HOA's can have amazingly weird covenants.
Lots of good suggestions. I like the one about staging a mock break-in, and bringing the video to the HOA meeting so everyone can see the benefit of having cameras. Maybe even organizing something with the police.
Good luck to you. Please keep us informed of what happens. I've also been concerned. I've spoken to the police, and, occasionally, the police speaks to me about happenings in the area. I've let them know about my cameras.
I have recently replaced the 6 cameras around my house (all mounted on inside windows) with HD 960P wide angle 3x digital zoom, PTZ cameras. None point to the windows of the houses on either side - just below them. My 2 front cameras get the entire front yard and driveway. street, and houses across the street.
Why all the cameras?..... (In order of occurrence)
- Attempted break in. At 2:30am one summer morning, 3-4 youths came up to my front door, opened the screen door, and wiggled my front door knob! It was locked of course. I was standing behind the door with my enforcer... a 1950's Louisville slugger baseball bat. I expected them to shoulder the door in, ransack my place, and possible injure me. I heard one say thru the door... "Opps, this isn't the house!", and they all ran away quickly. I was quite shaken by this.
I've often though since then, what house would they try to enter at 2:30am unlocked, and, how could they get confused!
I didn't have any cameras then. This is what prompted me to get ptz cameras.
- Mail was being stolen. Checks were forged totaling several hundred dollars in 2 local shops. I believe I caught the persons going thru all the mailboxes taking mail. Interestingly enough, neither the police or postal service wanted anything to do with it! Each pointing to the other. The credit card company took care of it and covered the loss. Knowing that, they refused to stop sending those stupid checks in the mail. I canceled the card.
Turned out that the person stealing the mail as a neighbor on the next street. They would send their 3 little girls (6-10 years of age) out to get the mail - from every mailbox in the area! I had it on camera! Several times! The little girls probably didn't know what they were doing. Awful parents!
- A few years ago, I was accused on being a drug dealer by a neighbor because of the cameras! I heard this from another neighbor. Hummmm, I wonder what they were worried about?
- Robbery. Several years ago a neighbor's garage was broken into across the street and thousands of dollars of items stolen. I happen to be out in my driveway talking to a neighbor when a car drove up asking if I had seen anything. Well..... I took her number and said I'd get back to her. Next day I had compiled a video from 3 cameras showing the vehicle arriving, breaking in, carrying stuff out, and leaving. Al compiled together, with a pause and zoom in n the perps and vehicle. She gave the video to the police dept. But, they were older non HD cameras, so a bit grainy. I have no idea what happened.
- Death! Several years ago, the elderly neighbor on the other side slipped and fell on his front steps after he went out to scrap the snow off his car after a snowstorm. He was only wearing a light fall jacket, and was laying there for around 6 hours - no gloves, hat, or boots. It was wintertime here in Minnesota, and, the air temp was around 10f with wind chill below 0. With the high snowdrifts, no one could see his front steps. Later that evening around 8pm, there was a frantic knock at my door asking for help. It was his son. He called the paramedics and his father was taken to the hospital. It was touch and go, but, he died later that night. The doctors said the reason he didn't die of hypothermia, was that his extremities were partially frozen, and his body was diverting blood to his body core. I felt terrible about it, and still do. If I would have moved the camera on that side over once or twice, I would have seen him and he may still be alive. Now, whenever I hear an unusual noise, I move the cameras regardless. The person who bought the place is also elderly, alone, and is having memory and health issues! He's already almost passed out in his driveway & yard several times, and quite frankly, I'm concerned about him.
- House fire across the street. Got the entire event. Total loss.
Checking back thru the previous days cameras for something else, I noticed a U-Haul truck showed up. It was the owners. They moved in a lot of furniture, Large TV, couch, Hutch... AND, also move out a lot of furniture. TV, Couch, Hutch... Speaking to the front office about the fire, I was told that the previous 2 places they lived also had fires! Hummmmm. I dropped it. They moved away. A few days later the owner confronts me about accusing him of insurance fraud! I hadn't told anyone what I had found. He only said someone told him that the "old guy across the street" said that. I told him that it wasn't me, and I'm not the only "Old Guy" across the street. He was insistent, and I stood my ground. I also let him know about my cameras. He left. Nothing happened. I think telling him about the cameras helped. He kind of looked shocked and turned a little 'whiter'.
- My new neighbor on one side asked "What's up with with all the cameras?". He seemed to be concerned about them. I told him that the previous owners, the ones he bought the house from, had their home broken into through a window. I caught the perp entering and leaving, but not the actual break in, because I don't have the cameras pointed at the windows or doors.
- Drugs & sex. It's not uncommon to see cars parked in the dark area by the lockers. Usually, another car meets them, they have an exchange of some king, and both cars leave. Or, someone on foot. What does THAT sound like?
Also, cars will park there for several minutes, then leave. What does THAT sound like?
I've spoken to the office, and they refuse to put in a street light in that area. It's a main intersection and completely dark - no light!
- Police chashing perps. Last year, one evening while watching TV, I heard sirens in the area, and dogs barking. I used ther 'Scanner Radio' app on my phone to listen to the police scanner. They had a K-9 unit looking for 2 perps. Wouldn't you know - the dogs barking out the window matched the scanner! They were between the houses! I checked my cameras, and yup! I saw the perp running at full speed around the corner, thru my yard, and, out to the back neighbors! I was calling the police to report where the perp was, when I heard on the scanner, that they found the person via the K-9. A little excitement - that I didn't need!
- Half naked man walked thru the neighbors back yard, at around 2am, to the front street, stopped, and started throwing large rocks at cars! WTH! There was a police car patrolling and saw him immediately. They conducted a field sobriety test (he failed), and arrested him. He put up resistance, and 2 other squads were called out.
Sounds like a few episoides of C.O.P.S., or, I live in a crime ridden area!
I spoke to the police last year about these types of events, and if it was unusually high. They said... "no, it's about average for an area this size"! OMG! These are only the things I caught on camera, and not everything. There have been many times I've listen to the police scanner about incidents & accidents in the area.
A few months ago, the local police issued a statement to the Township next to me, about a recent rash of robberies plaguing the area. It's a nice area with lots of very nice homes on large acreage (5+ acreas). There just a few miles away!
THIS is why I have cameras. Some are quite evident (front & Back doors), some are stealth. Maybe it's the cameras keeping the bad away. I have no idea. And, I'm not letting my guard down.
