The Sun-Times
January 31, 2006

Daley: Cameras will make us safer
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-camera31.html

Mayor Daley on Monday embraced a radical plan to require every licensed Chicago business open more than 12 hours a day to install indoor and outdoor cameras.

"Block clubs, community organizations want cameras. ... They can't walk down the street. ... Their kids have to go around a corner away from the gang-bangers. You can't walk to church. You can't get on the CTA. ... Cameras really prevent much crime. Cameras also solve a lot of crime. The terrorist attacks in London were solved by cameras. The whole incident was solved by cameras," Daley said.

Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce President Jerry Roper estimated that 12,000 businesses -- maybe more -- are open for more than 12 hours a day and, therefore, would be covered by the sweeping camera mandate. That includes roughly 7,000 restaurants, more than 100 hotels and scores of retail establishments.

"Are there enough cameras in production to do what they're asking us to do?" Roper said.

Businesses will close earlier?

If the mayor's endorsement translates into City Council approval of the ordinance championed by Ald. Ray Suarez (31st), business leaders will demand tax breaks and a phase-in similar to the sprinkler ordinance that gives older high-rises 12 years to comply, Roper said.

And he predicted the requirement would ultimately translate into fewer hours and lower wages.

"Some places will take a look at the cost and say, 'We'll only be open for one shift or a shift and a half. They'll take a look at their last two hours and say, 'I'm not making that much anyway. I'll just close earlier.' Employees will lose that money," Roper said.

Two years ago, with help from a $5.1 million federal homeland security grant, the city announced plans to install 250 cameras at locations thought to be at high risk of a terrorist attack, link them and 2,000 existing cameras to the 911 center and equip them all with software capable of spotting "suspicious and unusual behavior."

City Hall is now finalizing a contract for "Operation Virtual Shield," Daley's Big Brother plan to link 1,000 miles of "sometimes stand-alone fiber" into a unified "homeland security grid" -- complete with sensors to monitor the city's water supply and detect chemical and biological weapons.

The city also made an unprecedented offer to the private sector. Businesses that agreed to pay an undisclosed fee would have cameras outside their entrances and even in their stairwells monitored by the 911 center.

Last summer, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Boeing Co. had become the first Chicago business to join the camera network.

On Monday, City Hall disclosed that a dozen corporations -- ranging from utilities to companies in the La Salle Street financial district -- also have signed on. The fee is being negotiated.

"Downtown, we'll take a building [that has] cameras. We'll retrofit those cameras. ... We're working with Navy Pier. We're working with McCormick Place, retrofitting cameras, every building downtown," the mayor said.

London has 200,000 cameras monitoring virtually every public move its citizens make. Daley wouldn't go so far as to say he wants to duplicate the London network. He would only say he's "looking for more and more cameras all over."

'It's their land,' Daley says

Chicago's surveillance network could be dramatically enhanced if businesses open more than 12 hours a day are required to install and monitor cameras to record what goes on inside the place and in the parking lot. The only exceptions to the edict proposed by Suarez would be washrooms and changing areas.

Last week, business leaders lined up in opposition to the mandate on grounds it could add anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 to their costs -- even before monitoring expenses.

But, Daley said Monday he's all for the idea.

"Look at the police radio [log]. ... Why should we be clearing every parking lot out for the owner of the drive-in? That's their responsibility. It's their land," Daley said.

The mayor endorsed the camera mandate after unveiling a $4 million incident center at the 911 building that, among other things, will serve as the new home for Snow Command.

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SEIG HEIL!!!!!!!!!    Heir Daley

Cameras are the way of future policing. The novel 1984 was off by a few years, but it's coming true now, little by little.

Quoted: SEIG HEIL!!!!!!!!!    Heir Daley

"You do not have your paperz in order."

Chicago is a hopeless cause. Crook County for that matter.  Can't we just build a wall around it--to protect us from them? or them from us

Cameras do kick ass, I have 8 around my property that record to my hard drive anytime there is motion.

My neighbor also has that many, throws 9 hour tapes in VCR each night

Electronics def. intimidate crackheads, they don't know what all is recorded so keeps em away a bit

Quoted: Chicago is a hopeless cause. Crook County for that matter.  Can't we just build a wall around it--to protect us from them? or them from us

Make it it's own city-state?  

I wish the vote would have gone through two years ago for the south burbs to break away and form their own county.  

Well I guess after your mugged and have the crap beat out of you,   You'll be able to purchase a copy of it from the city for a ( Ahem small nominal fee of Course) So you can prove it to the insurance company its a non self inflicted wound.  I wonder if it will come with a free football phone like a Sports Illustrated subscription.

I am happy to know where some of my tax dollars are going. I hope Daley didn't get to frugal when he picked out a surveilance system for his own house. He had better put those dollars to good use, and buy the best of the best along with staff to monitor it.

Come on Daley keep squeezing my ass. I'm sure another dollar or two will come out.....

4X4SC

I wonder which one of Daley's friends/relative owns a surveillance/security company??

Cant we get Chicago to succeed from the state!  New York City tried it around 1860 but Furor Lincoln would not allow it.  Maybe we can do it now!

Figures was watchign Fox the other day.   They had a story about how the Chicago area has only one  police chopper.Any one else see this? Supposedly  CPD dispanded is aero unit in the late 70's. I think if this is true then maybe insted of shutting down megs in the middle of the night( a pretty good spec op if you ask me) or spending millions on a park he should fund CPD better. he supposedly cares about the citys security, well I ask why doesnt he fund  the cops with what they need?

Just my 2 cents.

in the news , law to allow chicago city cabs to have a billboard on them up to 58"
to off set fuel costs and raising cab fare to public , but city gets 6% fee?????

not that i would want to put 1 dime into the citys pockets


but 1000s of cabs with 58" billboard ads for various gun manufact. all driving around in the city would be way funny

Quoted: Well I guess after your mugged and have the crap beat out of you,   You'll be able to purchase a copy of it from the city for a ( Ahem small nominal fee of Course) So you can prove it to the insurance company its a non self inflicted wound.  I wonder if it will come with a free football phone like a Sports Illustrated subscription.

Ironic, but that's basically the reason for the cameras. I talked to a cop about the cameras used in high crime areas. It's nearly impossible to get a conviction based on intent. A crime has to occur and be documented before a prosecution can begin.

Quoted: in the news , law to allow chicago city cabs to have a billboard on them up to 58" to off set fuel costs and raising cab fare to public , but city gets 6% fee????? not that i would want to put 1 dime into the citys pockets but 1000s of cabs with 58" billboard ads for various gun manufact. all driving around in the city would be way funny

Keep dreaming man.