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Security cameras to keep an eye on entire lakefront

Security cameras to keep an eye on entire lakefront

February 11, 2005

BY FRAN SPIELMAN
City Hall Reporter

Surveillance cameras capable of spotting suspicious or unusual activity will be installed from one end of Lake Shore Drive to the other -- and all along Chicago's lakefront -- under a new "Homeland Security grid" unveiled Thursday.

One day after a $53 million settlement with RCN Cable gave City Hall the fiber-optic network it needs to install anti-bioterrorism sensors, a top mayoral aide disclosed plans for an integrated network that will serve multiple purposes, including traffic control and public safety.

Chicago already has 20 red-light cameras and 2,000 surveillance cameras, soon to be augmented by 250 more, linked by a single software network capable of spotting suspicious activity, expressway stalls and traffic accidents.

Now, the number of lakefront cameras will more than triple, with many of the new cameras in place by this summer. That not only provides blanket coverage along Lake Shore Drive from the Evanston border all the way to 67th Street, where the roadway turns into South Shore Drive, it will provide an added level of protection for the 26 miles of lakefront, one of Chicago's most popular and enduring tourist attractions.

'Highest level of security'
"That means if you have a boater in trouble, we could instantly get a visual guide to police and fire right where they're needed. If we had an accident or car breakdown on Lake Shore Drive, we'd be able to dispatch a tow truck to minimize traffic delays," said Ron Huberman, executive director of the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications.

In the summer, Huberman noted, it's not uncommon to have hundreds of thousands of people enjoying the lakefront, from the Air and Water Show to Taste of Chicago and daily recreational use.

"Navy Pier is one of our largest tourist destinations. We want to provide the highest level of safety in those areas where we have huge amounts of people," he said.

Ties into traffic system
Last month, the Chicago Sun-Times reported on Mayor Daley's ambitious plan to follow the high-tech trail blazed by Los Angeles by using closed-circuit cameras and traffic-detecting devices linked to a central computer to minimize congestion.

The 900-mile Homeland Security grid is a major step toward that goal. It will not only provide, what Huberman calls a "virtual shield" that serves as an early warning of a terrorist attack. Thanks to a $5 million Homeland Security grant, it will link all of the city's traffic lights and traffic sensors into a single network that feeds into the newly opened Operations Center at the 911 building.

"The Chicago Department of Transportation has part of it. The CTA has a piece. So does the Office of Emergency Management and Communications," Huberman said. "We're streamlining it into one grid. "We do that by connecting the fibers and developing one, customized software package to monitor and manage the grid," Huberman said.
 
 

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