ACLU: Chicago's Surveillance Network Violates First Amendment

Boasting a network of thousands of public surveillance cameras, Chicago is the most-watched city in the United States. And while privacy concerns over Chicago's surveillance network are old news, now the American Civil Liberties Union is involved. 

The ACLU released a report today that claims any further expansion of the network would be a violation of Chicago citizens' First Amendment Rights. 

Currently, the Chicago Police use about 1,200 cameras on city streets, and there are an additional 4,500 in schools, 1,800 on city buses and trains and 1,000 at Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, according to NBC Chicago. 

Several studies have shown that Chicago residents feel protected--not violated--by the security cameras. But the ACLU argues otherwise. They're claiming that the millions of dollars used to invest in the surveillance network could have been used to hire more police officers. After all, according to NBC Chicago, the cameras resulted in less than 1 percent of arrests over the last four years.