Video Surveillance Center Set to Open in Atlanta, Georgia

A state-of-the-art video monitoring center is scheduled to open this week in Atlanta, police said.

The downtown video integration center is funded by a mix of private donations and public money, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Already, it has given Atlanta police access to video from more than 100 public and private security cameras, authorities said.

Officials say discussions are being held to link up with even more cameras at CNN Center, Georgia State University, the Georgia World Congress Center and MARTA, along with cameras in the Buckhead area.

“This is just the beginning,” said Dave Wilkinson, president of the Atlanta Police Foundation, which helped raise money for the center.

“This is going to grow by leaps and bounds over the years,” Wilkinson said. “The goal, of course, is to have the entire city blanketed.”

Supporters say the cameras help deter crime if criminals know their actions might be caught on video. They also say it might be possible to never lose sight of a suspect after a crime occurs.

Critics say the cameras raise serious privacy concerns.

“We’re talking about filming every aspect of people’s lives once they step out of the house,” said Brett Bittner, executive director of the Libertarian Party of Georgia.