[reaperducer]

In some cities, the police departments have programs to allow the cops to tap directly in to people's internet cameras at their homes, or to immediately turn over recordings to the police that their home cameras have made. People willingly join the program.

Here's one called Vegas SafeCam: https://www.lvmpd.com/en-us/Pages/VegasSafeCam.aspx

"You’ve purchased a home surveillance system and have registered your system with the LVMPD. Several weeks later, a Patrol officer comes to your door and informs you of a recent burglary in your neighborhood. The Patrol Officer has used the database for this program in their patrol car, and has gone to your residence for follow-up. The Patrol officer asks you if it would be possible for you to review your video for a suspicious person or vehicle between the listed times of the event."

The Las Vegas one isn't real-time, but I believe Chicago's might be. Then again, about 10 years ago, CPD was bragging about having 3,000 cameras around the city. It must be 300,000 by now.

Max Headroom wasn't campy sci-fi. It was a warning.