We now know that $2 million of the $50 million earmarked for GOP convention security this summer will be spent on a very sophisticated, closed-circuit television system. So sophisticated, in fact, that post-convention use–and possible overuse–has caused concern in ACLU circles and among those perceiving incipient Big Brotherhood.
Two points: To err is to not err on the side of public safety on this one. We owe it to ourselves and our visitors. Given what’s at stake, the 60 downtown surveillance cameras are not an option or a luxury.
That’s because the potential exists for a combustible, violent mix with anarchists infiltrating protestors. There’s precedent. Potential downsides are manifestly obvious: property damage, injuries and even fatalities. And, while no one wants to talk about it, “anarchists” is also a euphemism for terrorists. That which deters, discourages and prevents–shy of turning free-speech demonstrations into a Mayor Daly retrospective–is as welcome as it is necessary.
A case can also be made that in the absence of this uniquely volatile, once-in-a-lifetime event, such equipment could be unwelcome overkill. Privacy invasion is not an abstraction or the price of urban living to the invadee.
Second, too bad renting the super surveillance equipment isn’t a viable option. It’s unfortunate the government, which is underwriting so much of the security, couldn’t help expedite an alternative to limit costs and eliminate concerns over post-convention misuse.