Long Island town unveils ‘Big Brother’ command center — leading some to warn of ‘Orwellian police state’
TL;DR
Smithtown, Long Island, has launched a centralized surveillance hub with over 250 cameras, enabling real-time monitoring and automated alerts, sparking Orwellian concerns among residents.
Source: New York Post
Some residents of a Long Island town are getting Orwellian vibes after the local government quietly rolled out a massive surveillance system where cops in one master control room can tap into live feeds from hundreds of cameras, read license plates and track motions. The high-tech hub, unveiled in Smithtown (pop. 116,000+) this month, allows public safety officials to pull real-time feeds from over 250 cameras across town parks, marinas and municipal buildings, track vehicle movements, and even receive automated alerts in progress — all from one centralized command center. “Big Brother is here and is watching — there’s no denying it,” a resident quipped, comparing the system to the all-seeing surveillance eye that watches people’s every move in George Orwell’s dystopian novel, “1984.” Full Story