They'll be watching you in Austin

The Austin police want to put up surveillance cameras around the city. But, of course they've read 1984 and don't want to say that, so they say security camera.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo wants to install security cameras in pedestrian-heavy and crime-ridden areas of the city that would allow officers to monitor activity from afar and conduct "virtual patrols."

He said he plans to explore ways to pay for the project — possibly through federal grants — and work out logistics such as who would monitor the camera footage. Acevedo said one option could be to hire retired officers to watch the videos 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and call officers on the street if they see a crime in progress.