PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Pittsburgh City Council ready to purchase robotic spy equipment.
by stephen donahue Monday, Mar. 27, 2006 at 1:28 PM

Grant from US Department of Justice to fund the purchase

Pittsburgh City Council is considering Bill No. 2006-0226 which is a resolution calling for the purchase of robotic cameras and related software for “public safety purposes.” The city will use grant money from the United States Department of Justice to the tune of $1,114,716.92 to purchase this new spy ware from Smiths Detection-LiveWave Inc.

In their own promotional literature Smiths Detection-LiveWave claims to be a, “leading provider of intelligent digital video surveillance solutions.” LiveWave further states that they, “enable interoperability among Federal, State and local agencies to securely connect to expansive networks of live and archived video feeds for the purpose of integrated incident and special events management.”

Council will likely claim that robotic surveillance equipment will come in handy during the upcoming All Star game and associated festivities happening in the city this July. Where will these robotic cameras be deployed otherwise? LiveWave has contracts now with the US Department of Defense, the US Department of Energy, the US Department of Homeland Security and some major public transit entities like DC Metro. LiveWave is also employed for “border protection.”

Pittsburgh City Council does not make purchases for the Port Authority so this equipment is clearly being purchased for police surveillance.

There was much surveillance and photo taking at a special event on Saturday March 18, 2006 – an anti-war march and rally. The purchase of this equipment will make government surveillance of political dissent activities much easier and more widespread. Perhaps this robotic spy equipment will also be used to monitor undesirables in the downtown cultural district like homeless folks and high school kids.

Not too long ago the Pittsburgh City Council passed a resolution confronting provisions of the USA Patriot Act. Perhaps this was all just a bunch of nice words and bull shit.

On a related note the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership will soon be using a $200,000 federal grant to hire 8 “Safety Ambassadors” who will walk around downtown and network with the Zone 2 police station. Yep, 8 Safety Ambassador spies.