Police watch over Taste with high-tech eye in the sky

In the wake of shootings Thursday night about a mile from the Taste of Chicago, people attending the festival can feel a stronger sense of security just by looking up.

Near the Buckingham Fountain on Lakeshore Drive, Chicago Police were testing a new, high-tech security system to keep an eye on the crowd for potential problems. The SkyWatch, which resembles a lifeguard tower on wheels, are used at the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, Guantanamo Bay and the U.S.-Mexico border, according to their manufacturer, ICX Technologies of Arlington, Va.

The SkyWatch observation platform, which resembles a lifeguard tower on wheels, looks out over the crowd and "is equipped with special infrared capability, surveillance equipment, lighting, and a PA system," said police spokeswoman Monique Bond. The tower provides a 360-degree view, allowing police to see and quickly respond to problems that might develop in the crowd.

The system, manufactured by ICX Technologies of Arlington, Va., is becoming increasingly popular with police in crowd control situations, the company reports. They have been deployed at the Super Bowl, at U.S. military installations in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay and on the U.S.-Mexico border. "Radio communication from sky to ground is also a benefit because it allows the officer to communicate quickly with the troops on the ground, providing them with descriptions and locations" of incidents, said Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond.

SkyWatch is equipped with infrared capability, surveillance equipment, lighting and a PA system, Bond said. "We are evaluating its effectiveness as a crime-fighting strategy," she said.

The infrared capability allows police to see better at night, and it can see through reflections on glass.

Chicago police said the equipment is on loan. The Army recently bought 22 towers for $14 million for bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, the company said.
Though it's unlikely the tower would help in the investigation of Thursday night's shootings near the festival, it could offer more security for an event that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors a day. Officials said they were beefing up the number of uniformed and plainclothes officers at the festival because of the shootings.
Though much of Saturday's crowd seemed aware of the increased police presence, people appeared more focused on the food and drink.

"I've noticed more [police] horses here than last year. . . . I didn't see many at all [last year]," said Adam Greenawalt, 26, of Goshen, Ind.

Evelyn Bonner, 41, of Florida and Fred Felton, 42, of the South Side were wandering around the festival in a happy daze Saturday after getting engaged the previous night. Felton said he wasn't impressed by "all the gadgets and bicycles and footmen and high towers."

"I think what they need is more footmen walking around," he said.
Back by Buckingham Fountain, Robert Brown, 20, of Chicago glanced up at the darkened windows of the observation tower.

"We're being watched," he said. "That's good, I guess."

"Some things you just can't see with the naked eye," said ICX spokeswoman Vicki Contavespi in a phone interview from Virginia.