Bloomberg, Microsoft Team Up to Spy on New Yorkers

New York police will be able to search for criminal suspects with cameras and license-plate readers.

New York police will be able to search for criminal suspects with cameras and license-plate readers through a new system developed in partnership with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), the city said.

The New York Police Department worked with Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft, the world's biggest software maker, to develop the Domain Awareness System, which aggregates and analyzes information from cameras, license-plate readers, sensors and law enforcement databases, according to a statement from Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office.

"The system is a transformative tool because it was created by police officers for police officers," NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly said in the statement.