Homeland Security's Tech Wonders 138
Lucas123 writes "The multi-billion dollar budget of the Department of Homeland Security has spawned a myriad of new, whiz-bang technology that includes things like keychain-size, remote-controlled aerial vehicles designed to collect and transmit data for military and homeland security uses. It also includes infrared cameras that capture license plate images to match them in milliseconds to police records. "Seventy percent of all criminal activity can be tied to a vehicle," says Mark Windover, president of Remington ELSAG Law Enforcement Systems, which is marketing its product to 250 U.S. police agencies."
Thank God we have this technology (Score:5, Insightful)
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http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=10804 [pcadvisor.co.uk]
i know in my home town that police men on the beat has been completely stopped since the introduction of the blanket cctv coverage in my town but on Friday and Saturday nights shop windows in our high street get smashed and parked cars vandalised, and the drunken fights are now not stopped as no police attend, so who exactly is watching
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Yes. He was.
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You are joking aren't you, security cameras have this week been proved ineffective in solving and preventing crime!
With the greatest of respect, this study 1. does not "proove" anything - if you wanted to test the relationship between crimw clear-up rate and cctv then this is not the way you would do it, 2. studies in the beavhoural sciences typical 'falsify' 3. that study did not say anything about prevention. There's reference to a study completed in 2005 but this has been the topic of some contention in the world of criminology - some studies show one thing, another something completely different.
CCTV in the UK is
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So all it seems to be doing is to find new and inventive ways of feeding the US public's tax dollars into the bloated profits of politically favoured corporation
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Not if they only have one Tech. At first glimpse, I wondered what exactly the Tech was wondering. Now, I wonder if the title wouldn't have been better as H.S.T.W..
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Some of these things may actually cause a rise in crime. Since they are at least as useful to criminals as they are to law enforcement.
not wrong (Score:1, Funny)
The occupant of Air force one ?
Re:not wrong (Score:4, Funny)
Well, and now we know why he believes he's above the law.
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Well, and now we know why he believes he's above the law.
"I am the decider, I mean the...um...can't get fooled again."
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So if being an executor = "decider", then I really hope someone rich names me as the executor of their will:
"To my son, Bob,"
That'l
We need "CAPTCHA" license plates. (Score:4, Funny)
It also includes infrared cameras that capture license plate images to match them in milliseconds to police records.
The CAPTCHA's are getting so damned difficult to decipher that I can hardly even sign up for anonymous email accounts or download pr0n anymore.
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There. All captcha'd.
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But it'd be real hard to enforce in a rural state where everyone has dusty/muddy cars almost all the time, or in winter when you get snow splatter freezing on the lower half of the car, and can't drive two blocks without getting resplattered.
Another perverse thought: hairspray. Won't obscure it, but reduces contrast dramatically.
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But then, I doubt if any of this is about terrorism at all. I'm a lot more scared by a corporate-owned government using high technology to watch and control our behavior than I am of fundamentalist Muslims blowing me up. And I
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bureaucratic incompetance is the greatest threat (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:bureaucratic incompetance is the greatest threa (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:bureaucratic incompetance is the greatest threa (Score:2, Insightful)
I like this sentence. It sends me into a trance every time I read it. I think it is because I imagine the DHS trying to perform this research and ironically getting nowhere. Then they try to research why their previous research got nowhere. When that gets nowhere they decide to research why the research of why their previous research got nowhere got nowhere and so on.
More than you understand. (Score:5, Insightful)
#1. More terrorists?
#2. More crooked cops?
Now, which of these is this new surveillance technology supposed to protect you from and which ones will have it?
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/conductunbecoming/ [nwsource.com]
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#1. More terrorists?
#2. More crooked cops?
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#1. More terrorists?
#2. More crooked cops?
Now, which of these is this new surveillance technology supposed to protect you from and which ones will have it?
False dichotomy.
#1. More crooked cops?
#2. More good cops?
Can this surveillance tech provide more of an advantage to the crooked cops to do bad things, or to the good cops to catch the crooked cops doing bad things?
Re:bureaucratic incompetance is the greatest threa (Score:2)
Data is not the same as intelligence (Score:5, Insightful)
Look up "incest". (Score:5, Interesting)
The companies making the products often hire politicians who voted to purchase those products to fight [crime|terrorism|kiddie_porn].
