The Washington Times has the story this morning on how the District government is handing over the keys to a network of 5,200 closed-circuit cameras to the Metropolitan Police Department. The cameras are normally used to monitor traffic, schools and public housing, and in addition to the 92 crime cameras police already monitor in high-crime neighborhoods, will give D.C. one of the largest surveillance networks of any major city in the United States.

The initiative, dubbed the Video Interoperability for Public Safety (VIPS) program, will consolidate the more than 5,200 cameras operated by D.C. agencies into one network, which will be managed by the city’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.

The story quotes the local American Civil Liberties Union and, of course, At-large Council member Phil Mendelson, as saying they’re concerned about the potential for civil liberties violations such an enormous network of cameras could lead to.

There’s no doubt about it: 5,200 cameras, 1,388 of which are outside and 3,874 of which are inside buildings throughout the city, all being actively monitored in a single network would be a very big change. It’s interesting to note that the consolidation will actually cost the city roughly half what it costs to operate the camera programs separately. But does it make you feel like 1984 is arriving in D.C., or do you welcome any efforts to deter crime in the city?

Photo by christaki