Blog Archives
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See it…say something
By PublicSafetyWatch blog - Wednesday July 21, 2010
Recently, following on New York City Transit’s theme, See Something, Say Something, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the kickoff of a broader federal program to enlist the public in helping to identify suspicious people and events to provide another barrier to terrorism and other criminal activity on public transportation. She made the announcement in New York’s Penn Station, the nation’s busiest train station. Her comments were further echoed in Baltimore at the 34th Annual NOBLE event, an event of senior law enforcement leadership. The theme this year was “Helping to Change the Blueprint of Law Enforcement in America.” This national information-sharing partnership with DHS and Amtrak is part of the... -
Taking Transit Security Seriously
By PublicSafetyWatch blog - Tuesday July 13, 2010
I am very pleased to see two cities are taking positive steps to improve public transportation security – showing concern for their passengers and employees by leveraging proven technologies for crime prevention and police forensics. The Chicago Transit Authority has been very proactive. Each of its stations now has at least one high-definition camera funded through the Department of Homeland Security grant program. The CTA now has more than 1,800 cameras in place, up nearly 53 percent since March 2009. By the end of the year, the organization hopes to have 3,000 cameras operating. "Having cameras installed at every station is a valuable tool, both for security purposes and from an operations perspective as well," CTA President... -
Parking cams?
By PublicSafetyWatch blog - Thursday May 13, 2010
In a never-ending effort to find ways to raise revenue, cities continue to look at cameras in new and different ways. First there were red light cameras to catch us when we pushed a little too hard to beat that traffic light. Then came speed cameras to catch us when we were in too much of a hurry and ignored the speed limit. Now we have parking cameras. That's right, cameras that look for cars that have sat too long in limited-time parking spaces. Currently, enforcement officers must record license plate numbers and note the time by hand. Later this month, the city of Newton, Mass. will add cameras to its parking enforcement vehicles. Then as officers drive their routes the cameras will record and store license plate... -
Surveillance cameras do work
By PublicSafetyWatch blog - Tuesday May 4, 2010New York and Washington, D.C. newspapers have claimed that all of the surveillance cameras in the Times Square area didn't help in arresting a suspect in last weekend's attempted bombing in New York. But that doesn't mean cameras didn't play an important role. The first report was that NYPD was looking for a guy seen on camera taking off his shirt near the SUV packed with explosives. Turns out he wasn't a suspect. Before he drove the vehicle onto Manhattan, the alleged bomber heavily tinted the windows. The NYC cameras were never able to get a look at the driver. And he even put stolen license plates on the vehicle to make it harder yet to trace him. But as police started looking for the man who bought the SUV, the trail... -
Be alert using public transportation
By PublicSafetyWatch blog - Wednesday April 28, 2010
You can always count on thieves to quickly react to changes and take advantage of new opportunities. Recently the city of Boston completed installation of cell phone service for T-Mobile customers along the 11-mile Orange Line subway. So naturally, riders are now pulling phones from their purses and pockets and making calls and sending text messages while underground. Phone thieves have taken notice. During the first three months of 2010, phone snatching on Boston’s subways is up 70 percent over last year. AT&T is expected to begin testing on the Orange line soon and the city plans to have cellular coverage for its entire subway system by the end of 2011, providing even more opportunities for grab-and-run phone thieves... -
Caught on Camera: FBI Gives Surveillance Tips for Businesses
By PublicSafetyWatch blog - Thursday April 22, 2010
This recent video, Caught on Camera, was created by the FBI’s Operational Technology Division to show business owners how their security cameras can aid law enforcement investigations and even help solve terrorist attacks. The video might look a little like an episode of CSI, but it paints a clear picture of how well-placed, well-lit, fully operational surveillance cameras can make a difference in crime. The video covers five ‘must have’ features of a successful business surveillance system: - Effective camera position - High resolution, recognition quality images - Proper lighting - Ability to capture image detail... -
Find money for the cameras
By PublicSafetyWatch blog - Monday April 12, 2010
After weeks of heated debate, the voters of Columbia, Mo. last week approved Proposition 1 , a measure that authorizes the placement of four video surveillance cameras in the city’s downtown area. The vote was 59 percent in favor of the cameras that will allow police to monitor the streets and sidewalks. The mother of a young man who was attacked and beaten by seven people last year spearheaded the effort. She formed a pro-camera group, Keep Columbia Safe. One problem with the proposition – there was no funding identified nor was there a deadline for operation of the cameras. Opponents of the measure still hope to defeat it when the funding debate comes to the city council. Patrick Fiel , public safety advisor for ADT... -
More on concealed weapons in public
By PublicSafetyWatch blog - Wednesday April 7, 2010
Another state is inching its way toward allowing concealed weapons on college campuses – and other state and municipal buildings. This time it’s Kansas advancing a new law through its legislature. The legislation, already passed by the Kansas House of Representatives, would allow adults with a concealed weapons permit to carry a firearm into a publicly-owned facility unless that facility has taken “adequate security measures” to keep out all weapons. Those measures could include electronic technology such as fixed metal detectors and handheld wands. The League of Kansas Municipalities estimates the cost of metal detectors at between $2,500 and $5,000 per entrance — or up to $50,000 per entrance annually with staff... -
How Urbana Middle School fights school bullying
By PublicSafetyWatch blog - Monday April 5, 2010Here's a quick video from CNN.com on how Urbana Middle School in Urbana, Md., is trying to quell bullying by instituting a school-wide anti-bullying program to the school's curriculum. The coverage follows the tragic death of a female student at a Massachusetts high school who was reportedly bullied until she hanged herself at home in January ( see USA Today story on that incident ). Use this link if you can't watch the CNN video below. -
A tragic school death
By PublicSafetyWatch blog - Tuesday March 30, 2010
We have talked before on these pages about school bullying and the damages it can cause. A recent survey showed that more 43 percent of middle school students were bullied within the past month. Now a story just out of Massachusetts is especially chilling. For more than three months, a 15-year-old girl who recently moved to this country from Ireland was unrelentingly bullied in person and online. Unable to bear it any longer, she killed herself on Jan. 14. Yesterday, six teens — four girls and two boys — were arrested on charges including statutory rape, assault, violation of civil rights resulting in injury, criminal harassment, disturbance of a school assembly and stalking. Three younger girls face delinquency charges...
