Somebody's Watching

By Matt Wood in News on Nov 1, 2005 3:56PM

On Monday, a City Council committee approved an ordinance allowing the Traffic Management Authority to use cameras to catch speeders. City Hall could use vans with cameras mounted inside, or equip stoplight cameras with speed detection equipment. Either way, Chicago drivers need to lay off the gas because THEY'RE WATCHING YOU. Speeding tickets produced by the cameras would include a $90 non-moving violation (what?), pending an administrative hearing at which no one will ever show. The cameras could generate millions in addition to the $13.9 already raked in by the red light cameras.

After witnessing a scary crash caused by someone going too fast AND running a red light outside our home Saturday night, Chicagoist is all for a little more traffic enforcement. Chicago has won praise for its network of surveillance cameras and crime databases that police believe has contributed to the city's lowest murder rate since the 1960's. It's too bad that the speeding cameras are necessary though, because as a few Chicagoist readers attested in this message thread, with a little patient driving you can sail through the city.

The downside of all this surveillance of course is the creepy Big Brother baggage it carries with it. It opens the door for all kinds of abuse, racial profiling, etc. So far, Chicagoist has only seen any of these cameras, traffic or crime ones, in poorer neighborhoods. But since our readers never fail to point out our shortcomings, we'd like to invite you to tell us other locations. Do you think there are enough cameras? Too many? Are they in the right places, or are they unfairly placed only in poor neighborhoods? Does the unblinking eye of The Man creep you out, or make you feel safe? Do you wish I'd stop asking you questions?