: The Dragon Runner has a flexible handle at the back that allows the nine pound robot to be thrown through a window, over a wall or up a flight of stairs. But its shape broad and flat with big bouncy wheels at the four corners will almost always force the vehicle to land with all its wheels on the ground. Software and sensors inside the vehicle determine which way is "up" and "flip" the video signals from the camera so a soldier always see a properly oriented picture. The robot also automatically adjusts the controls so that when a soldier pushes "forward" on the control, it knows which way to go. And the Dragon Runner is fast, rugged and mobile. Heines says in tests, the prototype's electric motors can zip along at about 20 miles per hour up to a range of 500 meters. "It's been dropped from two stories up, it's been tossed up stairs, it's hopped [sidewalk] curbs This thing is a kick," says Heines. While the Dragon Runner was designed primarily as a mobile scout, Heines says the robot can also act like a "guard dragon." Sensors in the front and sides of the device can detect motion up to 30 feet away. "When it detects movement, the handheld control will vibrate like a cell phone and a female voice will alert the Marine of an intruder," says Heines. Trial by Simulated Fire Heines also notes that an entire Dragon Runner system including the remote control and video monitors weighs about 16 pounds and can fit entirely within a Marine's backpack. And since the robot is built from commonly available parts and technology, an entire Dragon Runner setup would "cost less than $3,000" once the systems are mass produced. The Dragon Runner has been in development for more than a year but will undergo field-testing at Millennium Challenge 2002, a military exercise involving all the branches of the armed forces. At those maneuvers, to be held in August in California, Heines says the Warfighting Lab hopes to equip a regular Marine unit with Dragon Runners and see how well soldiers and machines perform in a stressful urban warfare simulation. If the trials are a success and approval is given, Heines says the Marines Corps hopes to equip every squad of Marines with one Dragon Runner within a year or two. 2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-1761634,00.html New Surveillance Set Up At Statue Saturday May 25, 2002 7:50 PM NEW YORK (AP) - As visitors to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island board a ferry from Manhattan, a new surveillance system is taking their pictures and comparing them to a database of terror suspects compiled by the federal government. The system was installed just ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, days after the FBI said it had received uncorroborated information that terrorists had threatened New York and some of its landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty. ``We're going to look at the facial recognition technology to see if it can be expanded for use in other parts of the city,'' Gov. George Pataki said on Saturday during a visit to the statue with his family. ``People are still coming to New York City, to the Statue of Liberty, from around our country and around our world because they appreciate that this is a secure, safe and free city,'' he said. The facial recognition technology, provided by Visionics, of Jersey City, N.J., already is used in some airports and government buildings. Mustafa Koita, a manager for Visionics, said the system searches 1 million images per second. ``It has not slowed any of the foot traffic and I think people feel a little safer, too,'' Koita said. Several cameras at varying heights snapped tourists' photographs just before they walked through a security checkpoint to board a ferry to the statue and Ellis Island, both operated by the National Park Service. Koita said the cameras were positioned so it would be difficult for people to look away or hide their faces. The system was received with enthusiasm by tourists waiting in line on Saturday. ``I think it's great. It's a good safety precaution that is definitely necessary,'' said Joe Scali, 57, of North Haven, Conn. Surrounded in the ferry terminal by signs warning that facial recognition cameras were in use, Dave Miller, of Madison, Ala., accepted the increased security as part of post-Sept. 11 life in the United States. ``I've got nothing to hide, and neither should anyone else,'' said Miller, 49. ``Life changed on Sept. 11, and we're going to have to give up some freedoms so that we can continue to have freedoms.'' But the American Civil Liberties Union criticized the system, calling it ``ineffective'' and ``an insult to the American people.'' ``To have such a system in place near the Statue of Liberty ... is both ironic and disheartening,'' said Barry Steinhardt, director of the group's Technology and Liberty Program, said in a statement on the group's Web site. ^--- On the Net: ACLU: http://www.aclu.org National Park Service: http://www.nps.gov Visionics: http://www.visionics.com 3. Airport Face Scanner Failed By Julia Scheeres 2:00 a.m. May 16, 2002 PDT Facial recognition technology tested at the Palm Beach International Airport had a dismal failure rate, according to preliminary results from a pilot program at the facility. The system failed to correctly identify airport employees 53 percent of the time, according to test data that was obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union under Florida's open records law. "The preliminary results at the Palm Beach International Airport confirm that the use of facial recognition technology is simply ineffective and of no value," said Randall Marshall, legal director of the state ACLU chapter. The manufacturer of the system, Visionics, said the results were poor because their product was not used correctly. Ever since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, face scanning technology has been touted by manufacturers as the perfect device for recognizing terrorists in airports. In theory, the systems use surveillance cameras to scan crowds for bad guys and sound an alarm when a match is made between a live person and the system's database of known criminals. The Palm Beach airport tried Visionics' FaceIt system, which snaps photographs of passersby using a security camera and breaks down their facial features into a numeric code that is matched against the photograph database. The month-long test compared 15 employees against a database containing the mug shots of 250 airport workers, said airport spokeswoman Lisa De La Rionda, who declined to comment on the quality of the system. "They never made promises to us about how successful the system would be," she said, stressing that it was tested free of charge. But the ACLU said the study was done under optimal conditions and still exhibited fatal flaws. Out of 958 attempts to match the 15 test employees' faces to the database, the system succeeded only 455 times. The Tampa police department has also been testing the FaceIt system over the last six months, and the technology has yet to make a match with a database of known criminals. "The system could be serving as a deterrent for criminal activity... we still believe in its potential for law enforcement," said police department spokeswoman Katie Hughes. The airport trial found that the photographs included in the database had to be good quality to avoid false alarms and ensure successful matches. Head motion, indirect lighting, sunglasses and eyeglasses also flummoxed the system. The finicky nature of the software was previously documented by Internet privacy and security consultant Richard Smith. Last fall, Smith analyzed the FaceIt software and found a 50 percent failure rate as he adjusted for variables such as face angle and hats. "If you adjusted everything just right you could get OK results," he said. Visionics, whose face scanning systems are being tested at four U.S.airports, bristled at the ACLU's conclusions. "The decision makers will not be reading a report from the ACLU, they'll be looking at the real data," said Visionics spokesman Meir Kaahtan. He said that similar tests at the Dallas-Fort Worth and Boston Logan airports showed a 90 percent success rate and insisted that the poor results at the Palm Beach International airport were due to incorrect lighting. Results for the other pilot programs were not immediately available. http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,52563,00.html X-From_: info@notbored.org Tue Jun 11 17:22:42 2002 X-Sender: notbored@popserver.panix.