13 August 2012

Security cameras for the home - is there any point?

| Rollersk8r
Join the conversation
18

So I’ve put up with my fair share from the neighbour’s children and I’m considering installing security cameras at home. I’m sure my problems aren’t much compared to stories others can tell – but over the years we’ve put up with regular midweek parties (parents never at home), litter and smashed glass in the front yard, our house has been egged, they’ve entered our backyard to dump bongs and party rubbish in our bins (which I hurled right back over the fence) – and the final straw was recently having my garden irrigation system slashed.

So my question is – if I captured any of this on tape what’s the best possible outcome? Hardly going to be priority no.1 for the police now, is it??

And before you ask there’s no point in taking it up with the parents. Dad’s home about twice a month and kids treat him just as badly as they treat us…

Join the conversation

18
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

Hi there,

I’m really sorry that happened to you, i know exactly how you feel in terms of feeling vulnerable at home. Something similar happened to me around 5 years ago. Even the money being stolen wasn’t such a big deal, the fact that they stole our family jewellery that we had for generations was honestly such a punch in the gut. Also our laptops in which we had all our precious photos and memories was also gone. Like it is something we just can’t get back no matter how hard we try.

Money was tight, so we were looking for some budget friendly options. That’s when we came across Touch homes. http://Www.touchhomes.com.au We found them very budget friendly and easy to deal with as they are locally based in Canberra.

Also one thing I learned from my house robbery is to backup all your photos and precious documents. Its these things that you can never get back.

Good luck!

VYBerlinaV8_is_back said :

Post photos on the Internet.

Don’t upload them on facebook, and remove the EXIF data

VYBerlinaV8_is_back1:36 pm 15 Aug 12

Get several large friends and some balaclavas. Work out when they are likely to cause trouble, and wait quietly around the side of the house. When the little shits get onto your property, run silently up to them and bash the shit out of them, so they can’t walk. Have someone inside the house call the police and tell them “there are kids fighting in my backyard right now and I’m really scared”. When the cops arrive, deny ever seeing anyone in balaclavas, and tell the police that the kids were bashed because they were mouthing off at a bunch of medium build youths with dark complexions wearing hoodies who happened to be walking down the street, and then ran into your backyard.

Post photos on the Internet.

actually, buy a huge electric fence, have it inset 1m from the existing fence. It seems you can buy energizers for just over $100.

my vote is for some angry dogs.

Disinformation12:39 pm 15 Aug 12

pptvb said :

Disinformation said :

pptvb said :

WOW…..After THAT, I see you have the perfect name!

And being a paragon of information yourself, you’ve gone off to research the internet and prove me wrong in every case?

Yep. I don’t expect to hear back anything factual to back your worthless opinion up.

I wouldn’t know where to start!
I only have 20 years experience installing CCTV, I don’t base my opinions on what I see on ACA.

No, that just means that you can’t base your opinioins. If you can’t base your opinions on relevent regulations, then your opinions are worthless.
If you actually did know anything then by definition, you’d know exactly where to start.

So by your refusal to engage and back up your opinion, the only explanation which is logical is that you can’t.
The regulations relating to public photography across the states in Australian and an informed opinion on them is available on the Internet if you can be bothered looking.

Don’t confuse experience in installation of installation with having a clue about THE LAW unless you can actually point to legislation defining how things are or examples tested in court.

I will take anything less a complete list of applicable legislation as admitting that you have absolutely no idea.

Or maybe you won’t know, rather then know where to start?

Or you could not turn your house into big brother, take spoonful of concrete and stop being such a miserable old coot.

I’ve never understood old people’s hate for parties, I can fall asleep under the main speakers without a problem, and yet some ancient bat three suburbs away files a noise complaint because her hearing aid is turned up too high.

Seriously, old folks, run the whole western world into debt, spend all the inheritance, then not even let us get drunk or watch tits on TV. what a bunch or miserable wrinklies.

yeah, put in cameras to stop kids having fun, how about some land mines in the street and manacles for all children during your precious sleeping hours. I bet you mow your yard at 8 on a Sunday don’t you?

pptvb said :

I wouldn’t know where to start!
I only have 20 years experience installing CCTV, I don’t base my opinions on what I see on ACA.

What Disinformation posted seems ok to me apart from the Youtube bit, and when I asked the police about cameras a few years ago their advice was that if I had one on my letterbox and happened to capture the image of someone interfering with it, it’s not illegal and could be used by them. Certainly the advice to have each camera covered by at least one other sounds good – if it was affordable, then why not?

