By Tommy Acosta
Sedona, AZ — On Wednesday, August 13, at 3 p.m., in the City Council Chambers, city staff will explain why they approved the installation of license-reading cameras throughout the community.
Needless to say, the erection of those high-tech cameras in Sedona has caused quite a stir with what appears to be an equally divided group of citizens both for and against.
On one side, citizens believe that installing those cameras would add another layer of safety in the community, prove to be a valuable tool for law enforcement, and are no big deal considering the fact that there already are all kinds of cameras in Sedona observing us—from the traffic cams at the intersections to shops, stores, and restaurants.
On the other side, citizens perceive the new cameras as yet another layer of intrusion into their lives and as preparation for mass surveillance that one day may see these high-tech cameras with facial recognition AI software installed on every block in the city—and even someday in their own homes—joining the computers, cell phones, and smart TVs already watching them.
The decision by staff to install the license-reading cams was made, apparently, without City Council review or community input, and reportedly, staff did not have to, in that it was simply a staff decision in caring for the health and safety of Sedona.
In other words—routine business.
For those that do not approve of that type of surveillance, it is not, and numerous individuals are protesting what they perceive as intrusion into their daily and private lives.
Even though the Council will be joining the community in listening to staff prove its case, it remains unclear whether the Council can overrule a staff decision that is clearly theirs to make.
Should they actually take action and vote to nix the new cameras, most likely the Council will side with staff.
Reportedly, these new cameras will eventually be connected to a massive, nationwide information grid as part of a perceived plan by federal authorities to install a comprehensive surveillance apparatus in the country.
For sure there will be fireworks at the Aug. 13 meeting, as both sides are certain to clash over this emotional issue.
If you can’t be there in person, you can view the meeting on the city’s website.
Below are the locations or planned locations of the license reading cameras:
- Jordan Road roundabout and State Route 89A
- Sanborn Drive and Rodeo Drive
- Dry Creek Road and Thunder Mountain Road
- Dry Creek Road and Garnet Hill Drive
- North of Natural Grocers
- Airport Road and SR 89A
- Owenby Way and SR 89A
- SR 89A and Dry Creek Road
- Upper Red Rock Loop Road and SR 89A
- SR 179 and Arrow Drive
- SR 179 opposite Sedona United Methodist Church
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2 Comments
Now Tommy its the glass half full or empty?
Did the Feds pay for them? State? Out of our budget?Leased? Thats what you will find out at meeting.
Do we have input on new police cars? Computers? Motorcycles they buy?
Get enough people to raise hell, then we get to pay to have them removed?
All I can say, is for the ones that are so worried, please do no business with any Corporation, Federal, or state agency, if your worried. Same goes for stores, and restaurants and bars.
Keep away, because yes they are watching you.
Thats not hyperbole, its truth.
Focus on the good, or focus on the bad. We all have a choice.
Criminalizing Homelessness Goes Hand-In-Hand with Mass Surveillance
Mass Surveillance, Homelessness, and AI War Machines: Is This the Future Our Leaders Are Building?
https://apple.news/AczpZI0-xQ3SQ7vCYqDUDSA
Electronic surveillance is an inevitability. Using it as a weapon is a choice. Unfortunately we currently have an Administration that does not believe in rights, norms, established law, precedent or the Constitution unless they are used to benefit themselves by twisting and turning the intent of having such things designed for the betterment of all Americans into weapons to use against them. A camera is just a camera until it is used to capture something. Whether that something is good bad or indifferent depends solely upon the intent of the user. In this case it sounds like the proposed surveillance camera system would in fact be utilized by ICE and other Federal Agencies who aren’t very keen about abiding by the very laws they’re so eager beaver to enforce. And again, this system is NOT solely designed to capture license plates! It is also a facial recognition system that can identify most any occupant in a vehicle that they can detect. Does the City have the option to refuse this system from being installed??? That is a question that must be asked as well as the question of who will be monitoring it and who will oversee those who do so? What kind of records will be created and who will have access to them?
People are suspicious of government surveillance but don’t think twice about civilian and corporate surveillance. Reason is because of the very high likelihood that the current administration will abuse the system solely to go after minorities as a means to hunt them down for deportation. If the system were just a plate reader as some claim then there should be no debate! Do they detect multiple vehicles at once? Do they detect vehicle speeds? Just show us that that is the extent of their purpose and ability! Not sure how reading plates would help LE do anything other than catching car thieves. But that’s not the case is it?