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Surveillance of Nottingham City Centre [Update]

Tash [alan lodge] | 20.01.2009 16:29 | Repression | Technology

Since there have been a number of 'CCTV events in Nottingham recently [reports on the Notts newswire and features], I thought I'd take this opportunity to show you some of my more recent work on the subject, describing some of the technological advances that are proceeding apace.

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2006/03/335022.html

Earlier, in December 2005, I went on a walk-about with Artist and designer Jez Noond of Nottingham Trent University. He has produced a complex map of Nottingham city centre CCTV charting the different networks in use and the extent of coverage. It shows their overlap of fields of view and how they triangulate almost any position in Nottingham city centre.
Short Sharp Shots: A Tour of CCTV in Nottingham City Centre.

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2005/12/329575.html

Nottingham city centre is one of the most heavily surveyed places on the face of the earth, outside of London. All in aid of 'crime reduction policies' they say.

All in aid of 'crime reduction policies' they say. Newham in East London is still streets ahead though [i think] with its system that involves the Mandrake Facial Recognition System. They have been testbeding it for a few years now. All very expensive of course, which means I think, a displacement of crime to other areas. Not as advertised, 'crime reduction' when measured 'in total'.

Face Recognition - More than you think!

http://www.morethanyouthink.com/security/mandrake.html

In addition to the 'civic' and police cameras, there are of course, loads of cameras outside of shops, bars, transport termini, mobile on the buses, trains and trams. As compression and bandwith advances, the internet will allow the combining of ALL of the sources, to the various control rooms. All this before I even get round to telling you about the ID card Database.

http://www.nottingham-defy-id.org.uk and the convergence of those technologies with CCTV in the street. Scary eh?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sousveillance

Inverse surveillance, sometimes known by the neologism "hierarchical sousveillance" ("seeing from below" hierarchically), refers to the recording or monitoring of real or apparent authority figures by others, particularly those who are generally the subject of surveillance. Steve Mann, who coined the term, describes it as "watchful vigilance from underneath". (The term stems from the contrasting French words sur, meaning "above", and sous, meaning "below", i.e. "surveillance" denotes the "eye-in-the-sky" watching from above, whereas "sousveillance" denotes bring the camera or other means of observation down to human level.)

The more general concept of sousveillance goes beyond just inverse surveillance and the associated 20th Century political "us versus them" framework for citizens to photograph police, shoppers to photograph shopkeepers, or passengers to photograph taxicab drivers. Just in case THey do something wrong, you understand .....

Some of my earlier work on the subject:

Surveillance of Nottingham City Centre

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2006/03/335022.html

Nottinghamshire Police Surveillance Vehicles and Evidence Gathering

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2005/08/320469.html

Prime Minister visits Nottingham University :: Surveillance Operations

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/01/331596.html

Nottingham Fossil Fools Blockade E.On Offices Surveillance and Specialist Equipment

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/04/395429.html

Surveillance at Demo at Heckler & Koch weapons manufacturers HQ in Nottingham

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/398414.html

CPO's with HeadCam, at protests against deportation of Amdani Juma

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/06/400142.html

CCTV 'Treasure Hunt' around Nottingham

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/01/419329.html

Nottingham PCSO Watch - Office of Community Sousveillance

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/01/419347.html

Watching the watchers in Nottingham [Feature]

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/01/419530.html

In December 2005, I went on a walk-about with Artist and designer Jez Noond of Nottingham Trent University. He has produced a complex map of Nottingham city centre CCTV charting the different networks in use and the extent of coverage. It shows their overlap of fields of view and how they triangulate almost any position in Nottingham city centre.
Short Sharp Shots: A Tour of CCTV in Nottingham City Centre

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2005/12/329575.html

*****

Surveillance Camera Players

http://www.notbored.org/the-scp.html

Nottingham Defy-ID Active resistance against UK ID cards and the National Identity Register

http://www.nottingham-defy-id.org.uk

Privacy International 'Big Brother Awards'

http://www.gn.apc.org/tash/big_brother.htm

I say be afraid, be very afraid ......

____________________________________________
ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email:

tash@indymedia.org
Member of the National Union of Journalists [No: 014345]
____________________________________________
"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
___________________________________________

Tash [alan lodge]
e-mail: tash@indymedia.org

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

You can view the output of some cameras

20.01.2009 17:13

You can view the output of some cameras. The camera [15th pic down] is mounted [just to the left of centre], on the freeze above the Council House overlooking all of the Market Square.

The council makes a low-res image available on their itsnottingham.info webpage at:

Old Market Square Webcam

http://www.itsnottingham.info/NOTTM_CAMERA_OMS.jpg

Also, Nottingham Travelwise 'traffic cameras' can be viewed at:

http://www.itsnottingham.info/mapping/cctv.asp

.... unless of course, there is anything interesting going on, when they are likely to be turned off :-)

Unable to afford a proper camera crew and equipment ....

20.01.2009 18:12

The Get Out Clause, A Manchester Band

Unable to afford a proper camera crew and equipment, The Get Out Clause, an unsigned band from the city, decided to make use of the cameras seen all over British streets. With an estimated 13 million CCTV cameras in Britain, suitable locations were not hard to come by.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=W2iuZMEEs_A

Reports say the band used the Freedom of Information Act, to get CCTV footage from various authorities. Im pretty sure this is an error, since I think the relevent law is the 'Subject Access Requests' made under section 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/ukpga_19980029_en_3#pt2-l1g7

Tash

wrecking the square

21.01.2009 11:42

Looking at the CCTV _ How much did it cost for them to wreck Slab Square? Like other parts of the country and around Europe they rip out seatings, gardens and meeting places and replace them with wind tunnels and surveillance equipment. They do not want people to congregate. Youths gathering outside the local chip shop? shudder...Lets hoper Captain Ludd returns home to rip out the instruments of fascist control and for the mob to lynch those bastards in the council house.

ReclaimHockley

What are the non-camera devices in the 10th picture down?

21.01.2009 14:55

The 10th picture down

What are the non-camera devices in the 10th picture down? (See attached re-upload)

Invisible Monkey

to explain .....

21.01.2009 20:32

CCTV cameras are of 2 types, in their transmissions of images. Most are by cable. This example [and there are a few in nottm suburbs] are wireless 'microwave' links. Some of the camera poles will have a 'dish', squarial, or whatever, on the top of the pole. They are then aimed at assorted stations, sometimes to be relayed, and sometimes then to be further transmitted by cable. Hope this helps

Tash

So much for CCTV

22.01.2009 08:50

"CCTV cameras are of 2 types, in their transmissions of images. Most are by cable. This example [and there are a few in nottm suburbs] are wireless 'microwave' links."

So much for the 'closed circuit' in closed circuit tv! These wireless transmissions have been hacked by people with laptops and the transmitted images hijacked. This is in spite of the Data Protection Act stating that data holders should ensure the secure retention of data on people.

Can we sue the council?

Sousveiller

UK Indymedia