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 17:29:14 -0500 To: info@notbored.org From: SCP-New YorkSubject: news about surveillance cameras Status: RO X-Status: 1. yet another insult to the American people (USA) 2. CCTV abuse in England (UK) 3. mobile surveillance vans (Wales) 1. yet another insult to the American people http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/414447p-3298271c.html Face scans check visitors at Lady Liberty, Ellis Island Copyright 2002 AP Online By SARA KUGLER, Associated Press NEW YORK (May 25, 2002 10:06 p.m. EDT) - As visitors to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island board a ferry from Manhattan, a new surveillance system is taking their pictures and comparing them to a database of terror suspects compiled by the federal government. The system was installed just ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, days after the FBI said it had received uncorroborated information that terrorists had threatened New York and some of its landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty. "We're going to look at the facial recognition technology to see if it can be expanded for use in other parts of the city," Gov. George Pataki said on Saturday during a visit to the statue with his family. "People are still coming to New York City, to the Statue of Liberty, from around our country and around our world because they appreciate that this is a secure, safe and free city," he said. The facial recognition technology, provided by Visionics, of Jersey City, N.J., already is used in some airports and government buildings. Mustafa Koita, a manager for Visionics, said the system searches 1 million images per second. "It has not slowed any of the foot traffic and I think people feel a little safer, too," Koita said. Several cameras at varying heights snapped tourists' photographs just before they walked through a security checkpoint to board a ferry to the statue and Ellis Island, both operated by the National Park Service. Koita said the cameras were positioned so it would be difficult for people to look away or hide their faces. The system was received with enthusiasm by tourists waiting in line on Saturday. "I think it's great. It's a good safety precaution that is definitely necessary," said Joe Scali, 57, of North Haven, Conn. Surrounded in the ferry terminal by signs warning that facial recognition cameras were in use, Dave Miller, of Madison, Ala., accepted the increased security as part of post-Sept. 11 life in the United States. "I've got nothing to hide, and neither should anyone else," said Miller, 49. "Life changed on Sept. 11, and we're going to have to give up some freedoms so that we can continue to have freedoms." But the American Civil Liberties Union criticized the system, calling it "ineffective" and "an insult to the American people." "To have such a system in place near the Statue of Liberty ... is both ironic and disheartening," said Barry Steinhardt, director of the group's Technology and Liberty Program, said in a statement on the group's Web site. 2. CCTV abuse in England http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/page.cfm?objectid=119 30219&method=full&siteid=50002 Naked mum spy shock Jun 6 2002 By Phil Banner, Evening Mail An angry mum says she had been filmed naked in her bedroom by a Big Brother-style crime camera sited just yards from her home. Sarah Hendry thought she would be safe from burglars when council officials put up the cameras outside her house. But Sarah, 24, revealed today:"I was horrified when I discovered that the camera had been filming me for weeks. I feel like I'm on the Big Brother TV show - without my permission. "I'm so upset that I have now closed my curtains in my living room and bedroom and will be keeping them shut day and night until it is taken down." Sarah, a credit controller, who has a seven week-old daughter Charlie, said she had moved into the first floor council maisonette on the Wyrley Birch estate, Erdington, in January. "About two months ago the council put up a CCTV camera just ten metres from my home," she said. She added: "I was worried it might be able to film me in my home but when I went along to the local housing office to inquire, I was told that this was not possible because the camera would reflect off the window glass." However, Sarah became increasingly concerned about the camera and visited nearby Black Rock Tower on the estate. She was allowed in by a security man and allowed to see images the camera was transmitting to a control room. "I was shocked and angry when I saw it was filming right inside my home and my neighbours' homes," she declared. "It must have been filming me when I was naked and in my underwear in my bedroom. Anyone in the control room would clearly have been able to see the pictures." Sarah is now demanding that the council take down all the offending cameras on the estate. "I know my neighbour, whose home I have never been into, was taken aback when I was able to tell him what colour his sofa is because I had seen it on security film." A council spokeswoman said the installation of the CCTV cameras and the additional security of a concierge scheme was in direct response to residents' concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour. "The installation and operation of CCTV cameras is covered by guidelines set by the Data Protection Agency and the Home Office guidelines," she said. "The concierge staff and out of hours security staff who monitor the images on camera operate under these guidelines, which specifically prohibit any infringements of residents' privacy." 3. mobile surveillance vans http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/wales/newsid_2029000/2029995.stm Friday, 7 June, 2002, 05:55 GMT 06:55 UK CCTV cameras on the move CCTV cameras are widely used in town centres Would-be offenders intent on causing havoc in rural areas could find themselves starring in their own videos. North Wales Police have bought a mobile CCTV van costing more than L130,000 to use in areas of Denbighshire and Conwy. If we can prevent youths progressing from anti-social behaviour, in theory, we will prevent people from moving on to other crimes in the future Chief Inspector Mike Mullis Chief Inspector Mike Mullis believes the "big brother" tactic will help in the fight against crime. "We see this as a positive step in combatting the causes of burglary and anti-social behaviour within the counties of Denbighshire and Conwy," he said. Mr Mullis added: "It will also help reduce the fear of crime to people in less populated areas. "We view anti-social behaviour as the kindergarden of crime. North Wales Police launched the mobile scheme "If we can prevent youths progressing from anti-social behaviour, in theory, we will prevent people from moving on to other crimes in the future." Last year the government launched a L3m crackdown on crime in Wales by unveiling new CCTV cameras. A total of 16 schemes were set up to target crime hot spots such as high street shopping centres, public transport networks and car parks, and hospital sites. The CCTV mobile van is being introduced in north Wales after it proved successful over the border in Merseyside. Useful tool Statistics suggest the use of the vehicle has had a major impact in the reduction of crime. It will primarily be used to target crime hot-spots in the two counties for up to 14 hours per-day. The van and equipment has been financed by Denbighshire and Conwy Community Safety Partnerships. The organisation's chairman Charles Phillips has praised the initiative. "The mobile CCTV van is seen as a very useful tool in helping to reduce anti-social behaviour problems," he said. X-From_: info@notbored.org Fri Jun 14 17:19:40 2002 X-Sender: notbored@popserver.panix.