In a glowing review of the rising prevalence of high-tech big brother surveillance gadgets in police force use, the Associated Press reports that East Orange, New Jersey plans to cut crime by highlighting suspects with a red-beamed spotlight, before any crime is committed, a "pre-crime" deterrent to be mounted on nearby street lights or other fixtures.
According to the report, police officers monitor hundreds of video feeds from across the city and opt to brand would-be criminals with a red glow if they believe they are about to engage in a crime, such as a street corner mugging.
"Whereas London has talking cameras, we're about to deploy light projecting cameras, better known as light-based intervention systems." said William Robinson, Police Chief for East Orange. He added, "The message to criminals is, we're observing you, the police are recording you, and the police are responding."
As Robinson mentioned, other "pre-crime" measures have been deployed both in the UK and United States, as well as other countries. Talking cameras in the UK bark orders at "anti-social" offenders, while the Homeland Stasi here has partnered with Intellistreets to release "smart" street lights capable of saving energy while monitoring & recording citizens, as well as displaying government-mandated emergency alerts on digital banners.
Now "pre-crime" spotlights that bathe surveillance targets in a criminally-branded red color will help complete the circle of preemptive suspicion.
Plus, police squad cars also scan the license plates of every single vehicle they pass, checking them against a variety of lists, from terrorist monitor lists, to unpaid parking tickets, warrants and more. Officers can then pull over vehicles that match watch lists, even if the driver has committed no violations to draw attention from the patrol vehicle.
Further, cameras tied into police video monitor stations can also be accessed from squad cars; officers can zoom in on nearby locations to determine if a situation is underway, or if a suspect can be identified. The red light is intended to help track a would-be criminal once surveillance is already underway.