Houston, Texas, Surveillance in

Houston, Texas, is the United States’ fourth largest city (in terms of population) and home to more than 2 million people. It is also one of the many cities worldwide with municipal video surveillance systems in public places. Indeed, the Houston Chronicle reported in late 2014 that a person out [Page 480]in public in Houston might be on camera 90% of the time. These surveillance systems have been instrumental in detecting and responding to terroristic threats and incidents. They have also been instrumental in catching different types of violent and nonviolent offenders, including persons committing theft, vandalism, defacement of property (e.g., with graffiti), kidnapping, assault, and illegal dumping.

Along with their role in crime fighting, these video surveillance systems also assist with performing services for stranded ...