Privacy concerns have been a growing topic of debate, and that conversation isn’t going away anytime soon. With Seattle’s decision to install police surveillance cameras and launch the Seattle Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center (RTCC), the issue is heating up even more across Washington.
At first glance, the purpose behind these surveillance installations appears genuine and well-intentioned. The RTCC officially launched in late May, and Seattle city leaders have already hailed it as a major success. They claim the center has supported over 600 reported incidents and aided in 90 ongoing criminal investigations. The project has cost around $1.8 million so far, funding the placement of dozens of surveillance cameras in what officials are calling “strategic” crime hot spots throughout Seattle.
Seattle used as an example of a surveillance state…