14 DAY TRIAL // George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four is starting to get closer to reality. Orwell's vision of a society where close-circuit cameras and computers spy on (almost) every person's movement is here. "Talking" CCTV cameras that scold anti-social "children of England" are already putting an eye on the ground in Middlesbrough.
And of course, the "talking watchdog" concept will be extended to 20 areas across England. The devices will tell people that misbehave to stop via a loudspeaker. Actually, staff in a control centre will monitor pictures coming from the cameras and will communicate directly with people on the street (following the Middlesbrough "model"). So, don't expect to actually see the device open its mouth if you happen to visit London in the near future.
An estimated 4.2 million CCTV cameras are already installed across Great Britain. Adding speaker facilities to existing cameras will cost about 500, 000 pounds (about 1 million $).
The talking cameras will be installed in Southwark, Barking and Dagenham, in London, Reading, Harlow, Norwich, Ipswich, Plymouth, Gloucester, Derby, Northampton, Mansfield, Nottingham, Coventry, Sandwell, Wirral, Blackpool, Salford, South Tyneside and Darlington.
According to Home Secretary John Reid, the cameras target those "who litter our streets, vandalize our communities and damage our properties". "The vast majority of people find that their life is more upset by people who make their life a misery in the inner cities because they can't go out and feel safe and secure in a healthy, clean environment because of a minority of people," he also added.
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