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 17:26:16 -0500 To: info@notbored.org From: SCP-New YorkSubject: cameras in the news 1. military idiots (USA, where else?) 2. military idiots (version 2) 3. EFF on face recognition software (SF, USA) 1. military idiots http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,736462,00.html Now showing on satellite TV: secret American spy photos Security lapse allows viewers to see sensitive operations Duncan Campbell Thursday June 13, 2002 The Guardian European satellite TV viewers can watch live broadcasts of peacekeeping and anti-terrorist operations being conducted by US spyplanes over the Balkans. Normally secret video links from the American spies-in-the-sky have a serious security problem - a problem that make it easier for terrorists to tune in to live video of US intelligence activity than to get Disney cartoons or new-release movies. For more than six months live pictures from manned spy aircraft and drones have been broadcast through a satellite over Brazil. The satellite, Telstar 11, is a commercial TV relay. The US spyplane broadcasts are not encrypted, meaning that anyone in the region with a normal satellite TV receiver can watch surveillance operations as they happen. The satellite feeds have also been connected to the internet, potentially allowing the missions to be watched from around the globe. Viewers who tuned in to the unintended attraction on Tuesday could watch a sudden security alert around the US army's Kosovan headquarters, Camp Bondsteel in Urosevac. The camp was visited last summer by President Bush and his defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. A week earlier the spyplane had provided airborne cover for a heavily protected patrol of the Macedonian-Kosovan border, near Skopje. A group of apparently high-ranking visitors were accompanied by six armoured personnel carriers and a helicopter gunship. Nato officials, whose forces in former Yugoslavia depend on the US missions for intelligence, at first expressed disbelief at the reports. After inquiring, a Nato spokesman confirmed: "We're aware that this imagery is put on a communications satellite. The distribution of this material is handled by the United States and we're content that they're following appropriate levels of security." This lapse in US security was discovered last year by a British engineer and satellite enthusiast, John Locker, who specialises in tracking commercial satellite services. Early in November 2001 he routinely logged the new channels. "I thought that the US had made a deadly error," he said. "My first thought was that they were sending their spyplane pictures through the wrong satellite by mistake, and broadcasting secret information across Europe." He tried repeatedly to warn British, Nato and US officials about the leak. But his warnings were set aside. One officer wrote back to tell him that the problem was a "known hardware limitation". The flights, conducted by US army and navy units and AirScan Inc, a Florida-based private military company, are used to monitor terrorists and smugglers trying to cross borders, to track down arms caches, and to keep watch on suspect premises. The aircraft are equipped to watch at night, using infrared. "We seem to be transmitting this information potentially straight to our enemies," said one US military intelligence official who was alerted to the leak, adding: "I would be worried that using this information, the people we are tracking will see what we are looking at and, much more worryingly, what we are not looking at. "This could let people see where our forces are and what they're doing. That's putting our boys at risk." Former SAS officer Adrian Weale, who served in Northern Ireland, told BBC Newsnight last night: "I think I'd be extremely irritated to find that the planning and hard work that had gone into mounting an operation against, for instance, a war crime suspect or gun runner was being compromised by the release of this information in the form that it's going out in." Duncan Campbell is a freelance investigative journalist and a member of >the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, and not the Guardian correspondent of the same name Useful link publicintegrity.org http://www.publicintegrity.org/ 2. military idiots (version 2) http://www.public-i.org/dtaweb/report.asp?ReportID=189&L1=10&L2=10&L3=0&L4=0 &L5=0 Special Report War On Error: Live Pictures Taken by U.S. Planes Were Freely Available By Duncan Campbell (LONDON, June 12, 2002) -- The war on terrorism in Europe is being undermined by a military communications system that makes it easier for terrorists to tune in to live video of U.S. intelligence operations than to watch Disney cartoons or new-release movies. For more than six months, live pictures from U.S. aerial spy missions have been broadcast in real time to viewers throughout Europe and the Balkans. The broadcasts are not encrypted, meaning that anyone in the region with a normal satellite TV receiver can spy on U.S. surveillance operations as they happen. NATO, whose forces in former Yugoslavia depend on the U.S. missions for intelligence, first expressed disbelief. After inquiring, a NATO spokesman confirmed that "we're aware that this imagery is put on a communications satellite ... The distribution of this material is handled by the United States and we're content that they're following appropriate levels of security." The Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment. A British engineer who first discovered the security lapse has repeatedly warned the U.S. Defense Department, European command and naval headquarters and U.S. military field units. But his warnings were set aside. One officer wrote back to tell him that the problem was a "known hardware limitation." The military "chain of command is aware of the issue," the engineer was told, according to a copy of the response seen by ICIJ. "We appreciate your interest in persuing (sic) this matter," he was told. Five months later, the spy plane observations were still being broadcast to Europe. The spy flights, conducted by U.S. Army and Navy units and AirScan Inc., a Florida-based private military company, are used to monitor terrorists and smugglers trying to cross borders, to track down arms caches, and to keep watch on suspect premises. Both manned and unmanned aircraft are used to provide close up pictures, which can be taken from more than two miles away. The aircraft are equipped to watch at night, using infrared, and some are equipped to see through clouds using radar. Live pictures from the spy planes have been transmitted over the Internet by satellite enthusiasts, and can be received anywhere in the world with an Internet connection. "We seem to be transmitting this information potentially straight to our enemies," according to one U.S. military intelligence official who was alerted to the leak. "I would be worried that using this information, the people we are tracking will see what we are looking at and, much more worryingly, what we are not looking at," the intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, added. "This could let people see where our forces are and what they're doing. That's putting our boys at risk." Former British special forces officer Adrian Weale, who served in Northern Ireland, told the BBC, "I think I'd be extremely irritated to find that the planning and hard work that had gone into mounting an operation against, for instance, a war crime suspect or gun runner was being compromised by the release of this information in the form that it's going out in." "It's very difficult to find these people, he added. "We may only get one shot at doing it. We don't want to blow it simply because we're giving away too much information through these means." Terrorist groups, criminal organizations and elements hostile to the NATO Stabilization Force in Bosnia (SFOR) are known to be active in the region and to use electronic monitoring to counter and defeat U.S. and NATO operations. Al Qaeda members and cells planning terrorist attacks on the United States also have been active in Bosnia. SFOR raided the Sarajevo office of the Saudi High Commissioner for Aid to Bosnia last fall and found computer files containing photographs of terrorist targets and street maps of Washington with government buildings marked. The material included photos of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the U.S.S. Cole and the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, both before and after they were bombed. The raid coincided with the arrests of five Algerian-born men formerly employed by Arab humanitarian agencies operating in Bosnia. U.S. authorities say that they have evidence implicating the suspects in planned post-Sept. 11 attacks on Western targets. They are being held at Camp X-ray in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. According to an Associated Press report, the SFOR raid mounted in October 2001 also found a computer program explaining how to use crop duster aircraft to spread pesticide, and material needed to forge U.S. State Department identification badges. Two weeks ago, SFOR inspected two Bosnian Serb military radar sites and found "suspicious" monitoring equipment that appeared to be used to monitor NATO communications. An SFOR spokesman said that "a passive monitoring effort ... was underway." Eight days later, on May 28, SFOR raided the headquarters of the Bosnian Serb Air Force and seized computers and "a large number of documents" for