* Surveillance Cameras increase in popularity throughout U.S. Cities

Click here for PDF of ABC Poll Results As mentioned in previous posts, there are many uses for surveillance cameras including, use in the home, in government buildings, airports, houses of worship, banks, casinos, parking lots, etc. What is interesting is what seems to be an increasing trend of surveillance cameras being implemented to monitor major U.S. cities all the way down to small towns in the Midwest. Although there are many reasons why Federal, State and local governments are jumping on the “Big Brother Bandwagon” as some call it, let’s look back at a few of the core reasons why this trend has been adopted with such momentum… Surveillance Cameras used for Terrorist Threats Beginning with the “granddaddy of reasons” that catapulted the popularity of city wide surveillance systems, the monitoring of possible terrorists attacks post September 11th. Since that fateful day, the federal government has allotted billions of dollars to cities around the country to install security cameras, surveillance systems, etc. with the flow of funds, grants or whatever else you want to call it, still coming in. Surveillance Cameras used for High Crime Areas In areas prone to high crime activity, cameras are being installed specifically to catch an offender on tape in the act of a crime, which ideally can be used later as evidence. There is currently an increasingly hot debate about whether or not the use of Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTVs) actually helps in the conviction of a defendant, however, having a camera and not needing it is probably better then needing a camera in an area of high crime and not having one. Surveillance Cameras used for Traffic We’ve all seen them, whether they are mounted up high on poles, signs, buildings or used from a helicopter, the cameras used by news stations around the city to report on the status of city wide traffic. Traffic cameras show us what areas to avoid when driving due to accidents, stop-and-go traffic, detours, etc. Most major cities aroung the country have networks of live traffic cameras that monitor road conditions and feed that information to law enforcement and EMS. Most traffic cam live feed can also be viewed via the Internet on various news station websites. Surveillance Cameras used for Intersections The cameras placed at major intersections, typically found in bigger cities around the country, automatically photograph vehicles that drive into and pass intersections after the light turns red. Car owners are then sent citations in the mail, but given that it is still a relatively “new traffic enforcement technique” that some find easily manipulated, there has been increased opposition and questioning of the actual effectiveness of the cameras. Despite opposition, the popularity of implementing red light surveillance cameras continues to increase. Surveillance Cameras used as Safety Precautions Where there are big cities, there is usually a great deal of construction, either for new buildings, renovations of old buildings, etc. Surveillance cameras are typically found at construction sites for the purposes of monitoring employees, monitoring the progress of the work and ultimately monitoring the equipment and materials at the site when no one is around. Since this type of situation demands daytime and nightime coverage and outdoor placement of the cameras, a day/night camera with outdoor, ruggedized, weather-proof, vandal-resistant housing is needed. IP/Internet network cameras are also ideal because the videos can be viewed from remote locations if necessary. [caption id="attachment_541" align="alignnone" width="250"]canon-vbc300-250 Image Source: Canon[/caption]]]>

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