When purchasing a camera system in NYC for my mom's shop, the tech at the surveillance shop told me that any camera with a red light on it is a fake.
BART killing exposes security gap – many train cameras are decoys
51–60 of 61 posts
Re: BART killing exposes security gap – many train cameras are decoys
#52Another problem with "dummy cameras" for PUBLIC institutions is that they are basically lying to the taxpayer about what level of security is being funded and provided. What would you say about a municipality where half the circulating police-cars were secretly fakes "to deter crime", and which would not respond to any emergency? P.S.: I think as time goes people will be less-accepting of fake-cameras, because they'l…
Well there is a well known psychological principle that a watchful eye prevents crime.. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/putting-eyeballs-bi...
I believe that if someone is willing to murder you in front of what they thought was a real camera, you might as well have had a real camera.
Re: BART killing exposes security gap – many train cameras are decoys
#53Another problem with "dummy cameras" for PUBLIC institutions is that they are basically lying to the taxpayer about what level of security is being funded and provided. What would you say about a municipality where half the circulating police-cars were secretly fakes "to deter crime", and which would not respond to any emergency? P.S.: I think as time goes people will be less-accepting of fake-cameras, because they'l…
This is an actual thing: "ghost units" - empty police cars placed around to stop people from speeding. http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20130730/ARTICLES/13073995...
There's a construction site on my commute that has two white Crown Vics parked visibly, with spotlights on the driver side turned out so they show. They're civilian, and I assume they're there to get people to slow down.
Re: BART killing exposes security gap – many train cameras are decoys
#54Let's hope that those cameras were supposed to be fake, rather than invoiced and paid for as real cameras but fake ones installed.
Re: BART killing exposes security gap – many train cameras are decoys
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
The sad thing is I've seen plenty of patrol cars _with_ actual officers in them seemingly not taking breaks per se, but still ignoring blatant traffic law-breaking happening all around them.
Like the corner of Van Ness at Market Street where, during rush hour, a car goes straight through a red light about once every 5 to 10 minutes. I used to cross that intersection everyday and there was typically an officer standing on the southwest corner. I twice told the officer standing there about how frequently cars blow through that intersection and they both admitted it was a problem but had a "nothing we can d…
Several deaths within a couple of blocks:
http://sfgov.maps.arcgis.com/apps/OnePane/basicviewer/index....
Re: BART killing exposes security gap – many train cameras are decoys
#56Surveillance is not security, surveillance is surveillance. I an glad to hear that not all cameras monitor our every step.
There's a big difference between surveillance in public spaces, and private surveillance (effectively unwarranted search & seizure) of citizens. Why would I care if a camera is monitoring me in a public train?
Surveillance can absolutely add security.
Re: BART killing exposes security gap – many train cameras are decoys
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
Like the corner of Van Ness at Market Street where, during rush hour, a car goes straight through a red light about once every 5 to 10 minutes. I used to cross that intersection everyday and there was typically an officer standing on the southwest corner. I twice told the officer standing there about how frequently cars blow through that intersection and they both admitted it was a problem but had a "nothing we can d…
Several deaths within a couple of blocks: http://sfgov.maps.arcgis.com/apps/OnePane/basicviewer/index....
Wow. Very interesting. I was surprised how many of those killed are elderly. I wonder if it is because they are more likely to be involved in an "accident"* or as likely to be involved but less likely to survive.
* I use the word accident in quotes because of stories like these: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/opinion/sunday/is-it-ok-to...
Re: BART killing exposes security gap – many train cameras are decoys
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
Although part of me can't imagine thinking someone is watching 4 cameras on every car on every train at all times. Having video footage of crimes is useful even if nobody watches it until after the fact. There are some security cameras in Vancouver which were installed with the explicit promise that footage would be deleted after 30 days without anyone having seen it unless the police get a warrant in the intervening…
its kind of sad. i'd rather there was a promise that the footage was kept indefinitely, but never watched unless there was a police warrant. that sounds much more useful...
hard disks are cheap. they are not the expensive part of this at all...
Re: BART killing exposes security gap – many train cameras are decoys
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
really? i'm pretty sure i live there and this is the exception rather than the case. particularly on public transport i have never seen this... although i've seen it in restaurants and shops quite a few times, but certainly much less frequently than i have seen cameras, or things that look like them.
They seem pretty common on London buses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTHFSuPirXY
never noticed it on them... at least the only one i regularly take.
Re: BART killing exposes security gap – many train cameras are decoys
#60The grocery store I work at has dummy cameras. I suspect this is because the construction crew broke the security camera system, and nobody is willing to pay for fixing it.
A lady's purse was stolen, and we couldn't do a thing.
I'm still pissed, months after the fact. The manager didn't tell the lady that our cameras are broken, and he only told the officer once the customer was out of earshot (if at all), so the poor lady's probably not aware of the real problem. She could probably sue.