From The New Standard, Aug. 24:

Responding to last month’s bombings in the London subway system, transit officials in New York City decided to hand one of the nation’s largest defense contractors $212 million to dramatically increase surveillance efforts throughout the metropolitan transportation system.

According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the new electronic security system will add over 1,000 cameras and 3,000 sensors to stations, trains and buses throughout the New York metropolitan area. The efforts are aimed at increasing security, MTA Executive Director Katherine N. Lapp said.

The three-year deal names Lockheed Martin as the chief contractor and contains provisions potentially extending the contract through 2013, the company said in a statement yesterday.

Civil liberties groups have expressed concern over the growing use of public cameras and other surveillance equipment for well over a decade. Local governments are increasingly resorting to new spy technologies following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.

See our last posts on paranoia in New York City, and on Lockheed.