baltimoresun.com - 24-hour camera surveillance in city is part of bigger plan
This is cute:
Financed by homeland security grants, new network aimed at fighting terrorists as much as drug dealers
By Doug Donovan
Sun Staff
Originally published June 10, 2004
From the Inner Harbor to the Bay Bridge, local and state homeland security authorities are beginning to build a regional network of 24-hour surveillance cameras that will first go live this summer in Baltimore.

The closed-circuit video surveillance system of public spaces will begin in the Inner Harbor by summer's end, and a $2 million federal grant accepted by the city yesterday will expand the cameras into downtown's west side by early November.

"We're trying to build a regional network of cameras," said Dennis R. Schrader, director of homeland security for Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.

What of privacy concerns raised by groups opposed to cameras constantly monitored by retired police officers or college students?

"We're at war," Schrader said.

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There's more, so by all means read it all. But I bolded that last little bit to show how cavalier government officials are about privacy these days. Gated community leaders will have to get busy if they are going to even keep pace with the security measures now in place in many major cities. The old days when the GC types had the edge are long gone. Soon you will be under more surveillance walking in downtown Chicago or Baltimore than when you enter Security Pointe Villas.