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The Daily OrangeOfficials: Cameras will not violate privacy
By Dara Kahn
Posted: 10/30/07, 11:46 PM EST Section: News
Surveillance cameras appear to be everywhere, and Syracuse University's campus will soon be no different.
Intended as a tool to combat crime, the centralized closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera surveillance system will be monitored both by a computer and a dispatcher at the Department of Public Safety.
But the prevalence of an omnipresent eye raises questions about its intended uses and when it crosses the line between safety and privacy. Most people, however, agree that the security benefits it provides would outweigh issues of privacy, especially in a post-9/11 and post-Virginia Tech world.
"A few students mentioned to me some of these things might infringe on their privacy," said Student Association President Ryan Kelly. "But when you go to a private institution, you give up a lot of these rights."
Paul Gandel, vice president for information technology and services, said the cameras will only be used in public spaces.
"All the cameras do is enhance the reach of public safety so that they patrol more areas at once," Gandel said in an e-mail.
These spaces, in the order of which they will be phased in, include all entrances and exits of residence halls, including fire exits, roadways, walkways, parking lots and garages. They will be installed on both North and South campuses and will concurrently be linked to existing cameras, said DPS Chief Anthony Callisto.
But on South, where student apartments are near roads that may eventually have surveillance cameras, some worry the cameras will be used to curb underage drinking.
"There always can be an abuse of systems, as with anything," Kelly said. "Any illegal activity on a surveillance camera is fair game. But if you're dumb enough to be drinking in front of cameras, it's your fault."
Barry Wells said the system's intent is to curtail criminal activity, not to send students to the Office of Judicial Affairs.
"The system is not designed to infringe upon the rights of students or to try to bring in people who are drinking," the senior vice president and dean of student affairs said. "We have to provide assurances to students it will be used for certain purposes."
Intended as a tool to combat crime, the centralized closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera surveillance system will be monitored both by a computer and a dispatcher at the Department of Public Safety.
But the prevalence of an omnipresent eye raises questions about its intended uses and when it crosses the line between safety and privacy. Most people, however, agree that the security benefits it provides would outweigh issues of privacy, especially in a post-9/11 and post-Virginia Tech world.
"A few students mentioned to me some of these things might infringe on their privacy," said Student Association President Ryan Kelly. "But when you go to a private institution, you give up a lot of these rights."
Paul Gandel, vice president for information technology and services, said the cameras will only be used in public spaces.
"All the cameras do is enhance the reach of public safety so that they patrol more areas at once," Gandel said in an e-mail.
These spaces, in the order of which they will be phased in, include all entrances and exits of residence halls, including fire exits, roadways, walkways, parking lots and garages. They will be installed on both North and South campuses and will concurrently be linked to existing cameras, said DPS Chief Anthony Callisto.
But on South, where student apartments are near roads that may eventually have surveillance cameras, some worry the cameras will be used to curb underage drinking.
"There always can be an abuse of systems, as with anything," Kelly said. "Any illegal activity on a surveillance camera is fair game. But if you're dumb enough to be drinking in front of cameras, it's your fault."
Barry Wells said the system's intent is to curtail criminal activity, not to send students to the Office of Judicial Affairs.
"The system is not designed to infringe upon the rights of students or to try to bring in people who are drinking," the senior vice president and dean of student affairs said. "We have to provide assurances to students it will be used for certain purposes."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Scott Smyth
posted 10/31/07 @ 2:10 PM EST
Installing cameras on campus under the guise of "Crime Prevention" is wrong and violates the privacy of individuals. Syracuse University has no right to become a "Big Brother" watchdog, especially considering the fact that most robberies etc, occur off campus where the cameras would not be. (Continued…)
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