A new traffic camera that gives Chicago police a 360-degree view of an area is being hit as a way to potentially track people with no ties to criminal activity.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported Wednesday that the American Civil Liberties Union in the state raised concern about using cameras from Xerox State & Local Solutions, while city officials insist they are not abusing citizens’ rights.
The new technology can allow police to monitor a car for 100 feet, compared to just 10 feet under the current system, the report said.
Adam Schartz, a senior attorney at the ACLU, told the paper, in part, that the traffic camera system that offers a 360-degree view is not part of traffic enforcement, "but is for other purposes."
A police spokesman told the paper that the department is only using the cameras for “legitimate law-enforcement purposes and investigation.” The article pointed out that Chicago has one of the most extensive camera systems in the nation.
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