Security Cameras Catch Surprising UPS Deliveries

Whenever I hear about delivery men throwing or abusing packages, I immediately think of the opening scene in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective where Jim Carrey throws, kicks, punts and does anything else you could imagine to a package he is delivering. I used to think that this was a gross exaggeration of how people think companies like UPS and FedEx handle our mail. I was wrong.

A man in California knew that he would not be home on the day he was expected to receive a package from UPS. So, in order to ensure that he got his package that day, he left a note for the driver saying that he should leave the package on his neighbor's porch instead. What the man did not expect was the the UPS driver's definition of deliver meant hurling the package over the customer's fence onto the neighbor's porch ten to twelve feet away, something no customer ever wants to happen to their package.

"I, I couldn't believe it. I mean I was just dumbfounded," says the homeowner who posted video surveillance of the footage on YouTube that he recorded from his home security camera system. Once the video hit YouTube it gained the attention of a CBS affiliate in Sacramento.

The supervisor of the local UPS hub, who was obviously contacted about the incident, played down the video trying to convince the homeowner that the driver "tossed" the package onto the neighbor's porch. Obviously that didn't fly with the homeowner or the CBS affiliate so they contacted UPS headquarters. Their response? "Drivers know they are to handle each and every one of their 15.1 million packages delivered every day with care."

However, if you scour YouTube for no more than 5 seconds you can find thousands of videos from security cameras that show more than a few UPS drivers who think "handle with care" means "kick the crap out of it".

Source: The Consumerist - Don't UPS Drivers Realize Customers Have Security Cameras?

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World's Largest Security Camera Network to Go Up in China

Want to know where the world's largest network of security cameras is? Well, pretty soon it will be in China. Yes, that's right, the country with the biggest population in the world will now have the biggest security camera network says a recent report from the Daily Mail.

According to the report, China will spend an estimated $4.18 billion on 500,000 security cameras in order to create the world's largest security camera network. This marks the largest "Big Brother" network of CCTV surveillance cameras in the entire world since the events of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S.

The city of Chongqing in China has been in charge of drawing up the plans for the network after an outbreak of religious groups began clashing in July of 2009. The cameras will be set up and installed in 2012 with the goals of reducing crime and enhancing rescue operations as well as emergency controls.

According to the Daily Mail, Police Chief of Chongqing Wang Zhijun said that the system would be the world's largest security network since the attacks on the United States in September of 2001. This camera system is poised to completely dwarf the current 40,000 camera system currently set up in China's Xinjiang region.

The entirety of the network will be managed by a single network that will allow authorities as well as emergency services in the area of over 30 million people to share the video feeds.

Authorities in China are increasingly enlisting technology for security reasons which was widely seen during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The government in China has expanded resources to police online activity and block anti-government postings as well as other politically sensitive material with a system known as the "Great Firewall of China".

Plans for the surveillance system surfaced after officials in the region announced plans to build 10 luxury inland river cruise ships large enough to accommodate landing pads for helicopters. So I guess when people say Big Brother is watching in China, they mean it literally.

Source: - Sify News - China to create world's largest security network with 500,000 cameras

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1,500 Cameras Watch Over the San Francisco International Airport

You know those paranoid people who are always spouting about how "big brother is always watching us?" Well, some of them may be right, at least if they live near the San Francisco International Airport. You see, from the moment you leave the freeway until the moment you board your plane you are being closely monitored by 1,500 video surveillance cameras which are a part of the SFO's new one-of-a-kind surveillance system.

The system is definitely interesting and leaves nothing unwatched. With the SFO's system, two groups of security analysts watch a wall of security monitors, the TSA (in-between pat-downs) watches the checkpoints and SFO security workers watch everything else. According to Kim Dickie, Assistant Deputy Airport Director at SFO, "We are focused overall so if we have an incident anywhere in the airport we really want to be able to have a view of that."

The interesting part is that there are only a handful of airports in the entire world that have a security setup like this. $20 million worth of security cameras are already in use and an additional $1.5 million more is being spent on the new SFO terminal opening in a few months. "We keep adding cameras every month and every day," said SFO security analyst Liam O'Byrne.

