Closed circuit television networks in the US

The speed with which London's ubiquitous surveillance cameras helped identify would be bombers has prompted calls for extensive closed circuit television networks in the US. In the first such public effort in the US, New York is planning to begin the installation of a similar, permanent system for lower Manhattan by year's end. In the struggle against terrorism at home, its backers say CCTV is both a forensic tool and a deterrent to all but the most dedicated suicide bombers. Sophisticated imaging technology allows cameras to alert police to unattended packages, zoom in on objects hundreds of feet away, identify license plates, and mine archived footage for specific data.

Opponents contend that this very technology is overly intrusive and open to abuse, raising serious constitutional questions. They also note that surveillance cameras not only are helpless against suicide bombings, but also that perpetrators may use video records to try to glorify their acts.