C4I4 SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

Description

C414 is the name for the state-of-the-art video surveillance system unveiled in Mexico City in 2011. C414 keeps tabs on criminals, incidents, and accidents using over 15,000 surveillance cameras linked into an ‘intelligence hub’ containing personnel from over 47 government agencies. Buses, trains, roads, shopping malls, and prisons all feed real-time video into the system. Advanced recognition software enables the system to identify vehicle plates and persons of interest.

PRIMAL Assessment

This is not a good time to be a criminal, or a spy. Systems like C414 will continue to improve with higher camera resolution, longer duration archiving, zooming/panning of cameras, and biometric recognition and tracking. Eventually, these technologies will make it extremely difficult for criminals and foreign spies to infiltrate urban areas. Already Mexico City has relatively low levels of cartel violence compared to other cities in the country, and C414 contributes to this. Big Brother is watching.

PRIMAL recommends avoiding operations in areas employing these systems. Where that is unavoidable the following methods of mitigation are recommended: use of face and body altering effects, discreet hacking and denial of services, and the employment of electronic counter measures such as jamming.