Council bugs lampposts to tackle noise pests

[emad]

Matt Weaver
Wednesday May 4, 2005

A council has installed electronic listening equipment on its streets in a new attempt to tackle antisocial behaviour, it emerged today.

Westminster council insisted it was not trying to introduce Big Brother-style surveillance since its new microphones would only monitor noise levels not actual conversations.

But it confirmed that this week seven "noise monitoring stations" have been installed in London's Soho in an attempt to make the area's bars less rowdy. It also plans to set up similar devices on two of its biggest housing estates - Churchill Gardens in Pimlico and the Lisson Grove estate in Marylebone.

The equipment will be housed in 3ft boxes attached to lampposts.

http://society.guardian.co.uk/drugsandalcohol/story/0,8150,1476223,00.html

OUTSIDE HERE?

[formerrepuke]

1. I wouldn't mind one- if it would help monitor the noise from car

audio systems.

[Straight Shooter]

2. Hear hear. And let's add audio systems from rude neighbors' houses.

And their screaming children.

:banghead:

[sweetheart]

6. yea, and motorcycles, and lawnmowers, hear hear!

Dogs and people are hardly the noise problem.... There are some roads
in west london that are deafening from the traffic. And nearer to
heathrow airport, the noise from aircraft is quite significant as well.

I like the idea, and hope they focus on ALL noise.

[DrDebug]

3. And what good will that do?

Except for listening in and spying on people, it'll have no use as far as drunken behavior goes.

Ever watched what drunken people do when they see a security camera. They suddenly lose what is left of their brain and act even more silly in front of the camera...

[Alpharetta]

4. There's some neat software out there to detect anger

It is used in call centers to notify supervisors when customers are upset. It doesn't analyze words, it analyzes other things. Interruptions, tonalities, derisiveness, clipped words, punched words, etc.

Maybe it should be used on ALL phone conversations. Why should only our streets be safe of anti-social behavior?

[bennywhale]

5. Orwell was nostradamus

By that logic why don't we put a camera and microphone in everyones home. It would detect child abuse, planning of crime etc. In fact why don't we just fit everyone with a microphone. Problem solved No Crime.

We are walking into a nightmare.

"The price of freedom is Eternal Vigilance"