Juarez Panic-Button System Has Slow Start
El Paso, Texas, plans to roll out street cameras this year that will be used to catch motorists who run red lights. As far back as 2000, city officials had plans to install security cameras downtown, but ultimately dropped the idea over concerns that the city would become the target of lawsuits, filed by people expecting a greater degree of safety due to the presence of the cameras.
The new plan for using cameras to monitor traffic comes at a time when Mexico is rehabilitating street cameras, and pairing them with panic buttons that people can press when they feel that they are in danger.
Officials at the new Police Intelligence Center are able to monitor a surveillance camera feed in real time, as the panic button–a yellow button encased in a red tower–connects the caller to the 066 emergency system.
“We think the cameras work best when there is a way to communicate,” says Alejandro Ornelas, director of technology and communication network for the state’s public safety agency.
The Texas Department of Transportation uses some cameras to keep a close watch on traffic.
Students at the University of Texas at El Paso can use yellow call boxes on campus to reach campus police.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the El Paso Times (TX) (05/15/06); Gilot, Louie .
