Big Brother is Watching (and Yelling?)

The city of Baltimore has had a tough winter. Thieves cut down and carried away 136 streetlights (police think it was for the aluminum), so the head honchos at the city decided they needed something that would deter this crime. The solution? Five $5,000 solar-powered digital imagers with speakers attached that shout when they sense motion. Any potential streetlight thieves, take note: if you hear, "Stop! We have just taken your photograph. We will use this photograph to prosecute you. Leave the area now!" that means they're on to you. Similar systems were installed in Cincinnati in 2004 and received noise complaints. Wouldn't the solar-camera-loudspeaker combination just make you want to steal them more? ::Wired via ::Chip Chick