Privacy versus safety should be easy choice

I for one value my privacy. The last few homes my wife and I have owned (and currently own) were far enough from neighbors that we had plenty of privacy and room to breathe, as I keep telling her. Yet we were close enough that we felt safe in case of an emergency.

I saw in a recent article the concern about using the license plate reader capability to track one’s whereabouts, habits, etc. Such critics must not own a cellphone or own a computer. Apple, Google and the like already have that information and use it for commercial purposes. While I value my privacy, I value my safety and that of my family more. I strongly support the reactivation of the cameras already in place and the installation of as many additional cameras as make practical sense.

I grew up in the Bay Area, East Oakland, to be precise. My neighborhood saw significant changes, many times for the worse.I don’t think there were or are many people that would even consider driving through my old stomping grounds for fear of, maybe, getting a flat and being stranded. I always bypass via the freeways and stay safe. I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that anyone who is more concerned about privacy than public safety has never lived in a “bad” neighborhood. They should go for a walk in one and ask residents how they feel about the cameras and the loss of privacy.

There are already guidelines in place to make sure that the technology will not be abused. To be honest, anyone that was or is concerned about their privacy has probably already provided input. The biggest problem with government is that so much time and money is spent on analysis that there is never enough money to get things done, and even then, it takes forever to get the little that is done, done.

Was the effort of a few years ago a waste of time? What will be accomplished or learned with six months of forums beyond what has been made public in the media already? Just do it, and protect citizens against crime, for God’s sake. There are, literally, lives at stake.

Jose Reynoso, College Area