NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 21: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg stands with family membrs of Sandy Hook shooting victims at a press conference for gun control legislation on March 21, 2013 in New York City. Bloomberg was joined by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden at the city hall event. Credit: Getty Images
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is giving Americans an advanced warning that their right to privacy is quickly expiring. In about five years, "there'll be cameras every place," the mayor said Friday during an appearance on the John Gambling radio show.
Further, when he was asked about the implications of domestic drones, Bloomberg said "you can't keep the tides from coming in."
"We're going to have more visibility and less privacy. I just don't see how you could stop that," he added.
Anyone who has been to New York knows that the NYPD already has hundreds of cameras set up at various spots around the city. However, Bloomberg said there's no reason law enforcement can't use drones up in the sky for surveillance too.
"It's scary, but what's the difference if a drone is up in the air or on a building," he remarked. "I mean, intellectually, I have trouble making a distinction. And you know you're going to have face recognition software. People are working on that."
Bloomberg then made his ominous prediction that in about five years "there'll be cameras every place." But he would also like to see "speed cameras" approved in Albany so police can catch all motorists who are going too fast on city streets.
What does the NYC mayor say to people who argue against turning government into "big brother?"
"Get used to it," he said. "When there's a murder, a shooting, a robbery of something the first thing the police do is go to every single building in the neighborhood and say let's see your security camera."
He still went on: "We should have red light cameras everyplace, why not?" Bloomberg continued. "If you break the law, why not do it? And we should not use our police officers for that. Our police officers have too much to do. They put their lives in danger all the time. ... It isn't gonna result in any fewer police officers being employed. It'll just make them more valuable because they can work on more important stuff, like bringing crime down or preventing crime to begin with."
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