Big Brother

starbelgrade

.... is watching you!

There's a CCTV camera which appeared sometime between 6pm yesterday evening and 9am this morning, currently attached to a pole & battery on the junction of Abbey Street & Castle Street, beside the TSB (opposite Foleys). It appears to be recording along Castle Street.

Anyone know what that's all about?

Xiney

Not just that... it seems they've installed a "mosquito" outside BB's on Tobergal lane. It was driving me a bit mental (I'm 22 and can still hear it) but my companion couldn't hear it at all.

It makes me want to go... disable... it. That's a lovely spot to sit and read in the sun with a mug of tea :mad:

TequilaMockingBird

Maybe something to do with the developments on Castle Street, sometimes the contractors will install them due to the amount of machinery and equipment on site.

Btw, I was in Sally Salon Supplies, beside the barracks today, they sell the replacement attachments for hair clippers.

Yes, I was in town today, and thought of you. What's the world coming to...

TequilaMockingBird

Xiney wrote: »

Not just that... it seems they've installed a "mosquito" outside BB's on Tobergal lane. It was driving me a bit mental (I'm 22 and can still hear it) but my companion couldn't hear it at all.

It makes me want to go... disable... it. That's a lovely spot to sit and read in the sun with a mug of tea :mad:

Her companion is 37. And I ain't deaf...yet.

Xiney

I just think it's hugely discriminatory - you're tarring all kids, everyone under 25 really, with the same brush.

But hey, if that corner of road doesn't want my business, that's their prerogative.

Xiney

That said, I don't mind the camera.

I've had too many things stolen from me to mind surveillance cameras. Similarly, if I were ever mugged or seriously assaulted I'd like it caught on tape to identify and bring the jerks to justice. Bring on the 24 hour watchman.

horsecrap

Xiney wrote: »

Not just that... it seems they've installed a "mosquito" outside BB's on Tobergal lane. It was driving me a bit mental (I'm 22 and can still hear it) but my companion couldn't hear it at all.

It makes me want to go... disable... it. That's a lovely spot to sit and read in the sun with a mug of tea :mad:

im 24 and honestly cant hear that. weird

Gillie

Canadians! Just have to be different!

starbelgrade

sueme wrote: »

I was in town today, and thought of you.

!!!!!! I've lost my train of thought now!

Oh yeah - found this on the web earlier - an article about CCTV laws in Ireland.

"Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan today announced more funding for community CCTV schemes. Unfortunately these schemes still fail to comply with basic safeguards recommended by the Law Reform Commission nearly ten years in its 1998 Report on Privacy.

Experience in other jurisdictions have shown that CCTV systems are open to abuse. Voyeurism by CCTV operators is common, with even the occasional politician as a victim. One English case shows what can happen:

Two council CCTV camera operators have been jailed for spying on a naked woman in her own home. Mark Summerton and Kevin Judge, from Sefton Council, Merseyside, trained a street camera into the woman’s flat… The images from the camera, including the woman without her clothes on, were shown on a large plasma screen in the council’s CCTV control room in November 2004, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Over several hours, she was filmed cuddling her boyfriend before undressing, using the toilet, having a bath and watching television dressed only in a towel.

What safeguards are there in Irish law? There is a Department of Justice Code of Practice for Community-Based CCTV Systems, which has a limited statutory basis in section 38 of the Garda Siochana Act 2005. But that Code of Practice, though fine as far as it goes, lacks teeth. The worst that can happen if a Community CCTV scheme flouts the Code of Practice is that its authorisation to operate the system might be taken away. There is no provision for civil or criminal sanctions against operators who abuse the system, leaving victims potentially without any redress.

The Minister for Justice did acknowledge today that safeguards were necessary against the abuse of CCTV systems. We agree. The current Code of Practice should be put on a full statutory basis, enforceable by civil and criminal sanctions."


So basically, you can set up a camera - film whatever the hell you like & if you're caught watching anything you shouldn't be, you'll be told to stop it. Phht!

il gatto

They do more good than bad, imo. The cameras already installed on premises, be they clubs, pubs, shops etc. have produced incriminatory evidence in hundreds of crimes locally, ranging from assault and rape to vandallism and theft.
They was a camera on Foley's anyway, but it swivelled around on a set pan, so only covered the parts of the street intermittantly. These PTZ (remote) cameras can follow incidents as they happen, zoom in to identify perpetrators and record the footage for producing in court, as well as direct Gardai on the ground as to who is responsible and which direction they've gone. A boon to safety on our streets, assuming the Gardai have an interest in that, as opposed to spying on their buddies on a night out and checking tax discs on parked cars.

brianthebard

xiney did you actually
see a device marked mosquito or ask the staff about it?i heard those things were just urban myths.as for the cctv the quality is so bad that they can only be used as evidence less than 20% of the timePosted via Mobile Device

Xiney

brianthebard wrote: »

xiney did you actually
see a device marked mosquito or ask the staff about it?i heard those things were just urban myths.as for the cctv the quality is so bad that they can only be used as evidence less than 20% of the timePosted via Mobile Device

I saw something that looked like an alarm but without the identifier (like lockup or whatever)

Because I'd already heard of the mosquito thing, I googled it and found the manufacturer. They've a picture of the device on their website, and although I'll now have to go back and confirm that that's what I saw (it's pretty inoccuous looking) I'm pretty sure that's what it was.

I could hear it and sueme couldn't - it's age dependent and I'm close to the age it's aimed at. Also, it didn't seem to be on constantly, it came on three times while I was there though.

I think I will ask the staff at BB's about it, as well as ask the manager at Tobergal Lane Cafe if they're aware it's there: it's near enough that I won't be able to sit outside their business either, and it's not them that have installed this device. They might have something to say about that.

brianthebard

i know in maynooth someone thought there was one outside the shopping centre but i was just a high pitched noise that happened occasionally.if there is a manufacteur then its possible there is a device installed but i'd ask the manager first.
Posted via Mobile Device

TequilaMockingBird

Its win win for me! No pesky kids sitting on the steps, and I can't hear it. :pac: