Sunday, July 25, 2010

Soccer Mom Burglar Caught on Camera

Soccer Mom Burglar Caught on Camera When Rhonda Faye Rollinson broke into Ken Olson's Hall County, Georgia home one morning, she had no idea it would lead to her arrest. Olson is a security camera installer and often uses his own home to test the equipment he works with.

Rollinson had been dubbed the "Soccer Mom Burglar" by Atlanta-area media because Colonel Jeff Strickland of the Hall County Sheriff's Office said the clothing she wore while committing crimes could "fall into the 'soccer mom' category." The 41-year-old Rollinson was able to easily blend in with the other people in the neighborhoods where she was committing her crimes because of the way she dressed. Strickland said she "looked like a normal person."

Olson's home is equipped with eight security cameras and he says he can't believe Rollinson didn't see them. Her picture was caught on five of the eight. She entered the home through the basement window and exited through the front door and was only inside for a minute, long enough to steal a laptop. Olson turned the video over to detectives and because he was able to get pictures of both her face and her car, detectives were able to link her to previous burglaries in the area and eventually arrest her. She's being held without bond and has been charged with three counts of burglary. Her boyfriend, Benjamin Finley was also charged with theft by receiving and obstruction.

Tons of stolen goods such as digital music players, cameras, laptops, and guns were found in the woods behind the home where Rollinson was arrested. She has been linked to at least three burglaries in homes in the Flowery Branch, Georgia area, all of which she allegedly entered during daylight hours, while homeowners weren't home. She a previous arrest record for burglary from the 90's, and she was also accused of trying to run over one of her victims. More charges may be pending.

About half of the stolen property has been identified. If you're missing items that you think may have been stolen by the Soccer Mom Burglar, contact the Sheriffs Department's Criminal Investigation Division at 770-531-6879.

Meanwhile, Olson is proud of his security cameras and told local media, "It’s a comforting feeling to know that when you’ve been violated in that way that there’s some recourse, and that they can track them down with the video evidence." He was, however, disappointed that none of his eight surveillance cameras were able to catch Rollinson's car's license plate. Determined not to ever let that happen again, Olson has since installed a ninth camera that will catch video of all vehicles entering his neighborhood.

If you live in the Atlanta area or the state of Georgia and want to protect your home from crime, click here to learn more about Georgia Security Camera Installation.


Looking for a DVR or NVR Security Camera System? If so call today at 877-422-1907 x226 for a free phone consultation.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

San Francisco International Airport Adds More Cameras

San Francisco International Airport Adds More Cameras

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is located about thirteen miles south of downtown San Francisco. It's the tenth largest airport in the United States and the twentieth in the entire world. It serves as a major gateway from North America to Europe, Asia, and Australia. SFO is a major hub for United Airlines and Virgin America is also based out of the airport. In addition to the airlines themselves, it offers a number of restaurants, shopping, baggage storage, public showers, a medical clinic, assistance for lost or stranded travelers and military personnel, and the Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum. It also boasts a strong surveillance system, which is about to get even stronger.

Currently, there are over 1,300 cameras at the airport, keeping travelers safe, and thanks to a $5 million grant from the Transportation Security Administration, there will soon be a lot more. The new cameras will be added to terminals, which will allow the airport control center to monitor the facilities with a graphical user interface program that maps all the cameras at SFO. Personnel will be able to switch quickly from camera to camera. Cameras already monitor the airfield and roadways, as well as the terminals, baggage areas, and security checkpoints.

The goal is that the new system will allow security agents to respond to incidents more quickly. According to Edward Gomez of the TSA, SFO's CCTV system is one of the best in the nation. He says it has helped officials respond to illegal activity and has been helpful overall with day-to-day airport operations.

SFO is hoping the new cameras will take about three months to install. While the TSA has been adding extra security to airports since 9/11, this particular program has been in place since before the terrorist attacks. After the Christmas Day 2009 bomb attempt, the TSA is also adding whole-body scanners to the nation's airports. SFO currently has body scanners in its international terminal according to the San Francisco Examiner, however, Mayor Gavin Newsom would like to see them in all of the airport's terminals.

Check out this related article: California Security Cameras



Looking for a DVR or NVR Security Camera System? If so call today at 877-422-1907 x226 for a free phone consultation.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Courthouse Security Cameras

Courthouse Security Cameras In January of this year, a man named Johnny Wicks lost a Social Security claim in Las Vegas. A few months later, Wicks walked into a federal courthouse in Las Vegas, pulled a gun from his jacket and began shooting, killing a court security officer and injuring a deputy United States marshal. Wicks was chased, shot, and killed outside of the courthouse by federal marshals and law enforcement agencies were able to take surveillance video from the building to check to be sure he was the only gunman.

Disturbances like this are not a daily occurrence in courthouses, but they certainly do happen, and often times, they are very violent and even deadly. Tensions are high in court and this can often lead to disruptions, fights, and even in some cases, shootings. This is one reason why placing security cameras in your courthouse is absolutely necessary.

Courthouse Security Cameras have been known to:

-Prevent Violence: When a would-be criminal knows they are being watched by security cameras, they are less likely to commit a criminal act.

- Protect Employees: When an incident such as the shooting mentioned above does occur, courthouse employees are usually the first ones to get hurt. From judges to security staff, there have been any number of incidents that involve courthouse employees being injured or killed and if security cameras are being monitored, sometimes violence can be prevented.

- Provide Evidence: In the event your courthouse does host violence or other criminal activity, when security cameras are rolling, they are more-than-likely recording footage of the incident(s). This footage can be used, not only for law enforcement to release pictures and videos to the media, in an effort to catch a suspect, but in court to prove the suspect actually committed the crime.

If you are planning to install security cameras in your courthouse and need some help deciding where to put them, there are a few things to keep in mind. Check out the tips below before having your cameras installed:

- Place cameras where you don't already have security. If you already have other security measures in place, such as security officers or guards, place your cameras in areas where those measures aren't as effective.

- Have you had past incidents in your courthouse? Do they occur in certain areas? Are your courtrooms often subject to violence or maybe you have a courtyard area that is often subject to vandalism? These are areas that definitely require security cameras.

- Placing cameras at all exits and entrances is a great idea because you are able to capture images of anyone who enters and leaves your courthouse.

- Lobbies, hallways, and other areas where many people may gather at once usually attract violence because of the sheer number of people around. Criminals can blend in or inflict harm on many people at once.

- Cameras inside the courtroom are also a must. Tensions are high and people often learn their life's fate in these rooms. No one knows how someone could react to that news.

- Cameras should be placed outside your courthouse, as well as inside. Disputes often happen outside a courthouse where two opposing parties may confront one another. Also, vandalism can be a problem in parking lots, courtyards, rest areas, and any other area outside your courthouse.
Check out these related stories:
1. Nevada Security Cameras
2. Government Security Cameras


Looking for a DVR or NVR Security Camera System? If so call today at 877-422-1907 x226 for a free phone consultation.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Stupid Security Guard Caught on CCTV

Stupid Security Guard Caught on CCTV

One of the advantages of having security cameras in your business is having the ability to monitor employees and prevent employee theft. It's a proven fact that when employees know they are being watched by security cameras, they are more likely to give a better job performance. With this in mind, you would think a security guard of all people would know better than to commit a crime at his own place of employment. Not so for a man named Justin Hortz.

Hortz is a security officer at a convenience store in Australia. On Saturday, June 26, at 11:35 PM, a teenager and her boyfriend were in the store, shopping. At some point, the girl noticed her wallet was missing and she called local police. The police, along with store staff, viewed the security camera footage from when the girl was in the store and Hortz was immediately identified as the thief. He was off-duty at the time.

According to the camera footage, the girl put her wallet on the counter and when she wasn't looking, Hortz put his hand over it and slid it off the counter and into his pocket.

The wallet contained $110, as well as the girl and her boyfriend's personal identification. Hortz took the wallet to a local Domino's pizza restaurant, ordered a pizza and left the wallet in the restaurant. Police found it and returned it to the girl.

Hortz plead guilty, claimed he was very drunk, and was fined $500 for stealing the girl's wallet.

I'm not sure whether this story should be filed under "stupid employees," "stupid criminals," or both, but either way, it proves that having a quality surveillance system installed in your business can help prevent and solve crime.



