In the News, part 10

Posted by J.J. Lewsac on June 13, 2011 None comments

In the News, part 10

by J.J. Lewsac

With recent advances in surveillance technology, cameras are popping up more and more in unusual places. 13 residents of Springfield Massachusetts found this out the hard way as they were all caught illegally dumping on city grounds. According to WGGB-TV ABC 40, the individuals, all local citizens, were caught dumping items on a dirt road near a wooded area. The items dumped ranged from mattresses, furniture, a child’s slide, and even a propane tank. The site had been a dumping ground for some time, and local environmentalists had been asking city officials to find a solution to the problem. The city of Springfield set up cameras along the dirt road, where a majority of previous dumping had taken place. Here is the local news story along with the surveillance footage: Read more »

Surveillance Cameras: Crime Prevention, or Big Brother?

Posted by J.J. Lewsac on June 8, 2011 1 comments

Surveillance Cameras: Crime Prevention, or Big Brother?

by J.J. Lewsac

 

As surveillance cameras have become fairly common in our society, it is no surprise that they are being used by more than just home and business owners. Police, City officials, and other government agencies are all taking advantage of surveillance cameras to counter balance decreased budgets and man power.

Each week i read more and more stories like this one from KTVU Channel 2 in California, where the local law enforcement has set up a surveillance camera network to help curb a growing prostitution problem. The system allows law enforcement officers to remote log into the cameras via the internet with a user name and password. This way, the police can patrol an area remotely without having to have an officer physically on the scene. If there is evidence of “working girls”, a nearby unit can easily come to the scene to deal with it.

A suburb near Pittsburgh, PA is also putting up surveillance cameras according to TribLive News. The police expect to use the cameras to track vehicles after crimes are committed.

While it is easy to acknowledge the benefits of such systems, there are those who fear that surveillance cameras used in this fashion is an invasion of privacy. With all of the television, movies, and video games out there that incite the idea of “big brother”, it’s understandable why such fears are becoming more common, however I think that anyone who believes the government is interested in what they are doing 24/7 either suffers from delusions of grandeur, or they are trying to hide something. The nwfdailynews.com posted a ridiculous letter from one paranoid reader complaining about local cameras at road intersections being used to spy on citizens. It is unwarranted claims like these that plant the seed of doubt in others.

Given the current economic climate we live in, many cities just don’t have the ability to fund a police force large enough to stop crime in every part of the city. Surveillance cameras are a cost effective way for our government to protect us. Just as home and business owners have the right to protect their homes, cities and government have the right to protect their own interests. Rather than let budget restraints become an excuse for an increasing crime rate, they are finding innovative ways to continue to keep the people safe.

Surveillance cameras are continuously evolving as technology improves. These are not some fad that will be going away any time soon. It won’t be long before having a surveillance system in every home will be as common as a sprinkler system, 2 car garage, or a microwave. I urge doubters of the technology to see the benefits it provide rather than focus on unwarranted, and unsubstantiated claims of those who feel the government really has nothing better to do than watch our every step.

 

In the News, part 9

Posted by J.J. Lewsac on June 6, 2011 2 comments

In the News, part 9

by J.J. Lewsac

 

Today’s story comes from ABC 5 in Des Moines, Iowa. Vandals were caught on camera destroying an art display that had been set up on the campus of Iowa State University. The vandals can be seen on the surveillance footage bending, tearing, and even urinating on the displays. An estimated $2,500 worth of damage was done to the sculptures, which had been on loan to the university from international artist William King. The surveillance footage and local news story can be seen here:

Iowa State art vandals

 

School officials had installed a new surveillance system as recently as 18 months ago. Nancy Girard, an educator for the University Museum explained, ”It was actually pretty easy to do. It took me about 30 minutes to go through the video and find the time it happened over the weekend.”

Universities are common grounds for vandalism, the culprits usually range from local enrolled students to rival university pranksters. It is fairly common for campuses to install camera systems to protect their grounds, and their students and faculty, however not all do so. Another university break in occurred at Utah State University in Logan Utah. According to that story, several rare minerals and a mammoths tooth were stolen, along with a laptop. That story can be read here, by the Deseret News. Since February, the school has had three separate break ins, yet as of today, no surveillance cameras have been installed.

One would think after the first break-in, school officials would be motivated to install some sort of security equipment to protect the schools interests. Yet, 3 break ins later, and an estimated $3,000 worth of specimens stolen, still nothing has been done from Utah State administration in terms of security cameras. Perhaps officials should make the investment of a surveillance system rather than allow these continued break-ins to occur. Cameras are much more than just a useful forensic tool. They are great deterrents, and should be placed in visible areas to keep crimes from happening.

Instead of becoming a victim of repeat crime, it is highly recommended that you invest in a surveillance system. The initial investment may not always be cheap, but it is a far better alternative than to continuously lose valuables to vandalism and theft.

 

In the News, part 8

Posted by J.J. Lewsac on June 1, 2011 1 comments

In the News, part 8

by J.J. Lewsac

 

Surveillance cameras in Chula Vista, California have been disappearing. According to local news station San Diego6, cameras from small businesses, homes, and even a church have all been stolen in the last few months. At least 16 cameras have been taken to this point, some valued up to $1200. One camera was able to get a good clean picture of the thief. As to the motives of stealing cameras, local police captain Gary Wedge stated, ”You would think one possible reason would be to enable that person to break into the business shortly thereafter, that has not happened.” The story can be seen here: Read more »

In the News, part 7

Posted by J.J. Lewsac on May 27, 2011 None comments

In the News, part 7

by J.J. Lewsac

 

This week I stumbled across a story from Albuquerque’s KRQE 13 in New Mexico, where vandals broke into several cars in a quiet neighborhood. According to the story, the surveillance cameras began recording the suspects at around 2:10am. The pair of vandals smashed windows, stole car stereos, iPods, GPS systems, and other items from several vehicles. After they were done removing valuables from the cars, the vandals decided to light two of the cars ablaze. They quickly escaped into their own vehicle and sped off. An explosion from one of the cars woke the neighborhood. Residents quickly came out to see the cars on fire, one of which belonged to local law enforcement officer Chris Stoyall. Stoyall managed to extinguish the fire burning in his unmarked squad car, but the damage was too extensive, and the vehicle is a total loss. One of the victims, Norbert and Veronica Hoch whose car windows were smashed, happened to have surveillance cameras installed, and those cameras captured the whole thing. You can see the video here along with the local news story:

Vandals wreak havoc in SE neighborhood: krqe.com

As valuable as the Hoch’s surveillance footage is to local law enforcement with the cameras ability to capture the suspects face, the Hoch’s could have saved themselves from the vandalism in the first place had they installed a security DVR that featured alarm alerts. This important feature is becoming more and more common as surveillance technology grows. With an alarm alert configured, the DVR has the ability to send an alarm to an individual’s cell phone. It can be set up so that any movement in a homeowners driveway at 2:00am will trigger the alarm. The homeowner could then check his video feed to see what triggered the motion, and if there are indeed people outside his home, the owner could contact the police, or turn lights on to scare off the perpetrators. These are much better alternatives than being woken up by an explosion from a cars gas tank being parked across the street. Surely the entire neighborhood could have benefited from such a feature. There are many different kinds of surveillance systems out there, so before purchasing one, be sure to ask an expert if it has all the features necessary to keep you, your family, and your possessions safe.