Big Brother is watching at Rikers Island.
The city’s Department of Correction on Wednesday showed off a new operations center with 38 monitors capable of accessing 10,000 cameras scattered around Rikers — the first time in the jail’s history that all the cameras are accessible in one room.
“We will be using this sophisticated equipment to ensure compliance and provide necessary and consistent support to the leadership in each of our jails,” said Correction Commissioner Cynthia Brann.
Earlier this month, the city said it will begin the process of shutting down the sprawling island facility.
“Why all this when we’re planning to move off Rikers?” Brann asked. “The answer is that we’re not sacrificing safety in the meantime.”
It’s unclear how many officers will be needed to maintain the new safety center. The Emergency Operations Center will be staffed “as-needed” while the video monitoring center will have steadier coverage.
“You’re not likely to see somebody sitting at every one of these stations unless there’s a serious emergency going on,” said Brian Sullivan, Chief of Security. “The purpose of this center is for compliance and safety in real time.”
The only areas not covered by cameras are locations that protect an inmate’s privacy, such as showers and bathroom stalls.
Previously, each building on the island had its own real-time monitoring space.