Looking for a DVR or NVR Security Camera System? If so call today at 877-422-1907 x226 for a free phone consultation.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Security Cameras for Nursing Homes & Elder Care Facilities

Security Cameras for Nursing Homes & Elder Care Facilities
The decision to put a loved ones in a nursing home or assisted living facility, is not an easy one. Families spend months looking for the right place. A place that will keep their relative or friend safe and secure, as well as provide them with proper care. Quality security cameras placed strategically in your facility will not only attract new customers, but it will also provide you, your staff, and your residents with the proper reassurance that everything is running as smoothly as possible.

Protect Your Residents - With visitors coming and going from your facility all day, it's easy for the wrong person to slip through. To prevent an intruder or help law enforcement officials catch someone who did manage to get inside and cause harm, cameras placed around the grounds are a necessity. Cameras may protect you, your residents, your employees and your property.

Protect Your Employees - When people are forced to place their loved ones in a nursing home, it can be a very difficult time. They want the best care for their relatives and rightfully so. Because of this, stress levels are often high and people sometimes say things they don't mean. Accusations against your employees can be a very hard thing to deal with but having a security camera around can help prove what really happened, prevent lawsuits, and eliminate a number of other headaches for your facility and its employees. Cameras also help you monitor your employees, which helps keep you from worrying about things such as employee theft.

Attract New Customers - Making the decision to put a loved on into someone else's care is not an easy one and often involves a long, very emotional process of visiting and researching various facilities in the area. Don't just tell prospective customers you will take good care of their family members, show them. Visible cameras placed around your facility will show customers you mean business when it comes to caring for their loved one, and will also help deter crime in the process.

In the event that you do decide to purchase or upgrade a surveillance system, there are some important things to remember about installing your cameras:
  • Place cameras at entries and exits, and in your waiting/reception area. This way, you can get a good look at anyone who leaves or enters the building.

  • Make sure you put cameras outdoors, especially if you have a large property or more than one building. On top of that, make sure your cameras are part of a network that is easily monitored from one place.

  • Put cameras where your staff and residents often gather such as dining halls, activity rooms, and hallways. This helps you keep everyone's best interest in mind.

  • Place cameras in supply closets, stairwells and other small rooms. This will help prevent employee theft, as well as prevent someone who wishes to cause harm to an employee or resident from having an unwatched space to do it in.


Looking for a DVR or NVR Security Camera System? If so call today at 877-422-1907 x226 for a free phone consultation.

Friday, July 09, 2010

Illegal Activity Caught On Camera in Colorado

Illegal Activity Caught On Camera in Colorado

The Police Department in Trinidad, Colorado is putting city security cameras to good use. Recently, they caught four young people on video, participating in illegal behavior at the city skate park. Last week, the kids were caught smoking marijuana in the park on Sunday night. The incident was caught by a dispatcher who just happened to be monitoring the camera. An officer was sent to the scene and citations were issued.

Trinidad Police Chief Charles Glorioso had high praise for the surveillance technology. He told the Trinidad Times, "That’s the whole reason we put (the camera) there, trying to keep the park clean and safe. But, apparently the kids - maybe they don’t believe the technology is as good as it is. We can really zoom in and see faces and identify people with them.”

Not only is the park's camera in plain sight, but it has a sign underneath it which lets people know the park is under surveillance. Even so, the drug-related incident was just the most recent in a line of issues that have plagued the city and were caught on camera. In may, a young person was caught on camera vandalizing the park with graffiti and was charged a fine, given six months of probation, and made to serve 48 hours of community service. In June, 23-, 18-, 17-, and 14- year olds were caught in 36 various graffiti incidents. The vandals will be assisting the city's Graffiti Removal Task Force with cleaning up the town's vandalized property.

Glorioso said people should be more aware of the cameras, which are often monitored by dispatchers, "That whole park is monitored, and I want to let them know what dispatch has the capability of accessing that camera and zooming in...a lot of dispatchers use the cameras on their downtime. It’s like having extra officers out there patrolling."

Cameras are located at the intersection of Main Street and Nevada Avenue, Cimino Park, Miners Memorial Park, and Central Park are also minored by the Trinidad Police Department, in addition to the one at the skate park.



Looking for a DVR or NVR Security Camera System? If so call today at 877-422-1907 x226 for a free phone consultation.

