CTA President Forrest Claypool said “We feel like this is about as close a saturation as you can get.” In addition to rail stations, newer model CTA cars come equipped with onboard cameras, which officials say will eventually provide real time data to police. more ›

The city's getting even more surveillance cameras, thanks to a federal grant. more ›

The American Civil Liberties Union is set to release a report today asking the city to halt expansion of its video surveillance program until measures can be taken to protect the "fundamental American right to be left alone." The 44-page report also lists just how extensive the city has become in using surveillance cameras as a criminal deterrent. more ›

In Illinois, law enforcement officers can legally record civilians anytime, anywhere. But who then, watches the watchers? Even though the average citizen can have his or her actions potentially recorded thousands of times a day, law enforcement isn't subject to the same scrutiny. Some residents have recently found that attempting to keep an eye on the police has dramatic consequences. more ›

Chicago is leading the charge into a brave new world of cities under constant surveillance. The Associated Press (via the Tribune) reports that Chicago has the most surveillance cameras in the United States, with more than 10,000 public and private cameras throughout the city. The cameras, on everything from street sweepers to red lights are linked together via Chicago’s 911 system. While exact numbers aren’t available the Trib estimates around 1,500 cameras have been installed by emergency services, 6,500 installed in schools and the rest are scattered throughout various public and private facilities. Michael Chertoff, former Homeland Security secretary of the system: “I don’t think there is another city in the U.S. that has as an extensive and integrated camera network.” more ›

The familiar blinking blue light cameras that dot many city streets could get smaller soon, according to an article by the Chicago Tribune. The Tribune reported yesterday that the Chicago Police are considering employing smaller, covert cameras in the hope of further combating crime. According to the article, these cameras could be as small as a thimble. Last month, Police Superintendent Jody Weis said in an interview with WLS, “These can be secreted in locations that nobody would ever detect. It's amazing where we're going with technology.” While some may marvel at the applications of such cloak and dagger spy technology, the idea of both overt and covert cameras blanketing the city raises some very serious privacy concerns. Spokesperson for the Illinois ACLU Ed Yohnka said “...there's a heightened sensibility and concern on the part of citizens when you start talking about things like covert cameras.” more ›

• Police hope surveillance footage will give them leads in a shooting that happened yesterday in the Irving Park neighborhood.
• Attorney General Lisa Madigan today said that Gov. Quinn is clear to sell Thomson Correctional Center to the federal government for housing terrorism suspects currently being held at Guantanamo Bay.
• Dwain Kyles and Calvin Hollins, the owners of E2 who were recently sentenced to two years in jail, have asked a judge to allow them to remain free pending their appeal.

The CTA's board approved a plan today that will bring security cameras to all 144 of its train stations; 45 stations already have cameras in place. The contract, with Teleste Corp. of Georgetown, Texas, will cost $4.3 million to put the new high-resolution equipment in place. First up will be the Green Line, which will have cameras in place by the end of the year. Officials hope to have all stations covered by the end of May 2010. [CBN] more ›

Redflex lobbyists include former Chicago Ald. Mark Fary (12th), husband of O'Hare expansion chief Rosemarie Andolino, and William Griffin, a friend of Mayor Daley and Finance Committee Chairman Edward M. Burke (14th).

More surveillance news: The city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communication has put into action plans to expand their network to include security cameras already in place at businesses and private residences. Feeds, received through encrypted Internet transmissions, would only be accessed when needed, using multiple time shots and camera angles to “build a synergistic view” of crimes. The infrastructure and software necessary for the additional surveillance is already in place, and participants should be able to connect to the network by the end of the month. Ald. Isaac Carothers (29th), chairman of the Police and Fire Committee, signed the ordinance on Wednesday. [Trib, S-T, The Windy Citizen] more ›

The city expects to collect more than $50 million in fines this year from red-light violations caught on camera. The number of cameras being installed to bust drivers is growing, with 104 functional cameras already at intersections throughout the city and plans to install 25 more by the end of the year. Contrary to published reports [PDF] that show intersection surveillance may actually increase crashes and injuries, the city is claiming that accidents have decreased by 30 percent in intersections with cameras, and that the number of drivers who are actually running red lights is down by 60 percent. City numbers also show that pedestrian injuries, often resulting from drivers making illegal right turns on red, have declined as well. more ›

Back in October, the city started soliciting bids to install surveillance cameras on street sweeping machines to help bust parking scofflaws. It worked! According to a proposed ordinance he unveiled yesterday, Mayor Daley wants to mount cameras on all the city's sweepers and start issuing $50 robotickets to illegal parkers. more ›

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Chicago took another step towards fulfilling Mayor Daley’s vow that by 2016, we’ll have cameras on “almost every block.” more ›