From the strange to the serious, crimes are constantly occurring. While it is deadly threats that make the most compelling case for camera security, sometimes it is the more bizarre and amusing incidents that draw attention to the utility of surveillance cameras. Some recent reports from local news sources cast light on dubious crimes and confusing behavior and the role surveillance technology can play in keeping an eye on public spaces.
Self-defeating thief
While one of the key features of a surveillance setup is its ability to drive away criminals with its mere presence, some criminals don't learn the lesson to stay away. Luckily, cameras are no empty threat and can help bring brazen lawbreakers to justice.
According to KNVN, a local news provider in Chico, California, one thief recently attempted a ploy that virtually ensured he would be identified by security cameras – he set out to steal the surveillance system itself. According to the source, a 55 year old man named Dennis Gunn recently received a three year federal prison sentence for a caper designed to steal security cameras from a local school's campus. One device caught footage of Gunn clear enough to identify him while he was on his way to steal the others. Police investigating Gunn found that the had three illicitly-acquired cameras at the time of his arrest.
Armed with sauce
Not every case is as open-and-shut as Gunn's, however. Sometimes, it takes a strange crime just out of cameras' range to inspire plans. A strange plot in Indianapolis encouraged police there to consider expanding their security camera network. According to the Indianapolis Star, an act of vandalism has led to action. A new camera is set to watch over the city's USS Indianapolis monument after a vandal scrawled an upraised middle finger on the memorial. According to the source, however, the actual act is not the strangest part of the case – instead of using paint or marker, the bandit did his work in barbecue sauce.
The proliferation of odd and amusing criminal activity can serve an important and very serious purpose – it can draw attention to the things authorities can do with clear security footage of unattended areas. The same video systems that can stop a perpetrator armed with a jar of sauce could help prevent a deadly attack.
