Surveillance
This is the last stop of the tour of GTA. The tour guide explained to us the use of surveillance here, and I don’t know how I feel about it. We get off the train and we are greeted with a massive building that looks like it does not have an end on either side. We entered the main doors and were greeted by white marble walls and escalators that were moving platforms from all directions, almost as if they were floating. We were directed to stand on one of the platforms that floated down in front of us and on the platform was a very organized directory, similar to what a mall used to have to locate a store. The guide types a couple of words, and the platform starts to move up what feels like over thirty floors. I grip the guardrails on the side of the platform with sweaty hands and shut my eyes so as not to think of how high we are going up into this building. When the platform finally stopped, I opened my eyes to see a set of metal doors with no windows.
The doors open and we enter a massive room full of screens, on each screen is labelled the last name and first initial of what I am assuming are citizens of GTA, along with a number, some going up to the thousands which I was then informed was a social insurance number. The tour guide explains that each person has almost forty-one thousand cameras on them at any given moment and they are all rolling 24/7. Here, we are presented with the camera angles of a caucasian lady by the name of Evina Fawn. She is a beautiful woman and she is sitting on her chair watching a virtual hologram of the news. The news anchor looks to be sitting right in her living room, telling her the programmed weather for the next month.
Her camera angles line the wall, angles one to forty-one thousand, just like the guide says. I didn’t know someone could have that many angles, I thought a circle only had 360 degrees. Even the angles one wouldn’t want to be seen are on display for us to admire. I’m not sure if I want to use the word admire, but it is fascinating the way this lecture hall size room is dedicated to the world of Evina Fawn. I slowly turn around and notice behind me that the room is almost full. Full of what seems to be students eagerly taking notes and armed security guards who are ready if Ms Fawn would do anything the slightest bit illegal. The guards were present, but you could tell they never expected to have to run off to catch Ms Fawn. They knew she did no wrong and that they were there simply for policy and had no purpose. A larger computer was positioned at the front of the room and was spitting out codes and information based on the status of Ms Fawn. I was informed that it was the latest version of artificial security intelligence that gave out codes based on the actions of the subject. The codes of Ms Fawn were written in nothing but green writing, which made everyone seem relaxed in the room, almost bored that they were sitting there and doing nothing.
We are all told to take a seat and enjoy the show. I take a seat and I start thinking what it would be like if it were me on the screen with all these people watching me. I like the idea that surveillance is taken very seriously here. There are a lot of crimes in Greece that just turned a blind eye and no one really dove into the crime so a lot of justice was not served. Sad to see that the lady down the street’s son was killed in a gang but no one bothered to find the person who killed him. Investigations lasted a week and no one followed up. She had such an empty mourning, she never had the closure she needed, and who knows if the killer would come back to her house. Constantly living in fear, not being able to move on and find peace. But that doesn’t happen here. Something bad happens and justice is immediately served, they even guarantee it within 2 hours. I wonder if it’s a money-back guarantee if it doesn’t happen.
Feels good to know that my family would be safe, you never know who will move in on the street and I would want to make sure my house is safe at all times. And it’s free! Unlike the alarm system I had put in years ago, which barely works and when we did have someone break in, the alarm didn’t even set off!
We were sitting for a couple more minutes when we were ushered to the next room just down the hall. There, the room was set up similarly, but this time by an African-descent gentleman named George Qualls. You could feel the energy shift as soon as the door opened. We have a seat in the front row and look up at the screens lining the wall as well as the larger coding computer, similar to Ms Fawn’s. George walks into a bank, nothing out of the ordinary. He is waiting in line for his turn, holding in his hand what I can assume is a check to deposit. The bank is busy but the queue is moving fairly quickly. George’s turn is up and he walks to the teller. The teller is another young lady by the name of Beatrice Cromer. As soon as George walks to the desk of Beatrice, another screen joins George’s collection of angles, which seems to be from the point of view of Beatrice.
Beatrice greets George with a smile and asks what she can do to help. George smiles back, but with an odd look in his eye. He slides the paper across the desk and says he would like to make a deposit. Beatrice types George’s information on her computer, reaches for the paper, reads it, and gasps. Before I could even fully read the note through Beatrice’s camera, alarms were sounding, red lights everywhere, and the large computer was giving orders to the security team who were out the door before I could even turn around to watch them exit. George’s note reads “I’m so sorry but please give me everything you have access to, do not be suspicious”.
Almost immediately the guards are visible on the screen, and they tackle George to the floor. He is handcuffed and taken away. Beatrice and everyone in the bank left unharmed, and the day continued as normal. From the time Beatrice read the note, to George being dragged into the back of a cop car, took a whole 3 minutes and 28 seconds. Conveniently, there was a security response timer as soon as the observation room door closed behind the security guards. Incredible. I sat there holding my breath after what I just watched. I feel both overwhelmed from what just happened and yet calm from the feeling of everyone else in the room.
Justice comes so fast here at GTA. 3 minutes and 28 seconds fast. This is where I want to be. This is where I want my family to be established. Where I can let my kids play in the front yard without worrying about kidnapping because they will be returned within 3 minutes and 28 seconds. Where I can leave my door unlocked at night, because if someone breaks in, I will be safe within 3 minutes and 28 seconds. I will be safe. My family will be safe. All within 3 minutes and 28 seconds.
By Elizabeth Silla