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Chicago to add 70 more surveillance cameras Andy Shaw / ABC | April 26 2006 Chicago Mayor Richard Daley will be traveling to Israel this week as part of his trip to the Middle East. The mayor will look at security in the region hoping to find ways to better protect Chicago from a terrorist attack. Despite terrorist bombings in Jordan last year,
in Israel last week, and in Egypt Monday, the mayor is not canceling
or postponing his trip to one of the world's most dangerous areas. He
is actually visiting Israel to learn about security from the experts,
and he is going to Amman, Jordan, which is waging a constant battle
of its own against terrorism. "Chicago is a leader of the use of surveillance cameras to deter and detect crimes. Today we are unveiling the newest generation," Mayor Richard Daley The mayor showcased one of the 70 brand new portable surveillance cameras that can be moved quickly from one hot spot to another based on crime patterns and intelligence reports. Daley's preoccupation with safety and security, in the wake of the 9-11 bombings, is taking him on a major fact-finding trip to a perennial hot spot, the Middle East, over the next two weeks. He will begin in one of Chicago's sister cities, Amman, Jordan, and continue on to the Israeli cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv for intensive briefings in what is arguably the most security-conscious country in the world. "Unfortunately, it's almost like civil war, the attitude people have against a Jew," said Daley. Daley says he never considered canceling or postponing the trip, despite last week's terrorist bombing in northern Israel, the anxiety following the political victory of Hamas militants in the nearby Palestinian territories and a bombing Monday at a tourist site in Egypt. "If everybody decided not to travel because of an incident in a city, state or country, you would shut down commerce across the world," the mayor said. "They are doing the best they can. Of course the mayor will feel safe," said Andy Davis, Israeli consulate. Daley is visiting Jordan in part to reciprocate for King Abdullah's visit to Chicago in 2004, and Jordanian officials are equally confident about safety in Amman, despite the terrorist bombings of three tourist hotels last year. "I think they took more measures, and I'm confident everything will be fine for the mayor," said Ihsan Sweiss, Jordanian consulate. The mayor is taking his wife Maggie, and a couple of aids, but not a big contingent of security personnel from police, fire and the 911 center. They may go over later, and even though the focus of the trip is security, there is time for ceremonial events with the local dignitaries and trips to the top tourist attractions, including Petra in Jordan and the Old City of Jerusalem. The additional cameras will bring to 170 the number of pole-mounted security cameras used by emergency officials and police to monitor public areas including sidewalks and streets. Daley says cameras are another set of eyes keeping watch over neighborhoods and can especially disrupt the activities of drug dealers. He made the announcement at a school in the neighborhood of Englewood. Authorities say the nearly $1.7 million cost of the cameras will be covered by drug-related forfeitures. Officials say they are still determining exactly where to install the new cameras, although they said some would be placed near high schools. (The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved.) ---------------------------------------------------
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