Many issues in our society have required the sacrifice of privacy for security. This debate is an important one that accompanies new technology, more specifically, Project Angel Fire. Project Angel Fire is a surveillance system that started during the Iraq War that attaches cameras on the belly of airplanes that allows the viewer to go back and track crimes and thus, dispatch police officers to the exact spot. This system can revolutionize crime catching in major cities such as Dayton, Ohio and New York City. While many fear the sacrifice of privacy, this system can change the way we fight crime outweighs the fear the public has that the government will betray the level of trust. This system has already caught the man in charge of fifteen-hundred crimes in Juarez, Mexico and could decrease crime by 30-40% in Dayton, Ohio. While it is true that the cameras record a ton of information, it is mostly non-invasive and is not watched unless given a reason. If put in place across the United States, the police could use this technology advantageously to better protect our society.

While the Project Angel Fire technology can help solve crimes in American cities, it comes at the sacrifice of our privacy and freedom. While the creators of this technology have stated that they will not use the technology to zoom in on pictures or analyze images without reason, who is to say that the government will not in the future? It is possible the government is not to be trusted with this power and information. All of our movements will be recorded and the information is out there for them to analyze at their will. Besides the fact that we will have no autonomy over ourselves, police should be out on the streets, making personal relationships and connections with the public. This technology would decrease these important connections. Only in dramatic times where fear is over encompassing will the public sacrifice their autonomy. Until then, the government must find other ways to better protect our society and fix crime in major cities.