Surveillance In Western New York: Safety Or Intrusion?

It seems we’re learning more about the ways that big brother and big business want to watch just about everything you do and everywhere you go. From local governments being caught using spyware to keep an eye on people they don’t like, to police agencies from California to New York and everywhere in between keeping databases about our daily activities, it’s becoming harder every single day to live an off-grid life.

Even one of our favorite grocery store chains is using facial recognition and AI to keep an eye on people they deem concerning.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like this trend is going away anytime soon, especially because local police departments right here in Western New York are asking for permission to access your home security cameras.

Police In Buffalo, Tonawanda, and More Want Access To Your Security Cameras

Several police agencies around the region have a voluntary program in which they request that residents register their home security cameras with them. According to data published by the Police Agencies in Buffalo, Amherst, Kenmore, the Town of Tonawanda, and more, they claim this allows them to better fight crime, being able to know who has cameras and where they are located.

Buffalo SafeCam is the Buffalo Police Department’s newest crime investigation and prevention tool… The goal of the Buffalo SafeCam program is to promote public safety in collaboration between the Buffalo Police Department and the citizens of Buffalo.
-Buffalo Police Department

While it seems benign enough on the surface, considering that Big Brother already maintains a massive database of information about us, do we truly trust our local police departments with access to our home camera systems?

What do you think? Is this an effective crime-fighting tool or another example of government overreach?