Middlesbrough names and shames antisocial behaviour on the fly
Be careful littering, skateboarding or fighting in Middlesbrough – talking CCTV cameras have arrived to tell you off. Control room operators surveil various parts of the downtown, and if they see anyone misbehaving – from drinking in public to riding a bicycle on the sidewalk – they activate a loudspeaker and instruct the offender to stop. Mr Bonner said: ‘We always make the requests polite, and if the offender obeys, the operator adds ‘thank you’. We think that’s a nice finishing touch.’ Mayor Ray Mallon (nicknamed ‘Robocop’) believes the talking cameras will dramatically cut not just anti-social behaviour, but violent crime, too. [GT]
Big Brother is shouting at you [via SciFi]
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