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Solving the car break-in problem without police help?
24/7 Onsite Cameras | Mobile Security Cameras
Article by Mark Schnyder | KMOV-TV | August 24, 2011
It’s one of the most common crimes in St. Louis… the car break-in.
It happens anywhere, anytime… but not likely to happen anytime soon in a parking lot off Locust near Leonard downtown.
In the past couple of weeks there’d been a big problem there. Construction workers rehabing a building across the street had their cars broken into three times in three days… in the middle of the day.
One guy I talked to told me someone took a thousand dollars worth of tools from his car. Another joked, you’re not really a St. Louisan until you’ve had your car broken into. Ouch.
Finally, the Lawrence Group, the company these guys are rehabing the building for, had enough. They rented a mobile surveillance camera unit that gives a 360-degree view of the area 24 hours a day and can record the video. The cost is around $1,800 dollars a month… Less than the amount of damage thieves can cause in just a few minutes.
The workers tell me they appreciate the cameras and the signs all over the place telling people they are on camera… great deterrent.
The company renting out the camera is local. Check out www.247onsitecameras.com if you want to find out more about the contraption watching over people’s cars.
Mobile camera unit may be used to deter crime in St. Louis
Article by Diana Zoga | KMOV-TV | February 17, 2011
Starting Wednesday, a mobile surveillance camera unit will show up in some St. Louis city neighborhoods, in effort to deter crime. While parts of the city already employ the use of fixed surveillance cameras, this unit can be moved around to target different areas.
Sixth Ward Alderwoman Kacie Starr Triplett says the surveillance unit will first be used at the corner of Michigan and Magnolia.
This is a great neighborhood. We have great housing stock, we have a lot of amenities right here in this neighbhorhood, but we have some problem corners and we’re working to address them,” said Triplett.
The owner of the surveillance camera unit is offering the use of one, for free. Keith Jackson of Columbia, IL-based 24/7 On-Site Cameras said he read about Tripletts efforts to combat crime in the 6th ward and e-mailed her to offer help.
Jackson typically rents out the use of units on construction sites. A unit is currently in use at the St. Louis City library renovation site, downtown. Jackson said that on any given day, he has at least one unit that is not in use and he’s willing to allow the city borrow one.
Four cameras are mounted at the top of a mobile unit and can record video in the dark, said Jackson. The cameras will record constantly. Triplett said she may recruit neighborhood watch members to take turns monitoring the cameras, live. The video stream can be accessed on a laptop or computer, with the proper passwords.
St. Louis Police say they’ve been in touch with Triplett and support the efforts.
Triplett said the cameras will not be used with the intention of peering into homes. She said the units would be placed on public right of ways. She also said the city supported the idea.
“The security cameras are not a pancea to dealing with all crime. This is just another tool in the tool box,” said Triplett.
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