That is a lot of money on a security setup and it begs the perennial question of how closely are travelers being being watched? Let's just say that your process of driving into the airport, parking at the curb, going through security and walking to the gate is all monitored. The cameras pick up your every move. Believe it or not, even with 1,500 cameras there are still a few holes in the system. The TSA definitely wants you to know they are watching, but they do not want you to know where they are not.

There are at least 20 visible cameras on your drive through the airport, your walk through security and your trip through the terminal. However, it is also very clear that there are cameras along that route that are not visible since the SFO stated that there are more than 30 cameras that monitor that particular trek through the airport.

The cameras cannot watch every single person at every single moment they are in the airport, but what they can do is go through footage to see if a person who started a fight in the terminal got drunk at one of the airport bars earlier. If somebody accuses a security agent, or anybody for that matter, of stealing or of "inappropriate conduct", then reviewing the footage from the cameras can back up or refute that claim. Even the SFO employees know they are being watched. According to O'Byrne, "Thefts have gone drastically down because we can watch them and employees all know." One thing is for certain, the cameras are expected and security officials believe that they work.

Source: KTVU.com - New Camera System Keeps Watchful Eye Over SFO

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Use of Security Cameras More Prevalent in Small Towns

We all know that a lot of businesses use security cameras to protect their store, products etc... and you generally would assume that security camera systems are more prominent in big cities. Big cities are home to a lot more people, have more expensive stores, more stores in general and a wealthier customer base. However, if you assume that bigger cities have more security cameras you'd be wrong because, as it turns out, video surveillance is used more in small towns than big cities.

One such area is Saginaw, Michigan. Saginaw has a population of only 55,238 residents and installed 17 security cameras at a water park/skate park and plans on adding more by June in other parts of the city according to Mayor Greg Branch. "Crime for us is trending downward, but we still have a lot more crime than we want," he says. Adding more security cameras is also a lot cheaper than hiring more police officers. "Every city is facing budget pressures," he added. "We can't put more police on the street." A federal grant in the sum of $300,000 will pay for the new cameras.

Big cities like Chicago, New York and Washington have cameras installed in high crime areas, and a lot of businesses have them installed inside and outside their buildings. A security camera in Tucson caught footage of the shooting which killed six individuals and severely wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Dan Kobil, a constitutional law professor at Columbus, Ohio's Capital University Law School, says that the courts have ruled that people have no expectation of privacy in public settings. Kobil added that as technology becomes more precise and allows for the quality of images to improve, courts will likely revisit the issue. Kobil stated, "Although cameras are an important tool for law enforcement, I'm disturbed by it... as someone who values my privacy.

Other small towns that are hopping on the camera train include:

Lafayette, Indiana, with a population of 65,704, has around 15 cameras and is considering adding at least 30 more. According to Police Chief Don Roush, the cameras helped solve a 2008 homicide.

Williamsport, Pennsylvania has a population of 29,304 and is seeking bids for a security camera system. Gabriel Campana, Mayor of Williamsport, says that he wants them in the residential areas "where we've had challenges. My No. 1 concern is public safety.

Salisbury, Maryland, with a population of 28,327, has police which are advising downtown property owners who want cameras to get them. There is a lot of support in the area and cameras could be in place as early as this summer.

Vineland, New Jersey has a population of 59,198 and also 23 video surveillance cameras as well as 7 cameras used to identify the license plates of vehicles involved in crimes. These cameras were bought with a state grant in the amount of $200,000. Mayor Robert Romano says, "People had the perception that downtown wasn't safe, and perception becomes reality if you don't keep it in check. This makes people feel safer."

I feel like we will be seeing a lot more small cities installing security camera systems as the price of cameras drops and installation becomes easier. Add that with the fact that almost any city can get cameras through government grants and the possibilities are limitless.

