funsec mailing list archives
When surveillance cameras lie
From: "Richard M. Smith" <rms () bsf-llc com>
Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 18:48:12 -0500
Surveillance cameras don't always tell the truth. Case in point: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35257-2004Nov8.html Pr. George's Settles Suits by 3 Detainees By Ruben Castaneda Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, November 9, 2004; Page B04 Prince George's County has quietly settled lawsuits filed by three Arizona women who were charged with murder by county police last year and jailed for three weeks before officials determined that they were innocent. ... Police focused on the Arizona residents after the Fox TV show "America's Most Wanted" aired a segment on the Mansfield slaying in March 2003, when it was still unsolved. The show aired photographs from a bank security camera showing the Sheltons and Starkey using an automated teller machine at a SunTrust bank branch near Mansfield's home a few hours after the killing. An acquaintance of the Sheltons called a tip line and identified them. Bank records showed that someone used Mansfield's debit card to withdraw $200 from the ATM about the same time that the Sheltons and Starkey used the machine. But detectives did not realize that the times on the bank transaction records and the bank's video surveillance camera were not synchronized. Officials eventually determined that Virginia Shelton and the teenagers, who were visiting a relative in Washington, used their debit cards minutes before Mansfield's card was used by someone else. County police interrogated the Sheltons and Starkey for several hours in Arizona before charging them. Detectives alleged in charging documents that the three admitted using Mansfield's debit card. In interviews, the Sheltons and Starkey said they acknowledged to police that they had used the ATM but insisted to detectives that they did not steal anyone's card and knew nothing about a homicide. In June 2002, Virginia Shelton had driven to the Washington area to help her ailing mother, and her daughter and Starkey had come along. Virginia Shelton and Starkey were flown to Prince George's and spent three weeks in the county jail. Shirley Shelton was detained for three weeks in an Arizona juvenile detention facility. Charges were dropped and the three were released when a prosecutor realized that the times on the bank records and the video camera were not synchronized. -----Original Message----- From: funsec-bounces () linuxbox org [mailto:funsec-bounces () linuxbox org] On Behalf Of Larry Seltzer Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 6:32 PM To: funsec () linuxbox org Subject: RE: [funsec] "if you are not doing anything wrong, why should you worry about it?"
"if you are not doing anything wrong, why should you worry about it?"
I've heard some talk about putting cameras in private places, but that's a straw man. The real question is about cameras in public places. I've never understood what the problem was with cameras in public places, taking pictures of public places. I don't even know why anyone would be bothered by them. It's a bloody public place, like a street corner, nobody has any reasonable expectation of privacy there. Nobody would object to a policeman standing there looking at the same area covered by the camera. What interest is threatened, what right violated? I just don't get it. As for criminals going to where the cameras are, there are a few answers: 1) this will just show where more cameras are needed; 2) If ordinary non-criminals also know where the cameras are they know where they will be relatively more safe; 3) police can concentrate more on the uncovered areas. It's mostly about making the police more effective, but I think there's exculpative potential too. A camera can be used to show that a person was *not* at a particular place at a particular time. Also, given a choice between an individual or police officer's testimony that they saw me at a location and an actual video of what happened I'll choose the video. Larry Seltzer eWEEK.com Security Center Editor http://security.eweek.com/ http://blog.ziffdavis.com/seltzer Contributing Editor, PC Magazine larryseltzer () ziffdavis com _______________________________________________ Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts. https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list. _______________________________________________ Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts. https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list.
Current thread:
- RE: Things you can't take pictures of in public, (continued)
- RE: Things you can't take pictures of in public Gary Funck (Feb 20)
- Re: Things you can't take pictures of in public Dude VanWinkle (Feb 20)
- Re: Things you can't take pictures of in public Valdis . Kletnieks (Feb 20)
- Re: Things you can't take pictures of in public Dude VanWinkle (Feb 20)
- Message not available
- Re: Things you can't take pictures of in public Larry/Spamhaus (Feb 20)
- Re: Things you can't take pictures of in public Dude VanWinkle (Feb 21)
- RE: Things you can't take pictures of in public Bruce Ediger (Feb 21)
- RE: "if you are not doing anything wrong, why should you worry about it?" Larry Seltzer (Feb 20)
- Re: "if you are not doing anything wrong, why should you worry about it?" Blue Boar (Feb 20)
- Re: When surveillance cameras lie Dude VanWinkle (Feb 20)
- RE: "if you are not doing anything wrong, why shouldyou worry about it?" Larry Seltzer (Feb 20)
- RE: "if you are not doing anything wrong, why should you worry about it?" Gary Funck (Feb 21)
- Re: "if you are not doing anything wrong, why should you worry about it?" coderman (Feb 21)
- RE: "if you are not doing anything wrong, why should you worry about it?" James Kehl (Feb 22)
- "arms" dealer! Gadi Evron (Feb 22)
- Re: "arms" dealer! Julio Canto (Feb 22)
- Re: "arms" dealer! Dude VanWinkle (Feb 22)