A UK businessman is recruiting volunteers to watch live CCTV footage over the web, then alert police to alleged criminal activity…and win a possible cash prize as ‘Spotter of the Month’.
Tony Morgan’s company, Internet Eyes, is the future, he believes: an army of volunteer spies monitoring live CCTV footage online and dobbing in fellow citizens.
Best crime spotter of the month will win 1000 pounds ($1800)…more than 10,000 recruits had signed up by early December.
Internet Eyes launches in early 2010. It will depend on volunteers actually monitoring the images on their computers…and on police following up any leads the volunteers provide.
There are 4.2 million CCTV cameras in Britain. In London, there are more CCTV cameras than any other city in the world, with one camera for every eight Londoners.