Let me begin by stating I am against illegal immigration, from any country, to any country; at the same time try as I might, I cannot condone the new “virtual illegal immigrant hunting game” which has recently been made available by the Texas Border Sherrif’s Coalition.
At a cost of $2 million, the system, called “Virtual Stakeout“, involves a series of 13 closed-circuit cameras placed along the Rio Grande. These webcams can be viewed online, by you, by me, by anyone, with the aim of making public viewers “Virtual Deputies”.
The Texas Border Sheriff’s Coalition (TBSC) has joined BlueServo in a public-private partnership to deploy the Virtual Community Watch, an innovative real-time surveillance program designed to empower the public to proactively participate in fighting border crime. The TBSC BlueServo Virtual Community Watch is a network of cameras and sensors along the Texas-Mexico border that feeds live streaming video to www.BlueServo.net. Users will log in to the BlueServo website and directly monitor suspicious criminal activity along the border via this virtual fence.
The now six week old joint venture between BlueServo, a social networking site who has helped finance the project in exchange for publicity, and the Texas Border Sherrif’s Coalition has already deputized more than 21,000 citizens, recieved over 1000 emails of reports of suspicious actvity and more than five million website pageviews.
So, what exactly does a virtual deputy receive in exchange for thier zipcode and e-mail verified BlueServo membership? It depends on what type of person you are. You either get the chance to help combat border crime or the chance to hang out on the net, meet likeminded vigilantes, and hunt Mexicans from the comfort of your own home.
Even though I’m a moderate conservative, I don’t have as much trouble with illegals as most do, at least for those who are decent and just trying to make a living. The criminals and potential terrorists is a different story.
I understand the illegal immigrant problem, but this type of movement seems, even dangerous to me.
I am all for citizen awareness and community watches. I respect your right to protect your border, but bringing the ”word” deputy and allowing ANYONE acess to such material can work both ways.
Because of the very serious illegal immigrant problem there are MANY ANTI-MEXICANS (actuall many anti-latinos/hispanic..most people do not know the difference between a Cuban, Colombia, OR Mexican, much less care whether they are legal or illegal.)
13 ”hidden” closed circuit cameras along the Rio Grande Tex-Mex border. Supposedly the TBSC doesn’t want to give the exact location to keep both ”illegals or criminals” out of the loop and Renegade citizens from playing Vigilante...It’s not difficult to know where these views are coming from.
I just think it could be potentially dangerous (to be sides) and also seems to be making some type of twisted game out of a very serious issue by offering members to become ”VIRTUAL DEPUTIES”..
Illegal immigration, ok..It is illegal..but isn’t that why there are LEGAL ententities to counter it: ICE, TBSC, etc....