analysis. SFOR's commander, U.S. General John Sylvester, has ordered the Serbian air force grounded and its commander suspended. On Feb. 28, 2002, SFOR mounted a massive military search operation near Celebici, in the Bosnian Serbian republic, in an attempt to seize accused war criminal Radovan Karadzic. The former Bosnian Serb political leader is wanted by the international criminal tribunal in the Hague, Netherlands, on charges of perpetrating the Srebrenica massacre, in which 8,000 Bosnian men and boys were slaughtered. The Bosnian Serb monitoring stations are illegal under the terms of the Dayton peace accord. Asked if they might have been used to help Karadzic elude capture, SFOR spokesman Scott Lundy said that the sites uncovered last month might not have had "the capability required to monitor things such as the raids in Celebici." But any Bosnian Serb sympathizer equipped with a satellite receiver could have monitored any U.S. and SFOR spy flights supporting the capture operations and warned the fugitive where the spy planes were looking. Although no direct evidence has emerged that Serbian or Albanian guerrillas have started using the compromised satellite links to counter operations of the Kosovo Stabilization Force (KFOR), it would be within their capabilities. According to a recently serving KFOR communications officer, "The Albanian guerrilla groups are not pleasant people. They make sure they are ahead of us all the time. They are sophisticated. They use radio scanners to monitor our communications. So when we get to an arms dump, it's often empty." 'A deadly error' is ignored This lapse in U.S. security was discovered six months ago by a British engineer and satellite enthusiast, John Locker, who specializes in tracking commercial satellite services. Early in November 2001, he routinely logged that six new channels had appeared on the Telstar 11 commercial relay satellite, stationed over Brazil. Telstar 11 distributes TV and radio broadcasts to Europe and North America. It is operated by Loral Skynet, a division of the Loral Corporation. The six new channels included two CNN broadcasts intended for U.S. forces and four live links from spy planes, both manned and unmanned. "I thought that the U.S. had made a deadly error," Locker told ICIJ. "My first thought was that they were sending their spy plane pictures through the wrong satellite by mistake, and broadcasting secret information across Europe." Or, he guessed, they might have failed to turn on their coding systems. Within a day, live transmissions on these channels showed directly where the spy planes were and what they were doing as they hunted for arms smugglers and drug traffickers operating in Bosnia and across Kosovo's porous borders with neighboring Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro. Not only are the planes transmitting exactly what they and military commanders are seeing, they also transmit the exact coordinates of what they are seeing, giving a position "fix" on their current target accurate to better than one meter. The position information is coded using the UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) system, which could rapidly be converted into target data for guided weapons. A few days after Locker found the new channels, references to the "military surveillance" channels being broadcast from the Telstar 11 satellite were published on the Internet, providing both satellite enthusiasts and anti-U.S. groups the essential "where to look" information. Locker said he then made "dozens" of phone calls and sent e-mail warnings to the U.S. Defense Department and other military commands. The State Department referred his calls to the U.S. European Command. A U.S. European Command spokesman first told him, "we are at war, you know," according to Locker. Then he added, "Let me ask you, do you know the difference between information and intelligence? ... What you are seeing is information." According to Defense Department guidelines, real-time aerial imagery from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is classified "Secret." Astonished that U.S. authorities were continuing to disregard the breach of their own and NATO security, Locker described what was happening in a magazine for satellite enthusiasts, What Satellite TV, in May 2002. The magazine has subscribers around the world. Even after senior NATO, U.S. and British military figures were made aware of the magazine article, nothing was done to prevent open reception of the spy plane transmissions. In an interview for BBC television set to air June 12th, Locker described his frustration at finding his warnings completely ignored. The same Telstar satellite also carries Polish radio and television, NTV and British radio broadcasts to troops overseas. All these broadcasts are encrypted to prevent unauthorized reception. But the live products of the latest U.S. surveillance equipment, deployed in the front line of the war against terrorism and important peacekeeping operations, is freely available for all to see. 3. Biometrics, Surveillance, National ID Threats to Privacy Electronic Frontier Foundation Releases Reports Electronic Frontier Foundation Media Release For Immediate Release: Thursday, June 13, 2002 San Francisco - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) today released a series of reports on the shortcomings of large-scale civilian biometrics systems, the invasive nature of public surveillance, and the inherent dangers of a national identification system. After September 11, the U.S. government enacted sweeping legislation that diminished privacy rights in the name of domestic security. In response to bills like the USA Patriot Act, the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act, and the proposed Driver's License Modernization Act, EFF is providing the public with factual data on these laws and the technologies they employ. "High-tech systems are not a quick fix for terrorism," said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Lee Tien. "For the most part, these technologies are dangerously unreliable, and even the best of them are highly invasive." "Governments justify overreaching surveillance on vulnerable targets such as aliens and dissenters, then inevitably try to extend its use to the rest of society," Tien added. The EFF "Biometrics," "National ID System," and "Surveillance Monitor" documents describe in detail the technologies being deployed by the U.S. and other governments in an effort to tighten security. The reports provide an overview of the technologies and a comprehensive analysis of the privacy concerns they raise. EFF also recently released an updated version of "EFF's Top 12 Ways to Protect Your Online Privacy," a detailed account of the best methods of maintaining one's privacy on the Internet, including use of encryption and cookie management software. Links: For this release: http://www.eff.org/Privacy/20020613_eff_privacy_pr.html EFF's Privacy Now Campaign: http://www.eff.org/privnow/ EFF's Top 12 Ways to Protect Your Online Privacy: http://www.eff.org/Privacy/eff_privacy_top_12.html Biometrics page: http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Surveillance/biometrics.html National ID page: http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Surveillance/nationalidsystem.html Surveillance Monitor page: http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Surveillance/surveillancemonitor.html Contacts: Lee Tien Senior Staff Attorney Electronic Frontier Foundation tien@eff.org +1 415 436-9333 x102 (office), +1 510 290-7131 (cell) X-From_: info@notbored.org Tue Jul 2 23:48:55 2002 X-Sender: notbored@popserver.panix.