That's the way it should be. But most often, surveillance and tracking are the norms and you "opt in" to privacy.
So, when I learned about SituCon cameras, I was intrigued. The SituCon surveillance system is built around Panasonic dome cameras with sliding "eye lids." The eyelids remain closed until a person in authority presses a wireless panic button.
The Port Washington Union Free School District in Port Washington, New York has deployed a SituCon system to protect students and staff.
Under normal circumstances, the protective covers are noticeably closed. It's only after a faculty member presses a wireless alert button that the covers slide open, exposing the cameras. Once this happens, video is simultaneously transmitted to a police dispatch center, to cruisers and to police smartphones.
I can't watch these cameras slide into action without thinking of the Eye of Sauron. (Sorry, it's the geek in me.) Only this time, it's not Christopher Lee in a Johnny Winter wig on the other end. It's a law enforcement professional who can now walk into a potentially deadly situation with eyes wide open.
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