Saturday, July 03, 2010

Keep Your Construction Site Safe with Security Cameras

Keep Your Construction Site Safe with Security CamerasIf you work in the construction business, you know theft can be a problem. It is estimated that nearly one billion dollars worth of construction equipment and materials is stolen each year. Without taking proper security measures, this number will continue to rise. Losing materials and equipment can delay your project, raise your insurance rates, and ruin your company's reputation. Fortunately, there is something you can do help protect your business: Construction Site Security Cameras.

Construction Site surveillance is a great option for resolving a number of issues, including theft and vandalism. In the long run, it can save you time and money, and make your company even more efficient. If your construction sites often fall victim to theft or vandalism, a security camera can help you catch the criminals who are causing you harm, as well as offer an idea as to how they are gaining access to your site and what you can do to stop this from happening again in the future. Not only that, but having cameras in place, constantly monitoring what's going on at your construction site can help settle disputes, monitor employees, and be used as the perfect witness in the event you find yourself in legal trouble.

If you've decided to purchase or install a video surveillance system, there are some things you should keep in mind. Here is a quick checklist for you to think about before making your purchase or having your cameras installed.

1. Consider a weatherproof security camera. Cameras that are keeping watch over construction sites are often placed outdoors. Rain, hail, wind, lightning and other damaging weather can do a number on your cameras if you choose the wrong type.

2. Keep cameras out of areas that could be damage by your machinery. Cameras are pretty resilient but they are no match for a bulldozer or other heavy equipment. Make sure you cameras are placed in areas where your machinery won't cause them any harm.

3. Place cameras in areas that are most vulnerable to crime. Do you have a certain area at your site that has suffered from vandalism or theft in the past? Is there an area that is vulnerable due to its location or openness? You'll want to consider putting cameras in these areas first.

4. Was there ever an incident that wasn't necessarily criminal but that you wish you could have caught on video? Maybe you had employees goofing off, maybe you had an inspector lie about something he or she saw. Consider these areas to be a high priority for placing cameras.

5. Do you already have some type of security? Maybe actual security personnel or some type of fence that would be nearly impossible for a criminal to get past. If so, these areas may not be first on your list to receive camera placements.

6. Do you leave supplies that would be easy to steal unattended overnight? If so, these supplies need to be monitored. Lumber, steel, and other raw materials can be very expensive to replace and can seriously delay your project.

7. What type of area is your construction site located in? Is it in a small rural residential area or a large suburban area? Be aware of the crime rates in your area. If your construction site is in a note so nice part of town, consider placing cameras around the entire perimeter to detect any and all intruders.



Looking for a DVR or NVR Security Camera System? If so call today at 877-422-1907 x226 for a free phone consultation.

Thursday, July 01, 2010

San Francisco Security Camera Services

San Francisco Security CamerasSecurity Cameras are an integral part of our safety and security in our lives. Whether it be a personal security system set up at your business or office, a police camera on the streets to catch crimes, or even a simple "nanny cam" security camera to ensure your family is safe, security cameras are a valuable asset to have, no matter the situation.

Just looking in the news you can see how security cameras have helped. The recent attempted bombing in New York City's Time Square was averted thanks to a well placed and operated security camera and the attacker was able to be brought to justice before anybody was ever harmed. To imagine what could have been had the security camera not been there is a scary thought.

San Francisco, California is known as a generally peaceful city. However, like any city, it has its share of crimes. Local Police do all they can to protect the citizens of San Francisco but doing so is a daunting task and every now and then even officers of the law need a little help. That is where San Francisco Security Cameras come in. With even some of the most basic systems set up on street corners around the city, many crimes have been averted or deterred and some criminals have even been brought to justice, ones that, without the cameras, would have gotten away.

Having a personal security camera system in your San Francisco home or local San Francisco business can also be a valuable asset. Homes and businesses are broken into everyday in our country but having a good security camera system can be a huge help in protecting those things that need protecting the most. That is why Camera Security Now has been offering high quality security camera rentals in the San Francisco area, as well as the rest of the country, for the past 20 years.

Camera Security Now offers a wide range of security camera systems so finding one that fits your needs best isn't hard at all. A San Francisco Security Camera Rental is a perfect solution for any security project whether it big a big job like viewing a warehouse overnight or watching employees during the day. Camera Security Now has anything and everything you need for your next San Francisco Security Camera Rental.

Looking for a DVR or NVR Security Camera System? If so call today at 877-422-1907 x226 for a free phone consultation.