The Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality intends to take extreme measures to deal with recent violence in the city. One plan, which has already begun, is to install a network of urban security cameras to monitor the city at all times. Tel Aviv-Jaffa residents will be charged a new "security tax" to fund the cameras as well as other new security measures. The measures are part of the city's response to recent escalations of violence. Tensions are high among residents in the southern part of the city after a series of attacks and rapes that have taken place in Gan Ha'ir and in the central bus station area. Some residents, however, are not looking forward to "Big Brother" monitoring them as if their lives were part of some reality television show. Israel Hayom has learned that over the last few days the city issued a tender to media companies for the acquisition and installation of cameras around the entire city, with the aim of having all public spaces monitored by video cameras. Currently, there are 60-70 cameras installed around the city; the city intends to acquire hundreds more to increase residents' sense of security. A senior Tel Aviv city official, Ruby Zelof, said that the tender had been issued and the city intended to choose a company within a month. "The new program to acquire security cameras to be installed throughout the entire city is one of the city's measures to increase the sense of personal security for south Tel Aviv residents. We will continue to do even more to help develop these neighborhoods as well," the municipality said in a statement. Israel Hayom also learned that the municipality had submitted a special request to Internal Security Minister Eli Yishai to approve the new "security tax." According to the city, the cost of the security measures will be NIS 1-1.50 ($0.26-$0.39) per square meter of apartment space annually. In this manner, the cost of the new security measures will not cost the average citizen very much extra. "If a person has a 100 square-meter (1076 sq. ft.) apartment, he will have to pay NIS 100-150 ($25-$39) annually, which is a negligent cost if we consider the significance of feeling personal security," Zelof said. Zelof also noted that the payment for business owners and malls would be different. Zelof said that the funds raised would allow the city to add 30 new patrol cars to the police force, as well as 150 city inspectors and hundreds of cameras citywide. It is possible that many of the initial resources will be allocated to south Tel Aviv, where the actual need exists at this point. "We will divide these elements with flexibility," Zelof said. "The idea is to treat the locations prone to crime. Everything will be done in coordination with the Israel Police. In the end of the day, citizens will see more patrol cars and receive faster service. We feel that if there are more patrol cares and more deterrence, with better police supervision in public spaces, the likelihood of preventing violent increases." Meanwhile, the High Court of Justice, in a special assembly of seven judges, on Monday rejected petitions against the proposed "Big Brother" law. The proposed law will give police inspectors access to media data, including information about cellular and Internet suppliers' customers. The petitions against the law were filed by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and the Israel Bar Association. In addition, the High Court stipulated that any damage to the right to personal privacy was proportional. Those who will have the authority to access media data will have to do so in a manner that reduces the infringement as much as possible, especially in matters involving people protected by confidentiality, such as journalists and lawyers.
