Engadget is reporting that New York City will soon be under the watchful eyes of a London style "surveillance veil" consisting of thousands of video cameras monitoring people and vehicles. The "Lower Manhattan Security Initiative" will have more than 100 cameras in place by years end. The cameras will be capable of reading license plates and enable authorities to send out alerts if suspect vehicles are detected. The move is the start of a greater plan which will eventually see 3000 or so cameras by end of next year, as well as a series of gates that will be installed at intersections, giving the city the ability to block off traffic at the push of a button. The project which is being hotly debated on Engadget, is expected to be in full operation by 2010.
