] Tampa police have scrapped their controversial security
] camera system that scanned city streets for criminals,
] citing its failure over two years to recognize anyone
] wanted by authorities.
]
] The system was intended to recognize the facial
] characteristics of felons, sexual predators and runaway
] children by matching passers-by in Ybor City with a
] database of 30,000 mug shots.
]
] "It's just proven not to have any benefit to us," Capt.
] Bob Guidara, a department spokesman, said Tuesday. The
] cameras have led only to arrests for such crimes as drug
] deals.
]
] Tampa was the first city in the United States to install
] the permanent camera surveillance system along public
] streets and the technology was used during the 2001 Super
] Bowl.
]
] Critics welcomed the end of the program.
]
] "It's a relief," said Darlene Williams, chairwoman of the
] Greater Tampa Chapter of the ACLU. "Any time you have
] this sort of technology on public streets, you are
] subjecting people who come to Ybor to an electronic
] police lineup, without any kind of probable cause."

YAY!! Chalk up a win for civil liberties... at least for now. If in say 5 to 10 years the facial recogition biometrics have improved substantially, expect us to face this beast all over again.

LB

Tampa police eliminate controversial facial-recognition system