VOA慢速英语2019 门铃摄像头是否有助于减少犯罪？（在线收听）

Are Doorbell Cameras Good or Bad?

The U.S. community of Wolcott, Connecticut, does not have a lot of crime. But when its police chief heard about a chance to provide doorbell cameras to some local homes, he did not wait.

康涅狄格州沃尔科特市的美国社区犯罪率并不高。但是当这里的警察局长听说有机会给当地家庭提供门铃式摄像头时，他毫不犹豫就答应了。

The police force worked with the camera's manufacturer to give homeowners the devices for free.

警方与这款摄像头的制造商合作，免费向房主提供这款设备。

The cameras offer a wide field of vision from wherever they are set up. Homeowners get notifications on their wireless phones with video images if the doorbell rings or the device's sensors observe a person or a passing car.

该摄像头能够提供所安装位置的大视野画面。如果门铃响起或是设备传感器感应到有人或汽车经过，房主就会在手机上收到带视频画面的通知。

So far, the cameras have found more wild animals than criminals in Wolcott, a town of 16,000 people. But Police Chief Ed Stephens still likes the idea. "Anything that helps keep the town safe, I'm going to do it," he said.

到目前为止，这款摄像机在沃尔科特这个拥有1.6万人的小镇发现更多的是野生动物而不是犯罪分子。但是警察局长埃德·斯蒂芬仍然喜欢这个想法。他说：“只要能让这个小镇更加安全，任何事情我都会去做。”

Privacy concerns

隐私问题

But as more police agencies join with the company known as Ring, the partnerships are raising concerns. Ring is part of Amazon, the American technology business.

但是随着越来越多的警察机构同这家名为Ring的公司合作，这些合作关系引发了人们的担忧。Ring是美国科技企业亚马逊旗下的公司。

Critics say that the systems turn neighborhoods into places of non-stop surveillance. They also say the cameras create suspicion that falls heavier on minority groups.

批评者认为，这些系统将社区变成了全天监视的地方。他们还表示，这些摄像机会引发更多针对少数族裔的怀疑。

Chris Gilliard is an English professor at Macomb Community College in Michigan. He says Ring and other technologies like it can harden racial barriers.

克里斯·吉利亚尔是密歇根州马科姆社区学院的英语教授。他说Ring等科技公司会加剧种族壁垒。

"Amazon is profiting off of fear," he said. Part of the plan, he added, seems to be selling the cameras "where the fear of crime is more real than the actual existence of crime."

他说：“亚马逊公司是从恐惧中获利。”他还说，该计划的一部分似乎是把相机卖到担心犯罪的地方，而不是真实存在犯罪的地方。

Police and cameras

警察和摄像头

Police say the cameras can serve as a digital neighborhood watch.

警方表示，这些摄像头可以作为数字化邻里守望服务。

Some police have chosen to simply use Ring's Neighbors software program, which urges users to share videos of unusual activity.

一些警察直接选择使用Ring公司的邻里软件程序，该程序督促用户分享异常活动的视频。

Other government agencies are offering subsidies or other financial assistance, matched by Ring, on hundreds of discounted cameras.

其它政府机构正在对数百个跟Ring公司匹配的打折摄像头提供补贴或经济援助。

The California community of Arcadia, near Los Angeles, has spent $50,000 to offer discounts on 1,000 cameras. Several nearby communities take part in similar programs.

加州洛杉矶附近的阿卡迪亚社区花费了5万美元为1千台摄像头提供了折扣。附近的几个社区也参加了类似的项目。

Police officers can observe a "heat map" that shows the general area where cameras are set up. But they do not see a camera's actual position.

警方可以看到一张标明摄像头大致安装位置的“热点图”。但是他们没法看到这些摄像头的实际位置。

If police want a video, they must contact Ring to see if the homeowner is willing to share, said Jennifer Brutus. She works as an analyst for the Arcadia Police Department.

珍妮弗·布鲁图斯表示，如果警方想要得到一段视频，他们必须联系Ring公司，看房主是否愿意分享这段视频。布鲁图斯在阿卡迪亚警局担任分析员。

Arcadia started its program at the end of 2017. In the following year, the city reported a 25% decrease in home burglaries, Brutus said.

布鲁图斯表示，阿卡迪亚于2017年年末启动了这个项目。次年，该市报告对家庭入室盗窃案下降了25%。

It is hard to say how much of that is directly related to Ring, but she said the devices do help to reduce crime.

很难说这跟Ring公司有多大的直接联系，但是她说，这些设备确实有助于减少犯罪。

Ring would not say how many communities had such partnerships. Sharing video is always voluntary and privacy is protected, noted the company and police.

Ring公司不会公布有多少社区存在这种伙伴关系。该公司和警局指出，分享视频一直都是自愿的，隐私受到的了保护。

Brigid Gorham is a spokeswoman for Ring. "There is nothing required of homeowners who participate in the subsidies, and their identity and data remain private," she said.

布里吉德·格汉姆是Ring公司的发言人。她说：“我们对接受补贴的房主没有任何要求，他们的身份和数据不会公开。”

Realistically, though, if police want video for an investigation, they can seek a court's approval.

但实际上，如果警察想要得到视频用于办案，他们可以寻求法院批准。

Cameras and competition

摄像头和竞争

Tech industry expert Carolina Milanesi says that working with police is a "very smart move by Ring." She added that it is a missed opportunity for competitors, including Google's Nest and smaller companies, such as Arlo Technologies and SimpliSafe.

科技业内专家卡罗琳娜·米拉内西表示，Ring公司同警方合作是“非常聪明的举动。”她还说，他们的竞争对手错失了一个机会，这其中就包括谷歌的Nest公司，以及Arlo Technologies和SimpliSafe等小型公司。

Back in Wolcott, Ernie Field won a free Ring camera and said he had to register for the software. Now he gets notifications on his phone when cars drive by. And he gets a short video when his daughter comes home from school.

说回沃尔科特市，厄尼·菲尔德得到了Ring公司一个免费的摄像头，称他必须注册该软件。现在当有汽车路过时，他的手机上就会收到通知。当他的女儿放学回来时他也会收到一段短视频。

"I don't know if there's more crime now, or we just know about it more because of social media," he said.

他说：“我不知道现在是犯罪多了，还是说因为社交媒体我们知道得多了。”

Words in This Story

doorbell – n. a device which visitors can ring to announce their arrival

vision – n. the state of being able to see

surveillance – n. close observation

digital – adj. related to the use of computer technology

match – v. to make equal in quality or strength;

discount – n. a price reduction

analyst – n. someone who works as an observer

burglary – n. stealing; robbery

data – n. facts and other information collected together for study

opportunity – n. a chance or possibility