Just turn on the news on any channel and it’s easy to understand that crime is up in this country in almost every form of crime. In fact, The U.S. Crime Rate & Statistics (which is only recorded up to 2021) shows that crime rate has increased by 34.08% from 2019 to 2021 (according to Macrotrends) and there is evidence that this increase has increased since then. From smash and grabs to muggings and car jackings, the rate has greatly increased.
Many studies have been conducted to determine if video surveillance systems help reduce crime. One Study conducted by Cornell University summarizes that “the evidence we have to date indicates that video surveillance is a useful tool for deterring crime.” And that CCTV resulted in a 51 percent decrease in crimes committed in parking lots. Other types of video surveillance from body cams to security cameras not only help deter the likelihood of crime but have become very effective in documenting crimes and can be used in courts as solid evidence that a perpetrator (based on the quality of the recording) can be identified committing the crime. We live in a society where video has become a part of our everyday lives from Ring doorbells to ATM cameras and they have effectively either helped deter crime or help to prosecute the criminals.
If They Work, Why Don’t We Use More?
The biggest challenge most Federal, State, and Local Municipalities face is how to use video surveillance in remote areas that lack power utilities or strong enough wi-fi access to transmit footage to be stored. Another issue is the need for a portable unit that can be secured but also easily moved from one location to another without significant labor or costs. These situation include festivals and events that only last a few days. It is not feasible to buy multiple units for permanent installation because of a short term event and most units require a lot of time and effort to set up and take down the system or a moving to a location that has poor internet or wi-fi connectivity.
Then there are the legal implications of video surveillance when used in a court of law. Even when the location is in a public space it is the audio that cannot be used in a case because of privacy protection rights. It goes beyond that that you simply can’t record the video and delete the audio; the camera must not have the ability to record in the first place. This is to ensure that audio can’t be captured and relying on that “No One” listened to the recording. In fact, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Washington have adopted laws that make it generally illegal to record a conversation without the consent of all parties involved.
Finally, the costs are deterring most agencies from adding more surveillance systems due to their budgets. The costs start adding up, for example, a typical CCTV system can cost between $50 -$400 per camera, then add in the costs for installation and testing, then there are the additional costs of wiring, storage equipment, and monitoring systems, and finally costs for Maintenance, monitoring, and storage and software. This doesn’t even include the costs for training and usage for use in court cases.
Finally, A Solution for Federal, State, and Municipal Agencies
BizReps, and Solar Research Technologies, a leader in solar powered solutions, has developed a solar power video surveillance system that solves the issues of remote location surveillance that doesn’t have utility power or Wi-Fi connectivity and is cost effective!
Introducing Intell-Eye – The Solar Powered Video Surveillance System
Intell-Eye is more than a solar powered video camera it is a complete professional, solar powered surveillance solution and is designed to operate 24/7, 365 days a year under continuous recording duty. It is a robust system and will continue to operate from a full charge for at least 48 hours + with no sunshine or cloudy days. Multiple systems can be combined for large area coverage, with up to 300 meters separation between units.
Outdoor Durability
The unit is made with heavy wall marine grade aluminum structure and powder coated for maximum protection against the elements and the telescopic mast mounting system offers a vandal resistant/ quick change approach for easy and fast deployments in the field.
High Quality Video
Two PTZ outdoor cameras provide a 360 degree horizontal and 0-90 degrees vertical view, perfect for covering large areas. The cameras also feature night Vision capabilities, LOR Wi-Fi antenna range of 300 Meters and support 4GLTE, Wi-Fi, and POE formats. Best of all the units can be linked to provide a continuous line of coverage.
Video Only – For Meeting Privacy Rights
The system meets legal requirements by only recording video and is not capable of capturing audio, an important factor for privacy rights.
Our system controller uses our proprietary 50 Amp MPPT Solar Charger w/ Lightning Surge Protection built in that offers a rated run time of continuous capture/streaming video with backup power of 48 hours+ under no charge conditions.
Click Here to Learn More About The Intell-Eye Solar Powered Video Surveillance System