CCTV & Video Security Industry News

One neighbor’s work to protect himself and those around him could help to solve the case of an empty home that caught fire twice on Sunday, March 10, 2013. Nearby homeowner Tony Johnson thought he might have seen something suspicious at that time. Johnson had seen a man on his home security camera system. Not only did he see him and then the fire shortly after he ran, but Johnson caught the man on camera.

Dennis Schwald Sr. put up four high-definition surveillance cameras three weeks ago, with plans for four more, tired of waiting for Syracuse police cameras in his neighborhood. The cameras, with infrared night vision, capture the entire 300 block of Hartson Avenue in Skunk City. The security system can be watched from the television in the living room, with a flick of the remote switches the view from cable to cameras. A DVR records a month’s worth of footage and when away, he can watch the cameras via smartphone.

After many years in the megapixel surveillance business, the technical support department at SecurityInfoWatch.com has seen all the possible pitfalls. Polling them recently, we were able to put together a list of their “best hits”; that is, the most common mistakes and problem areas they encounter when talking to the integrator on the job.

Police have released CCTV footage of an assault on a brave cyclist attempting to stop a thief riding off on his bike in the UK. After a short period of time you can see a member of the public steps in to help the victim. Together they manage to drag the thief off the bike as he continues to hit them with the bike lock.
“The victim and member of the public showed great courage and managed to foil this attempted theft. Despite being hit by the metal bike lock, luckily the victim didn’t sustain any serious injuries. ”

The new camera looks almost identical to the ones that came before it; it's so small that it can fit in the palm of your hand, so you can move it pretty easily to any place in your house. But it's been equipped with an AC-powered infrared lamp, and a wire-free infrared camera so that you don't need to place it near an outlet. You can easily monitor the action from an iOS or Android app.
You can easily monitor the action from an iOS or Android app. However this isn't a standalone. You'll need an existing VueZone system to run the new add-on, and it costs $130.

Drones are becoming more popular in use by the military, and some day they might even deliver food to you, but it looks like they'll also be used for private companies too. That's what Japanese security company Secom is banking on with its new private security quadrotor.
Labeled as the first security drone intended for private security firms, Secom's upcoming drone is a customized Ascending Technologies quadrotor outfitted to spot and follow potential troublemakers. The drones will have the ability to track suspects with lasers, and know better than to rush into melee range. They won't be making their actual debut until 2014, at which point they can be rented for $58 per month.

A price comparison search unveiled hi-tech garden gnomes which can help keep home secure when people are away. These gnomes are called Festive Garden Gaudians, contain security cameras and motion sensors to help keep your home safe.
Garden Guardian creator Ian Burgess of Setwo Limited said: "Having your home burgled is a horrible experience. Having your home broken into, and knowing someone's taken your things can really unsettle you. That's why I wanted to create the Festive Garden Guardians - so that I can help protect people from having the same thing happen to them."

The creators of Community Cam are hoping that for the first time, a new project will give law enforcement and the public at large a region-wide map of the locations of public and private security cameras to help combat crime.
"To be clear, this service does not allow for access to surveillance footage," said videosurveillance.com president Josh Daniels. "Nor is any of the information that is uploaded in any way privately accessible to anyone."

The decision about what to do with all the security cameras and equipment left over from the Democratic National Convention will be discussed as Rodney Monroe, police Chief of Charlotte, is talking to city council Monday afternoon.
"We see a lot of people around her breaking into stores. A guy got stabbed right there on the corner and died." said David Alhalek, owner of a cellphone store on West Boulevard.

SightLogix, Inc. announced the integration of the SightTracker® pan-tilt-zoom camera controller with Videotec’s ULISSE line of positioning devices. The integration provides an accurate and cost-effective video security solution for comprehensive detection, tracking and assessment over outdoor areas for users.
“Security managers need fast, detailed information about the location and nature of an intrusion in real time,” said John Romanowich, SightLogix President and CEO.

It's hoped by town officials, that a new eight-camera system will deter troublemakers from misbehaving at the Belgrade Community Center for All Seasons during unsupervised hours. The system for the community building and recreation areas will be installed in response to vandalism and mischief, according to Town Manager Greg Gill.
"We're just trying to deter some of the stuff that's been happening because it is town property, and we're trying to protect it," he said.

The West Hollywood City Council opted not to install security cameras in Plummer Park at Monday night’s city council meeting, unable to reach agreement on a proposal by city staff.
“Why wouldn’t uniformed officers be better than a camera?” Duran said. “An officer can make an arrest while a camera can only monitor motion … cameras create a false sense of security.”

The selling point behind the Hive security camera isn't high-definition video or gapless 24/7 surveillance. Instead, it's been developed based on the premise that your community, friends, and family care about your home as much as they do their own.
To get the most from the $99 system — $149 with 12 months of web services included — users can establish a trusted group of people to receive alerts when the camera detects unexpected (or unwelcome) motion.

Between surveillance cameras in businesses, traffic cameras at busy intersections and inadvertently finding one’s way into the background of a cellphone video, being caught on camera several times a day isn’t uncommon for the average person.
In solving crimes, finding those videos can be crucial for law enforcement in identifying and apprehending suspects.

Hundreds of dollars worth of sunglasses were stolen from a Fort Myers, Florida business and the whole thing was caught on camera. As police search for crooks, surveillance cameras are helping to shine a brighter light on petty crimes.
"That's the reason we got the cameras because we've had theft in the store before," she said.

The Massena Police Department has installed seven security cameras around the village at parks and intersections. And Recreation Superintendent Richard A. Boprey said one of the new cameras has been placed at the Creative Playground on Danforth Place.
“We got one. A camera has been installed at the wooden park,” near the site of the former tennis courts, Mr. Boprey told members of the Massena Joint Recreation Commission on Tuesday.

The traditional approach to video surveillance is to blanket a property with low-res VGA cameras to catch suspicious activities from any angle. But with Avigilon's 29 megapixel JPEG2000 HD Pro, you can slap a wide angle Canon lens on the end and cover an entire parking lot in one fell swoop.
It might border on overkill, but there are good reasons for using a high-resolution security camera that can accept EF mount lenses.

Several surveillance cameras will be installed in the South Los Angeles where a special needs teenager was gunned down earlier this week, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously decided on Friday.
The move to instate five cameras at Jackie Tatum/Harvard Park Recreation Center came during the same session in which the council voted to approve a $50,000 reward for information in Patrick Caruthers’ fatal shooting.

Last year, a thief broke into Suzanne Brown’s sports car and pilfered her briefcase and laptop. She was angered enough to do something about it, however, she wasn’t angry enough to shell out thousands of dollars for a professionally installed system.
She’s not alone. Because of falling prices and simpler technology, more and more people like Brown are taking a hands-on approach to home security, and they’re opting not to get locked into professional systems that charge a monthly fee for their services.

Thieves broke into several vehicles in far southwest Oklahoma City last weekend, but one victim may have caught the crooks on camera.
Oklahoma City police confirm several vehicles in the neighborhood were broken into last weekend. They also note that nearly all vehicles that were targeted were left unlocked.