EAST NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Civil libertarians say security cameras watching the streets of this town are an invasion of privacy.
Sixteen cameras at intersections and along sidewalks became fully operational Thursday morning. Thanks to the cameras, authorities will be able to monitor practically all of the eight-block Hudson County borough.
"This is a monumental program that is truly Orwellian,'' said David Rocah, staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey. "Big Brother has certainly landed in East Newark.''
Rocah said that while other towns use cameras, East Newark is unique because theirs monitor almost the entire town.
"It's a complete loss of anonymity for the residents of East Newark,'' he said.
Town Mayor Joseph Smith said he had been thinking about installing cameras for several years, but the idea gained momentum when a woman was raped in January 1996. The cameras were installed five months ago.
"I felt this would be another way to increase the safety of the town,'' he said. "If we can do anything to deter crime, that's our job.''
Another of Rocah's concern is whether the borough's 2,150 residents would have their privacy invaded by cameras directed into their homes.
"There's nothing that would prevent the police from looking into people's homes other than the vague assertions that they won't,'' he said.
The ACLU is considering whether to file a legal challenge to the cameras, Rocah said.
Smith said the videos would be regularly monitored to make sure the cameras are not focused on anyone's home.
Resident Debbie Gonzalez, 36, was bothered by the idea at first, but now is comfortable with the cameras.
"I feel safer, knowing somebody's watching, knowing they can help if I'm in trouble,'' she said.
Knowing the cameras are there could deter someone thinking of committing a crime, she said.
Gonzalez said she is not worried about her home privacy being invaded, adding that she has seen footage from the videotape on her corner, and there was no focus on her apartment.
Besides, she knows the people who will be watching.
"I trust them,'' she said. "I don't think they'll invade anything they shouldn't.''
Juan Arboleda, 18, agreed he wasn't worried about his home being watched.
"It's in the streets, not in the houses,'' he said. "The cops watch us anyway, what does it matter?''
Joseph McNamara, a former police chief and now a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, a think tank at Stanford University in California, said having community support is vital for a program like this, because it weighs the need for privacy against the need for public safety.
"If the people approve, it could be an excellent idea,'' he said. "In a small area, it could be effective.''
McNamara said using video cameras may not be a good idea for all places.
"In a large city, indiscriminate placements of surveillance cameras are inappropriate,'' he said.
People also need to be aware of the cameras' effect on privacy, he said.
"It's something we should be conscious of, that there is less and less privacy,'' he said.
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