Do We Need More Public Surveillance Cameras?

@josie_ Everybody still thinks that anonymous bank accounts are still available here, that is wrong, now you have to go to Dubai if you need to hide (or Cayman). Monte-Carlo was not for the Casino, but to protect the many rich women who loved to walk in the street showing their very expensive jewels. The surveillance cameras inside the house allowed to catch burglars most of the time. I can position a camera outside my door if it does not "monitor" private areas that are not of my property. I have one pointing the gate of our garden and our main and back doors. They have been inspected, they do not violate the privacy of the others, I have the right to keep them.

@LadyDuck _Very sensible of the Swiss. Protecting private property as well as individual privacy.

Not surprising since Monte Carlo has casinos which the very rich patronize. Switzerland is obviously very concern about privacy. No wonder people of shady characters like to open Swiss bank accounts. I don't understand why surveillance camera only allowed "inside the house" It does not make sense. Can you position your camera outside your door or main gate? How about in your backyard?

@josie_ No, it's not big. Cameras don't actually cover that big of an area. One is in the store. It's the most useful so far. Very helpful in letting me know if there's someone standing there wanting to buy something. Because weirdly enough, people don't use the doorbell even with a sign that says please ring it once. We have the monitor right next to the computer so I can easily look over when I'm at the keyboard. Another is in the garage. It shows only the car. The biggest use we have of it is it showed the neighborhood cat that sometimes likes to pee on the car. Another is pointed towards the gate, fence and street. Could be useful to keep an eye on anyone wanting to steal fruit from the trees out front. We use it sometimes to check who's been opening the water valve across the street without permission (kids again). And the last just covers the front area and pointed towards the side door leading to the back. As for dogs... we used to have lots of dogs. But they are all gone now. Cats have taken over. But even when we had dogs in the backyard, the kids (most likely from communities outside of the subdivision or nearby squatters areas) still go over the fence to steal scrap metal and things like that. I guess our dogs were nice. The system my father bought can accomodate 8 cameras, so there's still room for half. But he's working on another project right now so I guess cameras will wait.

@moirai _I can see the need for a camera on the front door for business purposes or the one preventing water pilferage by children but I thought it hilarious the only offender caught by one of the cameras was the neighborhood cat peeing on your car.

Your house property must be big to need so much surveillance equipment. Have you consider keeping a guard dog in the backyard?.

Personally how do you feel about it?

@josie_ As long as I am breaking any laws I am okay with it.

@Deepizzaguy _Do you mean (not) breaking any laws?

@josie_ - train to overcome the surprise.

@Plethos _It's good that your police force reaction time average about 7 minutes. I'm not sure what the responds time here in the Philippines is but I'm sure it takes the police much longer to arrive at the scene of the crime. Even for people who took some self-defense training, the criminal always have the element of surprise and the reflexes of victims tend to freeze.

The idea that government is monitoring our every move is a scary thought but we are heading in that direction.

Some of the cameras not working? Maybe needs proper maintenance.

@josie_ Yeah! Maintenance is done after the happenings of mishaps which serves no good.

@josie_ We are already safe and so I wonder if I will feel the need

Will you feel safer or more secure if there are surveillance camera in your home's vicinity?

@allknowing _That is good to know.

@josie_ The moment we are out of our own property, there's no privacy to speak of.

As surveillance cameras become cheaper, more sophisticated and readily available, the future of personal privacy looks bleak.

@josie_ You are correct there. No one monitors the CCT, 24 hrs. a day. Indeed, the dogs are sure bodyguards. In our neighborhood, everyone has dogs. One time, the widow's house was trespassed by a burglar in broad daylight. That's because no one is at home and she has no dogs at all. Good thing the neighbor's helper saw the burglar and called the tanods. Too late because the burglar has gone. By our place, even the "padyaks" are so afraid to go there. Our dogs are sometimes in front of our gates and would really run after them.

Frankly I sleep better because my dogs keep watch. Especially during the early morning hours which is the favorite time of "akyat bahay" (burglars) gangs. Even if the community is equip with CCTV, how sure anyone is monitoring the cameras?

@SIMPLYD _Dogs make good security guards. You don't have to pay them a salary, only feed them...but you also need to give them lot's of love.

@josie_ Exactly, my friend. I hope the barangay officials can do something good and not playing around

A lot of barangays are starting to install CCTV. Let's hope it's being put to good use and not spying on other neighbors.

@josie_ oh yes, that is true.

That is true. But the idea I might be the "bad guy" under surveillance is not a comforting thought.

@josie_ it should catch those who throw garbage not in the designated area, also those who are not residents of our purok. there are some garbage throwers who are from other puroks, throwing their trash in sacks. our kagawad saw one, asked where he is from, and when the man said he is from another purok, VA said, "i can shoot you now because you are illegally throwing your garbage here".

Did the CCTV discourage illegal dumping of garbage when it was operational?

You have no reason to locate them unless you're some sort of a spy and avoiding surveillance.

@josie_ There are people who are real observant, to the extent that they notice everything around them. God doesn't give me that gift. I am oblivious to everything 99.9% of the time. (To make up for my empty brain, I smile lots to distract people.)

Good to know crime rate in your area is down.

@josie_

@kepweng I think my safety is more important my friend.

I'm learning to ignore the ones on both ends of our street.

I would feel more secure with having a guard dog compare to a surveillance camera.

Has the crime incidents gone down in your area after it was equip with CCTV?

@stapllotik _That is good to know. Although some criminals can be resourceful and try to evade the cameras and avoid being identified.

@josie_ yes. Also it plays with the psychology of the criminal.

For security measure, do CCTV actually discourage people from committing crime? People with bad intentions would just find ways to cover up their identity.

Understandably you would not want gov't surveillance which i'm guessing was prevalent during the Ceau?escu regime in Romania.

I was surprise to find out about these dummy CCTV that are only meant for show and had no surveillance capability.

@josie_ I think it is all for a show. Or you know what they do they request for CCTV and then pocket the money po.