Neighborhood Watchers

Neighborhood Watchers,
Well, our Citywatch article "VSS: Shoot First, Ask Questions Later" (copied below) spurred a few other articles in media outlets in recent weeks. Click on the links below to review two TV news stories produced by Tealy Devereaux of Fox 13 and the third by David Healy of the Commercial Appeal:
"Homeowner Fights Crime with Cameras"http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=A3686928446BAA3FAD54DB09EAE5A054?contentId=7304136&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1
"Wi-Fi Helps Protect Lakeland"http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=D521503E8781935FAEFBC1C9CF9162AD?contentId=7423035&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1

"Cameras Keeping an Eye on Neighborhoods"http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/aug/24/keeping-an-eye-on-02/
Also of interest in today's (9/18/08) paper:http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/sep/18/mpd-device-will-scan-cars-plates/
From 9/16/08: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/sep/16/cops-look-to-widen-video-eye-on-crime/
More on the Wi-Fi Access in Lakeland:http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/sep/14/lakeland-park-goers-gain-internet-access/
A few questions for you:
1. How important is crime and safety to you as a resident of Lakeland?
2. What should the City of Lakeland be doing to protect our community from crime?
3. How much would you be willing to invest (if at all) in video surveillance of your property?
I'm interested in your answers. Please feel free to post them back to the message board (by replying to the entire group). Let's get some healthy discussion going here, shall we?
-Brian

Citywatch Article for COLASubmitted 7/25/08 VSS: Shoot First, Ask Questions LaterBy Brian S. Haines Have you ever seen the photo of the post-Katrina ad-hoc neighborhood watch group bearing the spray-painted slogan “Drunks with guns – U Loot, We Shoot”? In it 13 men casually pose sporting derisive “Go ahead, make my day” expressions as they brandish their varied high-powered armaments. With their residences in the background, they send the message to would-be criminals that reckless (and possibly intoxicated) vigilante neighbors would take delight in framing criminals in their sites in order to protect their families. While I respect our right to bear arms (and salute the courage of the 10-year-old girl who recently attacked the armed assailant holding her mother at gunpoint in their Cordova garage) I am not advocating militant neighborhood watch efforts. No, the shooting I am talking about is with cameras.
For the past several years, I have been researching video surveillance systems (VSS’s) and ways to implement them in the context of making our neighborhoods and city more safe and secure. I have had many lively discussions with neighbors both for and against the implementation of a VSS in Woodbridge and in the city limits of Lakeland. Furthermore, I installed a VSS in my home and have subsequently solved several mysteries through collaboration with neighbors and law enforcement. In addition, we have been able to not only provide physical descriptions of criminals but actual photos of their vehicles. In one valiant day for Woodbridge neighborhood watchers, we worked together to lead to two arrests in our area while equipping the “jump drives” of Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies with the data to help them pursue a third. If you are interested in the pros and cons of making our neighborhoods more safe with VSS technology, join in on the discussion through our Online Message Board here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lakelandcola/ Alternately, sign up by searching for the “LakelandCOLA” group on Yahoo.com or by sending me an e-mail at BHaines@mac.com.Please remember that we are participating in National Night Out on Tuesday, October 7th this year in order to save the heat for the criminals. For more information on NNO, visit here: http://www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno/Start a Neighborhood Watch Group--Together, we outnumber the criminals!