It's all an incestuous cycle.
70% bad vehicles (Score:5, Funny)
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Funny, Remington ELSAG didn't offer statistics on what percent of crimes can be tied to a gun...
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Re:70% bad vehicles (Score:4, Insightful)
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Their advice? Call a cab...
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Why use humans when you've technology (Score:4, Insightful)
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I believe Anthony Burgess pointed this out well in Clockwork Orange. You can use technology to make a man into an upright citizen, but it does not make him an upright citizen. It more or less destroys the nature of man.
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Combine that with Police so weighed down by red tape and documentation that crime actually increases, not decreases.
At the end of the day criminals are like bacteria, they adapt. When penicillin was first introduced it had a powerfu
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The problem is using technology to replace people instead of augmenting their skills and accepting the inferior results since they have a lower cost.
The PHB's of the world know that video surveillance is not as effective as a person who is interested in their work and has proper training. Surveillance gives "nearly" (80%ish) the same results for far less cost and risk than a person.They just plain do not understand that technology is best used when helping people in a task, not removing the person from th
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hmmmm (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:hmmmm (Score:5, Insightful)
People come up with nifty toys all the time. It's part of living in a high-tech society. The problem comes in when law-enforcement substitutes ineffective technological measures for quality police work.
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Meanwhile, they have moved to an urban [darpa.mil] environment, probably in order to in the future avoid getting in black...err...hot water.
CC.
Minority Report (Score:1)
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That is the most worrisome part of the article. As we are today, unless people know you there is some anonymity when you are in a public place. If Walker's claim is true the only way not to be identified would be with polarized lenses and gloves. This alone would flag you though, sort of like encrypting files may do today.
007 (Score:1, Redundant)
And yet, in spite of all of this "whiz-bang" 007 technology, I feel no safer. I wish that they had taken that multi-billion dollar budget and done something useful, productive, and boring with it.
It makes me wonder whose interests they're serving.
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Plate Capture technology (Score:4, Interesting)
I've seen the vehicle, it's a mini-van with cameras mounted at the top of both A pillars and pointing outward and a little above curb level. When they spot a vehicle the put on a boot with a keypad. To get the boot off you have to call the 800 number, pay on average $350 then remove the boot and return it to the police department.
The other little thing that went into effect were tons of new parking meters. The one thing right about that is the kiosk system, no individual meters. It prints a ticket that you place in your car. And it takes credit cards. The kiosk is also run via solar power and uses a MESH network connection.
So not all those technologies are used to spy per se, but as revenue generation tools.
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Might be cheaper to cut off the boot with an oxy-acet, and just eat the cost of one new wheel. "What boot?"
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How would this help? (Score:2)
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-b.
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Of course you'd wreck your wheel in the process. I love all the law and order folks who don't realize that our rights are being gradually eroded by something so simple as letting private contractors take over municipal services.
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Most folks agree that many laws are present for apparent 'cash' value. (speeding, parking, red-light cameras, etc) But what needs to be realized is that there is no trickery done by the laws or officers who are pledged to enforce them, just to get your money. I mean, technically if you don't want them to take your money, don't ille
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Just remember, they only get your hard earned cash if you break those laws. If you follow them, you'll have nothing to worry or complain about.
You must have been born yesterday, or that was a very poor attempt at sarcasm.
I've had it happen numerous times. The most 'amusing' was when my car was parked directly under a sign that said "No Parking 2am-6am" The ticket was written at 1pm. So, what do I do, on the ticket, there was no method to fight it presented. The police suggested I let the ticket go
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Instead what I got was, "Yeah, our goof, the guy was in training. Just leave the ticket alone until it turns into a warrant, then you can argue your case in front of a judge." Not only is that a waste of resources for everyone i
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And I do agree that the system is designed to frustrate a person so they will want to pay to get it over and done with. It's really not a system of 'justice' as one would think.
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Brown does provide parking but its expensive and there isn't that much of it. So you have no option but to play the parking shuffle. It's the same with overnight parking. They tout it as a s
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Buy Now! (Score:1, Insightful)
The question is... (Score:1)
Remember, George Washington and our founding fathers were considered terrorists.
