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Michael
Bloomberg, Mayor for New York and Raymond Kelly, police commissioner, are
collaborating with Microsoft to create pre-crime and counterterrorism
technology to aid federal intelligence and local law enforcement agencies
domestic and international.
The
Domain Awareness System (DAS) will be a very sophisticated software technology
that aggregates and analyzes public information in real time that will produce
comprehensive reports to be used by NYPD to ascertain potential threats and
pre-crime activity.
By
utilizing smart cameras and license plate readers, combined with Microsoft
technologies NYPD personnel can search suspects, allegedly suspicious packages,
and any other information at their disposal to control possible criminal action
in NY.
Graphical
interface, environmental sensors and law enforcement databases will be
interlaced so that crime analysis can effectively allocate proper man-power and
improve response to potential situations. This creates a collusion of
information for the NYPD to use in real-time.
Over
3,000 CCTV cameras will be connected to the DAS that are spread throughout NYC.
As
part of the agreement, 30% of the revenue on Microsoft’s future sales of DAS
will be redirected to fund more pre-crime efforts by NYC. In addition, the NYPD
will confer with Microsoft on their use of the DAS and any innovative revisions
of the software that comes from real-time use. This shared knowledge is meant
to consistently improve the technology; which makes the NYPD a beta-testing
ground for the future of Big Brother surveillance technology.
In
a formal statement, Bloomberg said that to justify this use of pre-crime
technology he will be “devoting considerable resources to counter-terrorism. .
. our heavy investment in technology and our willingness to develop new,
cutting-edge solutions to keep New Yorkers safe.” The DAS software provided by
Microsoft will “allow police officers and other personnel to more quickly
access relevant information gathered from existing cameras, 911 calls, previous
crime reports and other existing tools and technology. It will help the NYPD do
more to prevent crimes from occurring.” Bloomberg also added that the revenue
generated from the sale of DAS will “fund more new crime-prevention and
counter-terrorism programs.”
Kelly
added that the development of the DAS was “by police officers for police
officers.”
The
real-time analytics and situational awareness DAS generates is touted to
improve public safety for New York residents. The New York Wireless Network,
which is a high-speed, mission-critical wireless broadband infrastructure, will
aid DAS to extend the ability of officers to survey average citizens on the
streets.
The
DAS will allow the NYPD to:
Gain real-time access to video feeds and all
citizens arrest records as well as any 911 call wherein the potential suspect
was named
Chronological and geospatial maps of citizen’s
criminal history and patterns
Track cars related or associated with
potential suspects
Retrieve information from various databases
for appropriate deployment of resources
Review video feeds where potentially harmful
packages are delivered
Connection to radiation detectors throughout
the city and immediately alert the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative command
center
In
the interest of fighting terrorism, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
created the Future Attribute Screening Technology project (FAST) that utilizes
sensor technology to detect cues “indicative of mal-intent” defined as intent
or desire to cause real harm.
By
monitoring psychological and behavioral cues that are entered into real-time
algorithms FAST can predict the probability of a crime being committed by any
person. FAST was reported to be 70% accurate, according to field test research
. However, the conclusions of the study are deceptive and reliant on the
researcher’s foreknowledge of the intent of the individual being monitored.
In
a DHS privacy impact assessment , FAST was tested on volunteers that were
pre-sorted into groups wherein one group was “explicitly instructed to carry
out a disruptive act, so that the researchers and the participant (but not the
experimental screeners) already know that the participant has mal-intent.”
This
fact lends to the strong possibility that FAST could be used to generate false
positives that would make criminals out of average Americans.
In
June of 2010, DHS admitted in a document that data mining is being conducted on
all members of the American public in conjunction with FAST. They also state
that in initial trials of FAST, DHS employees were used as test subjects.
Robert
Middleton, Jr., FAST program director, said that FAST “sensors will
non-intrusively collect video images, audio recordings, and psychophysiological
measurements from the employees.”
With
the “success” of FAST, the DHS recommended that it be used in airport
check-points overseen by the TSA as well as a mobile version of the program
“could be used at security checkpoints such as border crossings or at large
public events such as sporting events or conventions.”
As
pre-crime technologies become more prevalent and accepted in everyday society,
those who believe that they have nothing to hide will continue to go along with
the new systems being put in place to make sure that they stay in line. The
reality of constant surveillance will have an impact on our lives that go
beyond the intrusion into our personal lives.
When
a thought becomes enough to convict a person of a crime they have not
committed, perhaps then the masses will wake up. Until then, the Big Brother
control systems being put into place now are reconditioning us to not only curb
our actions to fit their expectations, but also changing our minds so that no
part of our lives is sacred.
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