Houston Police Chief Wants Cameras in Homes

An anonymous reader writes "In one of the most blatant and frightening statements made on privacy, the Associated Press reports that Houston's police chief wants surveillance cameras in apartment buildings and even private homes. Chief Harold Hurtt wants building permits to require cameras in shopping malls and large apartment complexes. He also wants them in private homes if the homeowner has called the police repeatedly. So, if you're in Houston, don't call the cops too much, or they might install a camera the next time they show up. And what does Hurtt have to say about privacy concerns? 'I know a lot of people are concerned about Big Brother, but my response to that is, if you are not doing anything wrong, why should you worry about it?'"

unreal

[oedneil]

How can someone say something that crazy and be taken seriously? Who does he think he is, Dvorak?

Obligatory

[Anonymous Coward]

I guess the cameras wouldn't Hurtt.

OK, I'm sorry.

Re:Texas, the redneck state

[mranchovy]

Did President Bush recommend this guy?

Yep, and today he said, "Harry, you're doing a heckuva job!"

Brainstorm?

[rk]

"He (Houston Mayor Bill White) called the chief's proposal a 'brainstorm' rather than a decision."

I'd call it a brainfart, myself. This is something so creepifying I almost want to say it's a bogus article.

Idiot Texas Overlords?

[Anonymous Coward]

There's more than one idiot from Texas.

Not a bad idea...

[jjh37997]

If police chief Harold Hurtt wants to put a camera in my home be my guest.... so long as I can watch a live feed of him in his home and at the police station. If someone wants to track my movements with a camera I say go ahead.... but only if I get to know who's watching me and I have the ability to watch them back. An open and transparent society can make the world both safe and free. The only thing wrong with traditional surveillance is the imbalence of power between the watchers and the watched.

Re:Good god

[mrchaotica]

Better make sure it's a hardcover edition!

Re:I have the perfect place for that new bookshelf

[RichardX]

And the back of your bookshelf is the perfect place to hang that giant goatse poster your aunt got you for Christmas...

Re:Oh please...

[eln]

What if the cops kept getting called over to your house? Would you be game with having them install a camera there?

Put yourself in your neighbor's shoes, and ask yourself if having a camera in your house would really strike you as a reasonable solution.

I don't want other people watching me while I'm in my own house. It's not because I'm doing anything illegal. Maybe I just don't like the idea of some yokel staring at me while I sit on my couch masturbating and eating Cheetos. If I wanted someone to see me doing that, I would do it out in the park on alternating Thursdays like I already do.

I've said too much.

Re:Why I should worry about it.

[w3woody]

Because I want to scratch my balls while watching hockey naked, fart while making nachos in the kitchen, and have passionate sex with my wife on the couch and dining room table.

And here's the kicker... I DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT IT.

Then jeez, don't tell me about it!

(Still trying to get image of you scratching your balls while watching hockey naked out of my mind...)

Re:someone shove a camera in his rectum

[miffo.swe]

All we would see was his face.

Re:Why I should worry about it.

[jZnat]

And here's the kicker... I DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT IT.

And neither does any other sane person, thank you very much.

Re:No one will be happy...

[Loonacy]

No need, I've already done it for you.

A camera in my home? No Problem ...

[Tux2000]

... just wait until I find some pictures of my granny naked at the age of 80 that I can hang in front of the camera, covering the entire lens. You want to add a microphone? Sure, if you want me to add a headphone and an mp3 player playing an endless loop of my entire modem handshake sound collection. ;-)

Tux2000

Re:Additional reasons:

[bxbaser]

"3. Because there are lots of little things we do every day that break the rules. These include: j-walking, downloading MP3's, subletting without telling your landlord, recording sporting events without express written concent, undocumented domestic help, recreational drug use, stealing cable, logging on to other people's wireless networks, "leaking" company information to your girlfriend, anything besides the missionary position (in many states), cheating on your wife (in many states), rolling stops on empty streets, u-turns in the middle of empty streets, locking your bicycle to the handrailing, lying about your age to get into movies, lying about your age to get senior citizens discounts, lying about your age to avoid getting senior citizens discounts, telling your company that you're "sick" when you really mean you're "sick and tired of this crappy job," not reporting e-bay sales as taxable income, grabbing an extra newspaper when someone else buys one from the machine, putting chairs in the street to save your parking spot, stealing office supplies, stealing the towels, littering, loitering, the office NCAA pool, etc etc."

What do you a have freaking camera in my house I did all that shit yesterday, and now today on slashdot you are posting the exact same stuff.
this is really freaking me out.

Re:What should I worry about?

[lxs]

Well you know there is an old Hungarian proverb:

"It's all fun and games until they discover your collection of hamster porn."

Just spare a thought for the the sweaty cop watching when you get intimate with your right hand/wife/girlfriend/mistress/boyfriend/pet-spider and be sure to wave to the camera once in a while.

I for one welcome our new Camera Overlords

[johnnytv]

After all, do you beleieve after this current budget assessment that there
will be funding to monitor the beer-drinking, porn-watching, taco-eating,
burger-festering couch potato population when the current government
can't even guarantee evacuation busses during a hurricane?

Then again, that would be COOL!

I could track my daily progress via the camera via some Linux solution
to forever confuse the police with innuendo and reality dramas about my
mundane worker-bee life. That would definitely convince them there's
something to investagate.

And think about it! If this goes through, all you have to do to get
a job at the police force is have a profound fixation on watching other
people. Takes care of all those voyeuristic folks who like to watch
prOn all the time.

Re:Cops removed from reality

[gEvil (beta)]

Cop walks in with two chicks, looks at the line. Walks right past everyone and finds a recently vacant table. Asks them to clean it and sits right down.

Oh c'mon, Mr. porkThreeWays, you may as well admit that this was you and this is your MO. : p

Re:unreal

[caseydk]

No, if the electorate is anything like Washington, DC, he'll quickly be elected mayor* after the tape is released.

* ie. Marion Barry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_Barry [wikipedia.org]

first test

[EraserMouseMan]

I think the police officers should be the first ones to test out the new cameras in every room of their homes. After all, they probably call the police department more than anyone else.

Scottie

[ConanG]

Scottie on Star Trek invented this. "I canno dew it, Cap'n! I need more time!" Invariably, he would always deliver. Made him look like an engineering GOD.

Re:See it from the police (station) perspective

[Anonymous Coward]

... if they are not doing anything wrong ...

Girls showering together?! I sure hope they're doing something wrong.