Ripple Chairman’s project will aid the city’s police in combating crimes.
The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) has been authorized by the city’s Board of Supervisors to temporarily monitor feeds from a network of security cameras funded by Ripple’s Chairman and co-founder, Chris Larsen.
In a report today, local media outlet Protocol noted that the SFPD got the approval earlier this week. The development will allow the city’s law enforcement agency to tap into the camera’s live feed during the course of criminal investigations, and life-threatening emergencies, among other events.
Larsen Committed $4M to the Project:
Since 2012, Larsen has been funding the purchase and installation of a network of security cameras in San Francisco, the city where Ripple has its headquarters.
So far, he has spent a whopping $4 million on purchasing over 1,000 cameras, and they have been installed in various places to combat crimes in San Francisco. Some of the business districts the cameras are installed include Japantown, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Union Square, among others.
Commenting on the initiative that plans to allow SFPD to monitor feeds via the city’s security cameras, Larsen said:
“The decision reached by the SF Board of Directors strikes a reasonable balance to help with public safety while maintaining the proper controls to protect privacy and civil liberties which will ultimately make San Francisco a safer place for everyone.”
Despite funding the acquisition and installation of the cameras, Larsen cannot automatically grant the SFPD access to the camera because the network is currently run by different neighborhood coalitions called Community Benefit Districts.
Protocol noted that the districts would be responsible for deciding whether the SFPD would be given access to the networks; some members of these districts have already agreed to the development, Protocol said.
Some Groups Kick Against the Move
It is noteworthy that some groups have kicked against the development. These groups argue that the SFPD may abuse the opportunity to crack down on protesters and marginalized groups.
Jennifer Jones, staff attorney for the ACLU of Northern California, said:
“Civil rights are certainly under attack nationally, and it is concerning that San Francisco, which is the city that historically has been a refuge for the oppressed and a celebrated center of activism, would move to this policy forward.”
In addition, Jones said the approval is troubling given the number of cameras funded by just one person – Larsen.
“The fact that there is a very vast private camera surveillance network infrastructure already in place does make the passage of this policy very concerning,” Jones said.
Reacting to the development, the San Francisco Police Department stated the importance of cameras in combating crimes in the city.
“Cameras are necessary tools that can lead to the identification, arrest, and prosecution of individuals engaging in criminal activity in our city,” SFPD said in a statement on its website.
Ripple and Larsen’s Effort Toward Protecting the World
Meanwhile, Larsen and Ripple have been contributing positively to different projects that would result in a better world.
As reported, Larsen pledged $5 million to sponsor a campaign that could reduce global carbon activity. The Ripple co-founder hopes the campaign will prompt Bitcoin to change its code from an energy-demanding Proof-of-Work algorithm to a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus.
In a similar development, Ripple also committed a whopping $100 million toward developing carbon removal solutions.
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Source: https://thecryptobasic.com/2022/09/23/san-francisco-police-to-monitor-feeds-from-over-1000-cameras-funded-by-ripple-co-founder/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=san-francisco-police-to-monitor-feeds-from-over-1000-cameras-funded-by-ripple-co-founder