Source: USA Today - Video surveillance used more by small towns

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Security Camera Catches Man Stealing Security Camera

I think one of the biggest things that makes being alive so great is irony. Irony, for me, not only makes you think but it also makes for some pretty hilarious stories. Especially in the case of a crime that took place in Bakersfield, California not too long ago.

Now there are some pretty dumb criminals out there, I mean really dumb. Just watch an episode of Cops or one of those World's Dumbest Criminals Caught on Tape and you will see exactly what I am talking about. You will see criminals walk in to rob a place with a mustache drawn on with a Sharpie or who will rob a place in the winter then walk home in the snow leaving footprints right to their doorstep.

But what is probably one of the dumbest and most ironic stories I have read recently comes from Bakersfield, California where a man was caught on a video surveillance camera stealing, surprisingly enough, a security camera. According to local authorities, a man removed the video surveillance camera from a medical office in the 500 block of West Columbus Street.

I guess he didn't think about taking the other cameras as well. Or maybe he didn't see them? Whatever the reason this man deserves a spot on one of those shows. However, this does bring up some very interesting questions. Like why did he only take the one camera? Why was that camera so important? And why in the hell didn't he disguise himself? Even if there was only the one camera the owners of the system would still have the footage recorded from the camera before it was removed. Some people are just really really dumb.

Police say that the man appears to be in his 20s with a dark complexion and a slight beard. Anyone with information regarding the identity of the man is urged to call Detective Scott Miller at 326-3552.

Source: Kero 23 ABC News

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Security Cameras Catch Potential Skimming Machine Criminal

Security cameras have captured video surveillance of a suspicious man in Sarasota, Florida who was seen approaching an ATM with a strange looking device. Sarasota Police are asking for any information on the man in the video footage.

The device seen in the video appears to be what is known as a skimming machine. A skimming machine reads debit card numbers as debit cards slide through the ATM. The person who is operating the skimming machine can then use that information to clean an account of all funds or even steal a person's identity.

The man was seen placing the device on a Bank of America ATM in Sarasota. A customer called police after finding the skimming machine on the ATM outside of the Bank of America located on Fruitville Road near Lockwood Ridge Road. Police reported that the potential skimming machine victim removed the device which may have compromised trace evidence.

Police do believe that the citizen found the device before the criminal had a chance to steal anybody's identity. Police did manage to pull three photographs from a security camera mounted near the ATM. The photographs depict a man wearing a zip-up Ralph Lauren hooded sweatshirt and holding the device in his left hand. Police are still unsure whether or not the device in the photographs is the skimming machine but they want to find out. Police are asking anybody who recognizes the man to call Detective Ronnie Roberson at 914-364-7316.

Source: ABC Action News

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Decoy Security Cameras

When it comes to a high quality security cameras, some people cannot afford them. It is no surprise that some security camera systems out there can be expensive, and with the economy like it is, a security camera system is not in everybody's budget. But does that mean you should just leave your family and home completely unprotected? Absolutely not!

Just because you cannot afford a security camera does not mean you cannot have a security camera on your house. Confused? I'm talking about a dummy camera. A dummy camera is exactly what it sounds like, a camera that looks real but doesn't work. It doesn't record anything or see anything, it's just there.

By using a dummy camera it actually looks like you have a fully working security system. That is because dummy cameras look identical to real ones. With a dummy camera you may not be able to catch any criminals but you may be able to deter them from vandalizing your home.

Like I said before, dummy cameras don't work. They are not connected to anything but that doesn't matter because you are the only one that knows they are not connected. One of the very first things a criminal looks for is security equipment like a camera. Just the presence of a camera alone is, in most cases, enough to make any burglar think twice.

There are certain qualities you want to look for in a good dummy camera. The most important is that it needs to look real. Don't just have a camera mounted on a surface where a real one would have wires and things coming out of it. This is a simple solution but there are definitely more sophisticated cameras out there.

You can get dummy cameras that have flickering LED lights on them or even a motion sensor. These are great because they offer the most real scenario of a security camera. Dummy cameras with a motion sensor will move around just like a real one but they won't capture any images. If you go for a system like this, then you will have the peace of mind that goes with a real system.

Source: Security World News

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