Nextdoor.com

[dalepa]

Many of my neighbors joined nextdoor.com . One of the most active topics on the site is security, local break ins and advice on security systems

If you are its a security installer it might be a good idea to join next door and advertise...

 

[RyanODan]

I've had a few customers mention this site and heard good things about it.


Just created my neighborhood.

 

[bp2008]

I tried to "get started" and despite using their suggested form of my address (yes, their site provided the suggestion, not my browser) it just told me

We cannot locate this address. Please enter your full street address (e.g. 123 Main St), or contact us at help@nextdoor.com for assistance.

 

[dmoore]

I run a community with about 350 households and the issue of security and cameras has been brought up many times. Given that most people have a hard time getting their cars started in the morning doesn't bode well for actual operation. Additionally, most installs, even with 1.3 to 3mp cameras, is generally useless without LPR and more "advanced" cameras. At best, you'll be able to tell that someone broke into a car. We keep telling people what they need to do is not put in a camera system but put their cars in the garage instead.

 

[fenderman]

I beg to differ with good lighting and a decent 1.3mp camera and proper placement near the cars you can easily identify a perp. This is not their first rodeo and the local pd can usually put a name to a face.

 

[dmoore]

First is that there is rarely "good lighting". Then, even when we have had footage, even including clear plates, getting the constable to act on it is nearly impossible. If anything, I've only found use for the footage in taking care of problems personally but many people don't find this a good solution. Add to that, 60-70% of people involved in something we've caught, are people in our own neighborhood.

 

[fenderman]

Proper lighting whether ir or lightbulbs is part of a camera installation. If you are not getting good footage then you either have in improper install with poor camera and or lens choice. Most burglaries happen during the day so there is plenty of light and its easy to get a nice image. There is a huge benefit to having cameras installed even if you cannot obtain a plate. Most thieves dont even drive up, they are on foot. If your problem is local people then its even better....if the police are unresponsive to your complaints then you need to complain organize and vote...
Putting your car in a garage does not solve the issue of burglary. With good camera and proper motion settings or even pir cams/sensors you can get instant notification of a break in and alert police. There have been lots of instances where users catch the thieves in the act and call police.

 

[dmoore]

Proper lighting whether ir or lightbulbs is part of a camera installation. If you are not getting good footage then you either have in improper install with poor camera and or lens choice. Most burglaries happen during the day so there is plenty of light and its easy to get a nice image. There is a huge benefit to having cameras installed even if you cannot obtain a plate. Most thieves dont even drive up, they are on foot. If your problem is local people then its even better....if the police are unresponsive to your complaints then you need to complain organize and vote...
Putting your car in a garage does not solve the issue of burglary. With good camera and proper motion settings or even pir cams/sensors you can get instant notification of a break in and alert police. There have been lots of instances where users catch the thieves in the act and call police.

"Proper Lighting" is highly subjective. What do you do when you have 2 acres of area you need to light up for "good" coverage? You don't - you live with what little IR or artificial light you can make and hope for the best.

I also disagree with your assumption that most thieves are on foot - where I'm at, someone isn't walking anywhere with a 60" flatscreen, let alone the toaster - so they are in a car. Sure, they may park down the street but unless you CLEARLY make them out, then have cops that even give a crap - it is useless. And cops caring - yea, I'm on a board that controls their pay and even I can't get them to enforce crimes, even when I do have a plate. Unless you are shot dead in your driveway, the cops in my area (and we pay to have them there) just don't give a crap - period. So, voting isn't going to solve any problem I have.

And you are completely wrong on the garage issue. In my area, where we get monthly reports on crimes, I am aware of only a single case where a car was stolen (none were only broke into that I know of) - the dozens of other car related crimes - theft from vehicle, vandalism, damage, stolen car, etc have ALL been cars outside of a garage. While I love cameras (18, 2+mp cameras), sometimes common sense just works better.

This is just all based on my experience of MANY incidents and interactions with the police in my area. Maybe you have police that care and maybe your specific cameras are on a yard lit up like a baseball field but for me, the real world is a little less perfect and cameras, no matter how good they are, are not a magic bullet.

 

[fenderman]

So your point is that cameras are useless? You dont need to light up your 2 acres. You need to light up the areas your valuables are placed and at choke points. My point with respect to burglary was the home itself. If your areas is in the hood and that bad, then yes, you have bigger problems. If you set your cams up right you can easily capture good facial images as well as plates. You just have to know what you are doing.

 

[icerabbit]

The only points I will agree on is that there's no magic bullet and prevention is better. Parking a vehicle in the garage is better than leaving it outside. But, most people have more vehicles than garage space and/or their garage has bikes, grills, sporting equipment, boxes, excess furniture, wood working equipment etc in it. So one or no car may fit in the garage. Whether you have one or two outside. Problem remains.

Maybe dmoore could clarify where exactly his area is? So that we can avoid moving there, if the police is really that useless.

Fighting crime can be a difficult endeavor. Many/most small crimes go unsolved, until a perp is caught that can be held responsible for a string of crimes. Sometimes luck is involved in that. Most often there's no evidence. Nothing appears to be happening on the victim's side due to lack of evidence, description, witnesses. In that regard some video footage is better than no footage. If everybody sticks their head in the sand, then nobody will ever even produce anything that can lead to even a description of a person or vehicle. Especially if as you say the criminals are local to the area, then having some details leads to actionable data and patrols can be informed. The description could be so vague as to be 1/10th of the population ... 6ft male with pale 2 door pickup truck. Still better than nothing. More details. Better reaction.

You don't need to light up 2 acres. Just a couple dozen feet around a property will do. You can't capture it all. I may wish to record the criminal who parks next door, hits the neighbor's house, walks over here and down the street, house to house, ... but then I'm at the point that I need a mile of fencing, creating entry points with surveillance, trip wires in the woods, guard dogs, ...

I think in our area, there's been plenty of success with local businesses even with poor analog cameras, that once some footage of hold-up hits the local news, there's plenty of tips and the perp gets identified.

Now if you want to talk about doing time for the crime ... that's a whole other ball game.

But don't just go bashing a surveillance camera when it is the #1 thing that could help identify a person or vehicle. Because when there's no witness, who's going to give a description. How detailed and accurate is a description? ... A picture can be a 1000 words.

As far as the local police not doing ANYTHING at all. Sounds like you may need new leadership.