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Tue, 2 Jul 2002 23:56:11 -0500 To: info@notbored.org From: SCP-New YorkSubject: special news! Study: 'Big Brother' Cameras Have Little Effect On Crime (two articles on same subject) http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=/ForeignBureaus/archive/20020 6/FOR20020628c.html June 28, 2002 Study: 'Big Brother' Cameras Have Little Effect On Crime By Mike Wendling CNSNews.com London Bureau Chief London - Putting closed-circuit TV cameras in public places has only a small effect on crime, according to a British report released Friday, but the U.K. government insists the police cameras dissuade criminals and make people feel safe. The study came out on the same day that police turned on a $4.5-million system blanketing the downtown area of Manchester, England's third largest city, with 400 video cameras. The report by the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NARCO) analyzed government statistics and independent reports, finding that in 14 British cities using closed circuit television, six recorded falling crime. In two others, crime actually increased. The CCTV cameras had no effect or an inconclusive effect on the rest of the cities studied. NARCO said that while the cameras have helped to solve several high-profile crimes, giving them a "common sense appeal", they often amount to a poor use of taxpayer funds. The organization said lower-tech crime-busting strategies such as improved street lighting are significantly better at reducing criminal activity. "It would be foolish to claim that well-planned CCTV can never have an impact, but the effectiveness of CCTV is often overstated," said Rachel Armitage of NARCO's crime and social policy unit. "Areas need to be appropriately policed, not remotely policed," she said. "Given the choice between walking down a dark alley monitored by CCTV or having that alley adequately lit, which would you prefer? CCTV is not a panacea." The study found that cameras had no effect on violent crime and were most effective when used to curb thefts from cars. In launching the Manchester scheme, one of the government's top justice officials refuted NARCO's findings and said the cameras give the public a feeling of safety and are cost effective. "They help the police in both apprehending people they wish to interview and all of us have seen examples over the last few weeks and months of CCTV cameras helping to apprehend such people," Home Office Minister Lord Falconer said. "They also help to secure convictions in court," he said. "In terms of providing people both with security and a sense of security, this is a good investment." Use of closed circuit television has soared in Britain over the last decade. There were about 100 police cameras in England in 1990, according to NARCO figures, but that number has steadily risen and will be at about 40,000 by the end of 2002. The cameras are nearly ubiquitous in urban shopping and entertainment districts. Despite their ever-increasing numbers, the cameras are still politically contentious in a country that was given a nightmarish vision of its own future in George Orwell's 1984. In Orwell's novel, the shadowy Big Brother uses cameras and other technology to track Londoners' movements and enforce a brutal communist regime. Police groups say privacy and data protection legislation prevents officials >from using the cameras for nefarious ends. "There are protections set down by the Home Office under which all CCTV systems operate," said Brian Young, a spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers. "There aren't many instances where people feel that Big Brother is watching them." "The general populace is largely in favor of the cameras, because they make them feel safer," he said. "They've reduced drunken, disorderly behaviour because people know they are being watched, or that they can be caught later." But civil liberties campaigners said safeguards are lacking. "Each day we are tracked by cameras and there are inadequate laws to ensure that the footage is not misused and inadequate enforcement of those laws," said Mark Littlewood, director of campaigns for Liberty. "While there may be situations where the use of CCTV has assisted in the detection of crime there is no evidence to support the argument that it prevents crime taking place," he said. "It is time for a reassessment of the worth of CCTV in terms of is cost, both financial and in terms of privacy." Cameras have little effect on curbing crime, study finds By Jimmy Burns, Social Affairs Correspondent Financial Times; Jun 29, 2002 The effectiveness of closed-circuit television schemes as crime-busting tools was attacked yesterday, just as the latest government-backed scheme was launched. Opening a 3m CCTV control centre in Manchester, Lord Falconer, Home Office minister, described as "absurd" suggestions that such cameras did not reduce crime. "The control centre will be an effective tool in tackling criminal activity and anti-social behaviour," he said. He was speaking after an independent study found that although cameras had helped to reduce car theft, they had little impact on serious or violent crime. In many areas they were less cost-effective than improved street lighting. According to the report, by the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, the biggest fall in crime linked to CCTV cameras occurred just before installation by local and government authorities, coinciding with the period when publicity was at its greatest. Local authority officials and police admit privately that CCTV cameras have little impact on well-organised criminals who are adept at identifying their location and taking evasive action. In Brixton, south London, for example, police say drug dealers trade within yards of the cameras. But some local authorities have come under pressure from residents to install CCTV cameras because of a perception that they bring increased security. This year, residents of another south London borough, Wandsworth, de- manded more investment in CCTV cameras following an escalation in robberies and a fatal stabbing. In central London and the City, local police and security officials promote CCTV cameras as part of their anti-terrorism strategy. The NACRO report, which draws on academic and unpublished surveys, suggest a chequered record for the CCTV programme encouraged by successive Conservative and Labour governments since the early 1990s as part of their crime-fighting strategy. Between 1994 and 1997, the Home Office made 38m available to fund 167 schemes with about 5,238 cameras. In its current programme 170m will be spent between 1999 and 2003, bringing 40,000 cameras into local crime prevention schemes. Local authorities match each pound of state funding. "CCTV as a crime prevention measure appears to have a life cycle. Unless publicity is maintained any initial reductions in crime can fade," the NACRO report states. X-From_: info@notbored.org Fri Jul 5 19:58:18 2002 X-Sender: notbored@popserver.panix.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 20:05:33 -0500 To: info@notbored.org From: SCP-New YorkSubject: cameras in the news 1. CCTV ineffective (Wales) 2. Video from spy satellites (USA) 3A and 3B. Face recognition software in Virgina (USA) 4. Surveillance Camera for July 4th 2002 (Washington DC USA) 1. CCTV ineffective (Wales) http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/page.cfm?objectid=11995992&met hod=full&siteid=50082 Jul 1 2002 Emma James Crime Reporter Emma.James@Wme.Co.Uk, The Western Mail THE effectiveness of CCTV cameras as a method of preventing crime is often overstated, according to a report. Research carried out by crime-reduction charity Nacro suggests that CCTV has only a limited effect in cutting crime and warns against over-investment in costly hi-tech systems at the expense of more effective measures such as adequate street lighting. However, crime-prevention organisations in Wales have defended the use of CCTV cameras in deterring would-be offenders. Experience of the use of CCTV systems to date has proved that Wales is a safer place as a result. Nacro's report, To CCTV or not to CCTV, says that between 1996 and 1998 three-quarters of the Home Office crime-prevention budget was spent on CCTV, and use of CCTV as a crime-prevention measure in England and Wales has soared from 100 cameras in 1990 to an estimated 40,000 by the end of this year. The report examines surveillance schemes that have worked and says high-profile cases like the abduction and murder of James Bulger have given CCTV a commonsense appeal. It says that while schemes in car parks can be effective in reducing car crime and some areas with cameras have seen a reduction in property crime, cameras in town centres have little impact on serious or violent crime. The report also argues that without constant publicity CCTV schemes can quickly lose their effectiveness. Rachel Armitage, of Nacro's crime and social policy unit, said, "It would be foolish to claim that well-planned CCTV can never have an impact, but the effectiveness of CCTV is often overstated. This places a big responsibility on councils and others to think through the implementation of CCTV and ensure that it is not favoured in place of cheaper and more effective measures such as adequate street lighting. CCTV is not a panacea. "Areas need to be appropriately policed, not remotely policed. Given the choice between walking down a dark alley or having that alley adequately lit, which would you prefer?" Police and community projects in Wales say CCTV is an