Intellectual Property Law

Obama Stimulus Buys $8M in Airport Spy Cameras

By Ryan Singel

Five domestic airports will share nearly $8 million worth of new surveillance cameras, thanks to the Obama administration’s stimulus package, the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday.

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Ronald Reagan Washington National, Spokane International, Gerald R. Ford International and Boise, Idaho airports will split $7.7 million for advanced closed-circuit surveillance systems, according to DHS chief Janet Napolitano.

“State-of-the-art surveillance technology provides another critical layer of security at our airports,” said Napolitano. “These projects will inject critical Recovery Act dollars into our local economies and create sophisticated security networks designed to detect threats and aid our emergency response efforts.”

DHS has spent more than 20 percent of the $3 billion assigned to it by February’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will likely have given out half the money by the end of September, according to DHS. One third of that money is alloted to the Transportation Security Administration for aviation security projects.

It’s not clear how many jobs will be created by the new cameras, but even if the economy stagnates, at the $8 million in new spying gear will guarantee that there will be something to watch on television. At least there will be if you have the clearances to be on the right side of the camera.

Photo: Flickr/Smith

See Also:

• Report: U.S. Surveillance Society Running Rampant
• City Wants Surveillance Cameras to Record Every License Plate …
• $30000 Will Buy Your Name on a Surveillance Camera
• California Police Camera Surveillance Increasing
• Routes of Least Surveillance
• Surveillance Works Both Ways
• Wired 9.12: The Surveillance Society

Full post as published by Threat Level on July 28, 2009 (boomark / email).