Results tagged “heritagefoundation”

We've been hearing about a plan to increase security downtown by placing security cameras and license plate readers in Lower Manhattan, "ring of steel"-style for a while, but now the NY Times has word on when it'll happen. According to police officials, more than 100 cameras will be in place by the end of the year and if it's fully financed, over 3,000 private and public cameras will be up and running. From the Times:

Three thousand surveillance cameras would be installed below Canal Street by the end of 2008, about two-thirds of them owned by downtown companies. Some of those are already in place. Pivoting gates would be installed at critical intersections; they would swing out to block traffic or a suspect car at the push of a button.

Continue reading "You're On Lower Manhattan Security Initiative Camera!"

Since 9/11 an unpopular new form of urban sculpture has appeared around town in the form of security barriers and planters. Nearly 70 buildings around town added them without government funding, only to now be told to take them away. Though the barriers seemed like a good idea initially to owners of many "at risk" buildings, they have quickly proven to be little more than a deterrent for pedestrians (not to mention giant ashtrays for office drones).

“Physical barriers in New York City really aren’t very practical,” said James Jay Carafano, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation specializing in homeland security. “Trying to childproof America is a really dumb idea. The most cost-effective thing to do is to keep terrorists out.”