Disinformation said :

pptvb said :

WOW…..After THAT, I see you have the perfect name!

And being a paragon of information yourself, you’ve gone off to research the internet and prove me wrong in every case?

Yep. I don’t expect to hear back anything factual to back your worthless opinion up.

I wouldn’t know where to start!
I only have 20 years experience installing CCTV, I don’t base my opinions on what I see on ACA.

Disinformation7:23 pm 14 Aug 12

pptvb said :

WOW…..After THAT, I see you have the perfect name!

And being a paragon of information yourself, you’ve gone off to research the internet and prove me wrong in every case?

Yep. I don’t expect to hear back anything factual to back your worthless opinion up.

Buy an assortment of dobermans, alsatians and rottweilers and train them to enjoy the taste of children’s flesh.

There was some petty thieving and car break ins in my street early last year, and I installed security cameras. the software is motion activated, and saves to disk. I caught a neighbours teenage kid on camera, rifling through a car in my driveway. I printed off some photos and spoke to his father. Hasnt occurred since (to me anyway).

I had made reports to the police after the thefts, and contemplated reporting him to the police, but thought i’d give the thieving shit one last chance.

Sell the story to ACA. At least you’ll get some cash.

seriously, where do you live? Detroit>?

Disinformation said :

Well, I think under standard photography rules, that there are NO regulations as to what your security camera can look at. As long as you are looking at what is the majority of your property, go your hardest.
Wander around and see what other security cameras look at.
Unless the there is a complaint by your neighbors that your cameras look squarely into their bedroom and that there is reasonable belief that you put it there for that purpose, there is no reason for them to complain. After all, the cameras that can see their house may also capture potential criminals.
Put your security cameras up. Make sure that they are vandal resistant and if possible, ensure that a camera covers the positions of another so that the cameras can’t be approached from a blind spot.
Ensure that you have if possible, some sort of coverage of the fusebox or a UPS system which powers camera and recorders.
Or just put up dummy camera housings. And not those pathetic ones in shops either. Proper tinted vandalproof domes. Best idea yet is a mix of real cameras and fakes.

And by the way, there would be nothing stopping you from putting up a video on youtube of something that happened in your back yard. Regardless of who was in it, unless it was of a sexual nature. An identifiable image of someone committing vandalism with their name attached to it on the internet just may affect someone’s prospects in future. Wouldn’t that be a pity? It would sure be a bargaining point that I’d be using. After all, it’s not like you can’t put a video up and then edit the details about it later..

WOW…..After THAT, I see you have the perfect name!

Disinformation4:17 pm 13 Aug 12

Well, I think under standard photography rules, that there are NO regulations as to what your security camera can look at. As long as you are looking at what is the majority of your property, go your hardest.
Wander around and see what other security cameras look at.
Unless the there is a complaint by your neighbors that your cameras look squarely into their bedroom and that there is reasonable belief that you put it there for that purpose, there is no reason for them to complain. After all, the cameras that can see their house may also capture potential criminals.
Put your security cameras up. Make sure that they are vandal resistant and if possible, ensure that a camera covers the positions of another so that the cameras can’t be approached from a blind spot.
Ensure that you have if possible, some sort of coverage of the fusebox or a UPS system which powers camera and recorders.
Or just put up dummy camera housings. And not those pathetic ones in shops either. Proper tinted vandalproof domes. Best idea yet is a mix of real cameras and fakes.

And by the way, there would be nothing stopping you from putting up a video on youtube of something that happened in your back yard. Regardless of who was in it, unless it was of a sexual nature. An identifiable image of someone committing vandalism with their name attached to it on the internet just may affect someone’s prospects in future. Wouldn’t that be a pity? It would sure be a bargaining point that I’d be using. After all, it’s not like you can’t put a video up and then edit the details about it later..

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd3:51 pm 13 Aug 12

Yeah, sadly you only have two realistic options. Move house or violently beat them until they stop. I would not recomend option two.

Even if you get them on camera, the police would probably consider their actions trivial and treat you as a pest. I think there are also regulations on what your camera can look at.

If you’ve got enough evidence (like a years worth of video and notes) then couldn’t you take civil action against them? Mind you, once you go down that path it’ll probably consume your life, and then life won’t really be worth living anyway.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.