City's Cameras Not a Pretty Picture

Three years and $14M later, the city ends its video-support contract with Unisys. Now what?

By Aaron Kase
Add Comment Add Comment | Comments: 8 | Posted Aug. 10, 2010

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The police can also view cameras operated by SEPTA, the Streets Department and PennDOT, which provides roughly 1,000 additional eyes on the street, Woltemate says.

The city still wants to install more cameras to increase the number to 250, with the hope of someday reaching 500. James says a bid could go out by the end of the month for companies to hang additional cameras. But first, the current system needs to be fully armed and operational, a status that has has proved elusive for years now.

“It’s beyond me,” Woltemate says on getting more cameras online. “We’ll have to wait on the city.”

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COMMENTS

Comments 1 - 8 of 8
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1. hehe said... on Aug 11, 2010 at 02:30AM

“I love this story”

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2. DROPed Currupt City Council said... on Aug 11, 2010 at 01:45PM

“How much more can we rape the citizens of Philly for? Let's pass some more legislation and see. We're City council. Voters are too dumb to vote us out!!!”

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3. pete said... on Aug 11, 2010 at 05:56PM

“Cameras are great, more more more, everywhere.
As a person who has been robbed a handful of times
I could not agree more with camera surveillance
saturating the city for the maintenance of law and order.
Lets cut the PC ,"civil rights" crap out and start solving
problems with brutal efficiency.”

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4. fire city hall said... on Aug 12, 2010 at 03:43PM

“lets put cameras in front of all of the elected people , lets watch them 24hrs a day. people dont be slow the cameras arent to deter crime , they are there to control the people, with cameras, you dont need cops,lets follow ed rendell, nutter, city council, state senate, city, commissoners, stop beliving them, they are the reason the city and country is now third world, we must vote out every polotician that has served more than 2 terms”

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5. summer said... on Aug 17, 2010 at 03:23AM

“Orchid Casino
African Palace Casino
Canadian Dollar Bingo
Megabet Casino
The Palaces Bingo and Casino
Go 4 Millions Casino
Old Chicago Casino
Power Vegas

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6. tnieves said... on Aug 31, 2010 at 01:00PM

“wow, so thats it?”

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7. Anonymous said... on Jun 22, 2012 at 08:56AM

“Someone should go an hour north an check out the City of Allentown's video surveillance system. 110 wireless HD PTZ Cameras successfuly functioning on a project that began in 2007.
The company that won that project beat out Unysis for this project in 2007, and as a resident of Allentown, I am very thankful.
http://comsysinc.com/about_Mayor2010.html”

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8. GlanceInto said... on Dec 12, 2012 at 09:30AM

“This is such a crock. WIreless camera technology is 100% available, affordable, and reliable. Laying down fiber and more wires to support these cameras is such an incredible waste of money, time, and resources. Like "Anonymous" stated, ALlentown and several other cities have successfully contracted out their camera surveillance systems with success. $14 million is so incredibly ridiculous! It is 2012 - everything streams video over wireless wifi/cellular/broadband networks. This is a JOKE.”

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