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Reason to oppose Ybor cameras
© St. Petersburg Times, Tampa mayor Dick Greco says people who oppose the Ybor City cameras don't know what they're talking about. Wrong. Critics oppose the cameras because the face-scanning technology turns every passer-by into a suspected criminal. Police don't have to bother with nettlesome things like reasonable suspicion and probable cause. Indeed, the ease of dumping large crowds of people into a digital police lineup is what makes the software marketable. That's why it exists, and why the Tampa police department is giving it a one-year tryout. Given the City Council split on whether to keep the cameras, Greco should have shown some sensitivity to the legitimate privacy and constitutional concerns. Instead, as usual, he blew his critics off. The jury's out on its effectiveness in fighting crime. But the cameras have given us a clear picture of the mayor.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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From the Times Opinion page |