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George Washington was considered a terrorist, was not involved in a political party, and in his farewell address warned us against taking side in political parties and never to let them control the bureaucracy.
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George Washington and our founding fathers were considered terrorists.
Because he targeted so many babies and burned down so many towns. Held all those hostages. Shot civilians in cold blood.
Please.
Nobody with a brain ever considered George Washington a terrorist.
I suspect you're confused because so many real terrorists, like Ho Chi Minh, have compared themselves to George Washington. There are millions of useless idiots who believe claims like Ho's, and some of them may have forced you to parrot their idiocy to pass their class.
It's okay now. You can think for yourself.
They just love their toys, don't they? (Score:4, Insightful)
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I couldn't agree more with all your sentiments. Just looking at the "War on Terror" angle, both the US and UK have expended lots of energy attacking the liberties of their citizens and introducing draconian legislation for very little return - a couple of dozen people banged up in prison in the case of the UK (most of whom could have been dealt with by existing legislation anyway.
Technology cannot replace common-sense. However, the authorities no longer have an
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Perhaps you have noticed a trend during this time toward larger, heavier vehicles? Then there are all the electronic safety features available on modern cars like ABS, airbags, traction/stability control, tire pressure monitoring, lane departure warning, active roll bars, etc.
So please tell me, what is it about the larger, heavier vehicles that makes them safer? Is it the increased braking distance? Perhaps the slower handling? Maybe the fact that the taller ones tip over easier? Or maybe you are just referring to the extra protection provided by 2 more tons of steel wrapped around you - in that case you realize of course that the extra steel might afford you a bit of extra protection, but only at the expense of increased damage to the family in the Honda that you just hit?
Let'
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Law enforcement software (Score:1)
Since I expect neither the companies nor the government will be too keen on letting such material
Once we are all in chains (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:All are caused by human (Score:1)
[imaginary] Terrorism solved! (Score:1)
Oh, where's Osama bin Laden right now, you see him with that stuff? No? Hmm, I think this is turning out to be like the Hubbel telescope -- it's great stuff and cost bundles, but the lens is pointed in the WRONG F@#%(&*# DIRECTION!!
Spy Tech? (Score:2)
One step solution (Score:2)
Problem - Solution:
Overbearing satellites - sombrero
Nanohelicopters - fly swatter
Towers, sensors and radar - pantomime horse outfit
Ranged finger and iris scans - sunglasses and gloves
One step solution: Pantomime horse wearing sunglasses, gloves and a sombrero carrying a fly swatter.
Their writ does not run so far (Score:1)
police (Score:2, Funny)
The small fly is watching you (Score:1)
70% of all CRIMINAL activity, not terrorism (Score:2)
Hold on a second; what percent of criminal activity is related to Homeland Security? I'll bet it's very low. Now cut that to 70%.
The Department of Homeland Security Mission Statement [dhs.gov] says:
really? (Score:1)
Re: "a myriad" eh? (Score:4, Informative)
http://m-w.com/dictionary/myriad [m-w.com] (Definition of myriad from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary)
A problem with information on 'the Internets' is that there are chances that the quality of the sources are not always properly assessed.
CC.
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Not knowing the relative authority of either source, the one about modern English trumps the one about ancient Greek in my book.
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myriad [reference.com]
-noun
1. a very great or indefinitely great number of persons or things.
2. ten thousand.
-adjective
3. of an indefinitely great number; innumerable: the myriad stars of a summer night.
4. having innumerable phases, aspects, variations, etc.: the myriad mind of Shakespeare.
5. ten thousand.
Origin: 1545-55; Gk myriad- (s. of myriás) ten thousand; see -ad1
Also interesting:
Usa
A very small myriad (Score:2)
"All this expensive crap has a myriad of uses compared to good old fashioned police work."
Thats "a great myriad" to you Pal (Score:2, Funny)
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I'm never going to bother to spellcheck a slashdot post an
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There were actually three of us assigned to your case. My colleagues were purposely "noisy" with their attempts so that your attention would be focused in their direction while I did my work.
12 years I've been doing this, nobody attempted a hack of this skill against me.
Puhleeeeze! Your home PC isn't exactly Fort Knox. Even a Linksys router running dd-wrt would have given me
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It should be "Shop Smart, Shop DHS-Mart!"