Flutterby™! : Public/private surveillance cam collaboration 2014-02-07 08:26:34.87985+00

Public/private surveillance cam collaboration

2014-02-07 08:26:34.87985+00 by Dan Lyke 2 comments

San Jose police could tap into volunteer residents' private security cameras under new proposal (Via CNet's inflammatory version). The headline is a little misleading, it reads more like it's one grandstanding city council member turned mayoral candidate who wants to set up a registry whereby people can offer up to police a way to view their surveillance video, and the police are thinking this is going to be a nightmare:

A San Jose police spokeswoman said the department is interested in the idea but still is exploring its merits, including potential costs and privacy concerns.

"We also would have to factor in how such a system would be weighed against other pressing priorities for our limited time and resources," Sgt. Heather Randol said.

I just started playing with two security cameras, one to be pointed down the street as a "neighborhood watch", and I'll be hosting the "alert" stills and video. The police will have access to that when and how I let them.

Reading between the lines in the police statements in that article, it sounds like the San Jose police, at least, see this as a way for the neighborhood gadflies to start to play "but what about?" in a more automated way.

I've been talking about putting in some additional surveillance on our property (Really, I want to do some automated traffic counting and speeding detection) and, yes, I'd be happy to use the fruits of some of those planned views to assist in active investigations if asked, but I also suspect that what'll happen in a practical sense is that I'll tell my neighbors that I'm collecting these views, and if something happens they (my neighbors) will come to me, not law enforcement.

And when that happens I'll go get a well-bounded slice of video and volunteer it. On a thumb drive. On my own terms. And with the additional understanding that I will serve as a witness should any resulting prosecutions lead to trial.