effective method of reducing crime, providing cameras are properly maintained and monitored. In Wales, the effects can already be seen. A scheme installed at Wrexham Maelor Hospital and the surrounding area has resulted in a significant reduction in crime. Swansea and areas of North Wales have noted a large decrease in car crime because of cameras being placed in areas previously identified as vehicle-crime hotspots. Police in large towns and cities in Wales have also achieved a number of successful convictions for violence and disorder through catching criminals on security cameras, as well as identifying football hooligans during large sporting events. South Wales Police Assistant Chief Constable David Francis said, "Crime and disorder-reduction part-nerships in South Wales make significant use of CCTV in both the prevention and detection of crime. "I can cite many examples where the use of CCTV has brought excellent results and secured convictions for offences of serious violence and disorder in our towns and local communities. "CCTV is an extremely effective tool in the fight against crime and something we would not wish to be without." Rebecca Williams, of the National Neighbourhood Watch Association, said, "We do support the use of CCTV as long as it is properly monitored and maintained. It can be a deterrent for criminals and is also good for bringing criminals to justice, as with the James Bulger case." However, Ms Williams said people needed to combine CCTV with other measures, such as burglar alarms and security lighting, for effective crime prevention. 2. Video from satellites http://www.freep.com/money/tech/fave30_20020630.htm Video from U.S. spy missions easy to find on Web June 30, 2002 Center for Public Integrity www.public-i.org We've all heard about spy planes and satellite surveillance as the United States fights the war on terrorism. But in some parts of the world, the results of those efforts are available on the Web for anyone to see. A Washington group called the Center for Public Integrity will let you look in on video feeds from U.S. aerial spy missions that could have been downloaded as they were photographed. The center says because the government feeds were not encrypted, anyone in Europe with a satellite TV receiver could have eavesdropped on U.S. surveillance operations as they occurred. As a result, pictures from the spy planes have been transmitted over the Internet by satellite enthusiasts and can be received by anyone in the world with an Internet connection, presumably even terrorists. The spy flights, conducted by U.S. Army and Navy units, are used to monitor terrorists and smugglers trying to cross borders, to track down arms caches and to keep watch on suspect premises. The United States and NATO say they're working on better encryption. Meanwhile, though, some of the videos are still online -- a list is at www.public-i.org/dtaweb/report.asp?ReportID=193&L1=10&L2=10&L3=0&L4=0&L5=0 -- and, if nothing else, demonstrate the amazing detail possible through advanced aerial surveillance technology. 3A. Face recognition in Virginia http://www.cnn.com/2002/TRAVEL/NEWS/07/04/beach.surveillance.ap/index.html Virginia Beach tests facial-recognition software ACLU of Virginia: 'This is a Big Brother contraption' July 4, 2002 Posted: 9:04 AM EDT (1304 GMT) Contractor Jim Castner runs a cable into the room behind behind a wall of monitors to be used in Virginia Beach's new facial-recognition beach surveillance system. http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2002/TRAVEL/NEWS/07/04/beach.surveillance.ap/story.monitors .ap.jpg VIRGINIA BEACH, Virgina (AP) -- If you're a criminal, a runaway or a terrorist, a day at the beach here may soon be anything but that. The city will become the second in the nation -- Tampa, Florida, is the first -- to employ facial-recognition software in an effort to assist police in identifying and catching criminals and missing persons. The system is to be tested along the city's oceanfront resort strip this holiday weekend, and police hope to have it fully operational in two to three weeks. "We're adding to our ability to prevent crime and keep Virginia Beach safe," Deputy Police Chief Gregory Mullen said Wednesday. 3B. Face recognition in Virgina Virginia Beach Installs Face-Recognition Cameras http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19946-2002Jul3.html Wednesday, July 3, 2002; 3:26 PM by David McGuire Fourth of July beach-goers in Virginia Beach, Va., probably won't take much notice of the 13 cameras positioned over popular pedestrian walkways, but the cameras will notice them, automatically recording and comparing their faces to images of suspected criminals and runaways. The Virginia Beach Police Department -- which bought the "FaceIt" facial recognition system from Minneapolis-based Identix Inc. -- will test the apparatus over the July 4 weekend, and put it to daily use sometime in the next two weeks. Although the facial-recognition technology can be used with all 13 of Virginia Beach's beachfront cameras, initially only three will be hooked up to the system. Reaction from Virginia Beach citizens was mixed when city officials first pondered the idea of installing the face-recognition technology, but many citizens now support the deployment in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Virginia Beach spokeswoman Emma Inman said. "A lot of people who originally expressed concern have expressed, if not outright support, then understanding of why the police department is interested in using this system," she said. Identix President and Chief Executive Joseph Atick agreed. "The turning point where people said 'yes, you should be doing something to improve public safety' was Sept. 11." Atick and Inman also credit public outreach efforts with bolstering support for the technology. Although FaceIt has already been installed in several U.S. airports, Virginia Beach is only the second U.S. city to install the system on its public streets, Atick said. The first city to deploy the system in its downtown area -- Tampa, Fla. -- faced a deluge of criticism from public interest groups and lawmakers who object to the notion of monitoring of ordinary citizens in public places. "It's really a question of public policy," Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Policy Analyst Mihir Kshirsagar said today. "Do we want our public places to be zones of police surveillance?" But Identix claims that its technology does not identify ordinary citizens as they pass under the gaze of its surveillance cameras. FaceIt is only capable of sounding an alarm when the facial contours of a person in a crowd match those that have been scanned into an approved "watch list," according to the company. The system automatically erases the images it captures except in cases where it records a match, Atick said. Identix requires its customers to adhere to terms of use that outline how the system can be used and how watch lists may be configured. The Virginia Beach watch list initially will include about 2,500 images of people with outstanding warrants, missing persons and runaways. In addition to questioning the constitutionality of monitoring citizens in public places, many public interest groups have leveled charges that the face-recognition technology doesn't work as intended, particularly in public places where lighting and other external factors are difficult to control. Relying on information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) issued a report earlier this year saying that a FaceIt system installed at the Palm Beach, Fla., airport identified people on a watch list only about half of the time. "It's really surprising that, despite all the flaws, the city is going forward," Kshirsagar said. Atick said that the Palm Beach system was set to the lowest possible sensitivity setting to avoid false alarms and as such made fewer identifications than would a normally configured system. Critics say the software is inaccurate and an invasion of privacy. "This is a Big Brother contraption," said Kent Willis, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia. "It is a device that allows the police to take pictures of citizens who are doing nothing wrong while they're in a public place." A board made up of members of minority organizations, civic leagues and the Virginia Beach Hotel/Motel Association helped create guidelines for using the system and will conduct unannounced audits. Cams in place since '93 Gregory G. Mullen, deputy chief of the Virginia Beach Police Department, holds up one of the signs being posted to alert the public of the