New York’s MTA to put Security Cameras on SubwayTrain

By the end of 2009, CCTV Security Cameras will be all over one New York City subway train. The surveillance cameras will be placed in every corner of each car, so that no space is left unmonitored. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has not said which train or line will have the cameras, but the agency says the experimental surveillance program will help aid emergency officials in the case of an emergency and the presence of cameras should make criminals think twice about committing a crime. In a post 9/11 world, authorities say the cameras are also an important part of the war against terror. It is thought that the installation of the cameras will also help with legal problems by helping authorities piece together a timeline and facts that lead to incidents and accidents. MTA has paid millions of dollars in damages due to lawsuits from injured passengers in the past.

Because of financial reasons and despite pleas from advocates, the cameras will not be monitored in real time but the filmed footage will be stored in a central database. About 2,500 cameras are currently installed throughout the subway system, but not on the actual trains. Many of them are passenger identification cameras which are located at turnstiles in over 100 stations.