Balance public concerns, police technology

From Smart-Grid:

Smile. You're on Big Brother's camera.

There is something creepy about how advances in technology can be used to watch the comings and goings of innocent Americans. Cameras have been posted at intersections to snap photos of cars that speed through red lights. Monitors have been pointed at public streets, public sidewalks and public parks where drugs and crime have run rampant.

Now a device that allows authorities to capture and process more than 100,000 license-plate images in an hour is being employed around the country. When a match with a stolen car or some other warrant is found, an alert is issued, often leading to an arrest Yes, there is something creepy about it, but there is also something comforting about it.