use of facial-recognition technology. http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2002/TRAVEL/NEWS/07/04/beach.surveillance.ap/vert.mullen.ap .jpg The city has used 10 closed-circuit TV cameras to watch the oceanfront since 1993, largely to check traffic and observe crowds. Under the new system, three additional cameras will be used to scan a four-block area and feed images to police station monitors. The software will create a "map" of 80 distinctive points on the face, such as the distance between features. The system will issue an alert if at least 14 points on a face picked up by a camera match those on a face in a database of mugshots. If an officer monitoring the computer screen decides the faces look similar, the officer will radio an officer on the street to verify the match in person and take further action. In Virginia Beach's test, the database will contain about 600 photos of people with outstanding felony warrants as well as volunteers. The database eventually will contain thousands of mugshots of people wanted for felonies and violent misdemeanors, missing persons and runaways, and people on the FBI's terrorist watch list. Advisory board member Cornell Fuller said he's confident the system contains enough safeguards to prevent abuse. "If you go to the ocean I don't think you should have an expectation of privacy," said Fuller. "You give up part of your privacy when you venture out into the public domain." Some tourists walking along the resort strip Wednesday said they think the system is a good idea. "It's for our protection. If you're not doing anything wrong, you don't have anything to worry about," said Bonnie Satterlee, 39, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 4. Surveillance Cameras in DC for 4th of July Cameras To Oversee Festivities For Fourth http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16561-2002Jul2.html Wednesday, July 3, 2002; Page A01 By David A. Fahrenthold Washington Post Staff Writer A new network of security cameras will monitor the Mall tomorrow during Independence Day festivities, the U.S. Park Police announced yesterday -- moving up by months the introduction of video surveillance. Police would not say how many cameras will watch the Mall or where they have been placed. Park Police Chief Teresa C. Chambers said that the cameras were installed over the past three weeks and that they would "see the areas that will be populated" on the holiday. "The camera can do the work of probably 20 officers," Chambers said after a news conference near the Washington Monument. Police officials said security precautions would not interfere with the festivities. The FBI warned law enforcement agencies nationwide last week that crowds assembled for July Fourth festivities could pose inviting targets for terrorists, though officials stressed they had no specific or credible threats. Just in case, FBI field offices throughout the country have worked with police in creating contingency plans for the holiday. The result is one of the most security-conscious Independence Day celebrations in memory. The most obvious sign of stepped-up security will be double rows of wooden fencing surrounding the city's monumental core. The fencing will stretch from the western side of the U.S. Capitol to the Potomac River and north to Lafayette Square. Only Third, Seventh and 14th streets will be kept open across the Mall. Visitors will enter the fenced-off sections through 24 checkpoints, where bags will be searched and some people will be scanned by officers with metal-detecting wands. Boaters will be kept 150 feet from the Potomac River shoreline between the Memorial Bridge and the 14th Street bridge. The Smithsonian Metro station will be closed because it is within the security perimeter. Even the fireworks, always under 24-hour guard, will be under tighter security this year, Park Police said. In all, 2,000 police officers from the various law enforcement agencies in the area will be on duty on the Mall. The D.C. police department also has a network of surveillance cameras, which officers will monitor from a new command center at police headquarters. Police have about a dozen of their own cameras, positioned in high-traffic areas such as Georgetown, Union Station and the Hotel Washington near the White House. The network also can tap into as many as 1,000 cameras operated by other agencies. The new Park Police cameras will transmit to a station near Hains Point. They will be turned off after tomorrow, and some or all might be taken down while their permanent use is evaluated, said Sgt. Scott Fear, a Park Police spokesman. In March, the National Park Service -- which oversees the Park Police -- told Congress of a plan to put cameras in several places around the Mall by October. The Park Service said rules for using the cameras would be developed and shared with lawmakers. But aides to Rep. Constance A. Morella (R-Md.), chairman of the House Government Reform subcommittee on the District, and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D- D.C.) said yesterday that they had not been told of the plan to use cameras tomorrow and that the Park Service had not submitted guidelines for its surveillance. "We perfectly understand the need for . . . security on July Fourth," said Robert White, a spokesman for Morella. However, he said, "any time you use electronic surveillance, you should have written policies and standards to govern [its] use." Fear said that policies had been drawn up for use of the cameras but that they could not be made public for security reasons. In May, the National Park Service set up and tested a surveillance system at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island that scanned faces in the crowd and checked them against a database of terrorism suspects, but no such use is contemplated for the Mall, Fear said. Chambers said the cameras would be used to scan the crowd, looking for suspicious activity or packages. She said some of the cameras can swivel and record for later viewing. Three of the new cameras appear to have shown up on the cornice of the Lincoln Memorial in the last two weeks -- two on the side of the Reflecting Pool, one facing west toward the Potomac. Stephen Block, of the D.C. area chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said yesterday that he had not heard about the cameras being set up for tomorrow. The ACLU has fought against the Mall cameras as well as the D.C. police surveillance. "People are going to be on the National Mall showing their affection for this country, and it's not appropriate for them to be subject to this kind of observation," Block said. Staff writers Dan Eggen and Martin Weil contributed to this report. X-From_: info@notbored.org Sun Jul 21 21:34:17 2002 X-Sender: notbored@popserver.panix.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2002 21:34:24 -0500 To: info@notbored.org From: SCP-New YorkSubject: news stories Status: RO X-Status: 1. New York Police Department joins INTERPOL (USA) 2. Israel launches spy satellite (4 short articles) (Israel) 1. New York Police Department joins INTERPOL http://www.nydailynews.com/2002-07-14/News_and_Views/Beyond_the_City/a-157461.as p NYPD Takes Terror Fight Overseas By PATRICE O'SHAUGHNESSY Daily News Staff Writer he Police Department is planning to put cops in at least five foreign countries in the most ambitious move yet in the NYPD's global approach to protecting New York City from terrorists. The department has sought cooperation from law enforcement agencies in Canada, Europe and the Middle East to post cops in cities there, in a variety of functions from fellowship programs to gathering intelligence, police sources said. The foreign assignments will be in London, Toronto, Lyon, France where Interpol is based and yet-to-be-determined cities in Israel and Germany, sources said. "Six months ago, we might not have sent anyone to Israel," said a police source. "With the new strategy, cops will be sent wherever they can be of some help." More Cities Targeted Officially, police brass would confirm only that the idea has been discussed. "This is one of the ideas that is under consideration," said Michael O'Looney, a police spokesman. But sources said the department hopes to eventually station cops in Egypt, Southeast Asia and other places that could provide information on terrorist threats, the sources added. It would also be the first time New York City police have been assigned to Interpol, the international police organization. Officials would select a veteran cop with a well-rounded rsum for each post, sources said. There may be a language