England's Latest Scolds: Surveillance Cameras

Ah, innovation.

"Talking" CCTV cameras that tell off people dropping litter or committing anti-social behaviour are to be extended to 20 areas across England. They are already used in Middlesbrough where people seen misbehaving can be told to stop via a loudspeaker, controlled by control centre staff. About £500,000 will be spent adding speaker facilities to existing cameras.

Home Secretary John Reid is trying to preempt criticism:

The talking cameras did not constitute "secret surveillance", he said. "It's very public, it's interactive."

Quite. Not that anyone was complaining about these things being too secretive, of course. But what politician doesn't like a heaping helping of red herring?

Competitions would also be held at schools in many of the areas for children to become the voice of the cameras, Mr Reid said.

Big Brother, it turns out, will soon have a Little Brother. Rejoice.

Downing Street's "respect tsar", Louise Casey, said the cameras "nipped problems in the bud" and reduced bureaucracy.

Here's a thought: Maybe 'reducing bureaucracy' could be achieved by eliminating stupid Nanny-State jobs like 'respect tsar'?

Comments

[colson]

I caught that article earlier today and laughed my ass off. Seriously - how bad will it get until we get to celebrate a GF Day..... I give it less than five years.... and the US within 10....

[Martin Owens]

Remember the scene in " 1984" when
Winston Smith got chewed out by the
telescreen for not doing his morning calisthenics properly? That's just around the corner, baby.....

[Timothy]

Just remember that we have always been at war with Eurasia.