requirement, depending on which country the post is in. Analysts at Police Headquarters have culled personnel records to identify cops who speak Arabic and languages such as Farsi and Urdu, dialects spoken in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which could be helpful in investigations, sources said. The plans are part of an international approach to terrorism by NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly, who was a vice president of Interpol and served as Customs Service commissioner after his first stint as the city's top cop. Kelly also appointed two new deputy commissioners with strong federal contacts and intelligence experience. Team in Place Kelly created the NYPD's counterterrorism bureau, bringing in retired Marine Lt. Gen. Frank Libutti to head it. The commissioner also widened the focus of the intelligence bureau and put David Cohen, once a top CIA operative, in charge. In the six months they have been on the job, city investigators have been sent overseas at least twice. In June, five investigators from the counterterrorism and intelligence bureaus flew to Israel to attend a seminar on prevention and detection of suicide bombers. The NYPD was the only local police agency invited by the Israeli police and military experts. Detectives on the NYPD-FBI joint terrorist task force have been involved in interrogating Abu Zabaydah, Osama Bin Laden's operations chief, since his capture during a raid in Pakistan in March. Zubaydah provided information about possible plans to target city landmarks including the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge, and the NYPD took measures to guard them with harbor and air surveillance, and armored vehicles. Original Publication Date: 7/14/02 2. Israel launches spy satellite (4 short stories) http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=171659&contrassID=3&s ubContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0 Ofek 5: Israel's eye in the sky The Ofek 5 satellite heading skyward on May 28 at Palmahim. http://grm.haaretz.co.il/hasite/images/iht_printed/P290502/tn.2905.2.1.jpg (Photo: Dudu Bachar / Yedioth ) The 300-kilogram Ofek spy satellite, launched from the Palmahim beach into a low orbit on May 28, will re-enable Israel's early-warning capabilities that had been lost when Ofek 3 died two years ago and an Ofek 4 launch failed in 1998. The color images taken by the high-powered cameras on board and transmitted to Israel's intelligence community are capable of discerning objects as small as a meter in length. Improved long-range intelligence ability is particularly important as Iran is reaching advanced stages in the development of its surface-to-surface Shihab missile and may in the future reach nuclear capability ====================================== Tuesday, July 16, 2002 Av 7, 5762 Israel Time: 19:32 (GMT+3) Analysis / An independent eye in the sky http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=169826&contrassID=3&s ubContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0 By Ze'ev Schiff Israel's independent intelligence capabilities to locate long-distance threats will be raised a notch toward the end of the week, when the advanced cameras and sensors aboard the Ofek 5 spy satellite that it successfully launched yesterday begin to operate. This capability is particularly important at a time when countries such as Iran are developing long-range missiles and unconventional weapons. Above all else what stands out in comparison to the Ofek 3 satellite, which supplied important information for a period of four years from April 1995 to the end of 1999, is Ofek 5's new camera, which was developed at El-Op and constitutes an important technological achievement for the Israeli defense industry. The satellite itself was built by Mabat and the launch rocket that sent the satellite into orbit by Malam, both of which are divisions of Israel Aircraft Industries. Not all the details of the new camera can be published, but the main advancement compared to the previous satellite's camera is in its resolution, which is considered high even in relation to cameras aboard French satellites. Improved long-range intelligence ability is particularly important as Iran is reaching advanced stages in the development of its surface-to-surface Shihab missile and may in the future reach nuclear capability. The view from above of activities in two other Arab states - Libya and Iraq - that are developing unconventional weapons capabilities is more important now. Ofek 3 gave Israel important information and although its life span was longer than expected, Israel had to find alternatives during the period it had no spy satellite in space. If Israel wishes to advance another step in the field of satellite intelligence, it must have two or three satellites orbiting in space at the same time. The successful launch of Ofek 5 illustrates Israel's unique strategic situation. On the one hand it has to deal with the difficulties of Palestinian suicide terrorism, which aims solely to indiscriminately kill as many Israeli citizens as possible. Yesterday, IDF forces had to go back to Jenin, the site of a bloody battle a few weeks ago in which 23 soldiers were killed. Mendacious claims by the international media that the IDF committed a massacre there continue to be heard. It is evident that Israel faces great difficulty in winning the limited war declared against it by the Palestinians, whose primary weapon is terrorism. On the other hand Israel has made impressive achievements in space and has strengthened its capabilities and deterrence against grave and existential threats. ====================================== Tuesday, July 16, 2002 Av 7, 5762 Israel Time: 07:31 (GMT+3) Ofek 5 systems come on line, ready to start sending images http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=170359&contrassID=3&s ubContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y By Amnon Barzilai The Ofek 5 spy satellite launched on Tuesday will start sending pictures back from space tomorrow that will be received at a ground station in Israel. The solar panels of the Ofek have started to function, collecting solar energy to activate some of the satellite's systems, and the navigation system star-tracker was also operating. A senior defense source yesterday said the successful launch of Ofek 5 has a strategic bearing on the performance of the Shavit rocket launcher. Foreign publications have said the Shavit - derived from the surface-to-surface Jericho missile - successfully tested carrying a spy satellite three times heavier than Ofek 3, indicating a vast improvement in the functioning of the Shavit. The successful launch of the spy satellite by Israel, one of four or five countries with such an independent capability, has aroused wide interest abroad. Sources in the military industries said the fact it was put in orbit without a hitch will give a significant boost to exports of satellite technology. ====================================== Tuesday, July 16, 2002 Av 7, 5762 Israel Time: 19:33 (GMT+3) Spy satellite could be used commercially http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=170962&contrassID=3&s ubContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y By Amnon Barzilai Israel Aircraft Industries, which produced the recently-launched spy satellite Ofek-5, is interested in supplying photographs taken by the satellite to defense ministries of friendly countries on a commercial-contract basis. Initial contacts on the matter have been conducted with India and Turkey, high on IAI's list of potential customers. It is estimated that commercial agreements for the photographs could bring the company tens of millions of dollars a year, but the prospect of such deals depends largely on the position taken by the Defense Ministry and IDF. Local defense experts are likely to insist that the satellite's function is to provide information exclusively to Israeli experts. Ofek-5 is due to begin transmitting its first pictures from space this afternoon. The images, which will be received by IAI's station in Yehud, will be the first color pictures produced by an Israeli-made defense satellite. Its orbit means it will focus on high-intensity, high-resolution photographs of Middle East sites. The Mediterranean region covered includes Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, as well as member states of the former Soviet Union. To the west, Ofek-5 covers all the north African states, from Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria as far as Morocco and Mauritania.

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