Configuring Camera and Cloud Upload

Posted on by
Reply

Setup Dreamhost storage.

Consider setting up a subdomain for your video captures, then you can use the main site for your neighborhoods web-site. e.g. www.someneighborhood.com for your neighborhood web-site and securitycam.someneighborhood.com for the video files.

Read about : Dreamhost subdomain setup

Setup the Camera.

  1. Enter Camera Setup.
  2. Make sure you are running the latest firmware
    1. Camera version on Setup – About
    2. download from http://www.axis.com/techsup/firmware.php
    3. Install on Axis Setup – System Options – Maintenance
  3. Set time to use NTP server.
    Date_and_time

    Internet time servers rule. tick.usno.navy.mil

    Continue reading →

Joining Neighborhood Guard

Posted on by
Reply
  • Only organized neighborhoods can join Neighborhood Guard as members.
  • Individual persons are encouraged to volunteer in the organization.

Typical member organizations include:

  • Home Owners Associations (HOA)
  • Neighborhood Watch Groups
  • Other Crime prevention Groups such as:
    • Crime stoppers
    • Block Parents
    • Crime watch
    • Montclair Organized Neighborhoods. (MONs)

Signing up and getting started.

  1. Request a presentation using the email address on the “About page“
  2. Setup your organization if needed
  3. Make a budget and collect the money Continue reading →

Enrollment Form

Posted on by
Reply

The enrollment will not be binding for your organization until both of the following has happened:

  1. Your organization has reviewed and accepted the Neighborhood Guard Bylaws
  2. Your enrollment fee has been paid in full.

Location, Location, Location of Camera

Posted on by
Reply

Nothing is more important that the right location for your camera.

No-one can place a camera perfect on the first try, plan to move it a couple of times until you get it just right. Make temporary installations at first; once the location has proven that it can do the job then make the installation permanent.

Place the camera at natural choke-points, that is where cars naturally slow down. PS. a stop sign is not a natural choke point, fleeing burglars will blast through the stop sign.

Place the camera on the outside of a curve to get the license plate from most angles, Never place camera on inside curve as your will only get the side of the vehicle

Place the camera on the outside of a curve to get the license plate from most angles. Never place camera on the inside curve as you will only get the side of the vehicle

Continue reading →

Cloud Storage

Posted on by
Reply

Cloud_storageA Key concept of the neighborhood Guard System is the cloud storage.  The ability to safely store the recordings away from houses hosting the cameras leads to a number of significant benefits:

  1. No loss of images in case of burglary
  2. No loss of images in case of fire/flood etc.
  3. No technical expertise needed by hosting family.
  4. No power consumption/noise at hosting family.
  5. Ability to access the images from ANYWHERE

Continue reading →

Neighborhood Guard going Non-profit!

Posted on by
Reply

Hi Friends of Neighborhood Guard.Neighborhood Guard Logo

We have been doing a lot of soul-searching here lately, and Wednesday evening the Interim Board of Neighborhood Guard unanimously decided to turn Neighborhood Guard into a 501(c)3 Non-profit instead of a COOP as originally planned.

Why this change?

  1. A non-profit is easier to understand when we explain it
  2. Tax deductible donations (Yeah!)
  3. Simpler bylaws, less accounting headaches.
  4. Closer spiritually to our core values of Community, Security and Volunteering.
  5. We had already agreed to stay out of politics (a requirement for 503(c)3 non-profits) Continue reading →

Help get Crime fighting value from Code for Oakland

Posted on by
Reply

Code for USA has made Oakland one of the cities where they are helping this year.

Code For America Logo

Code For America works for you.

Oakland is soliciting feedback from its Citizens on which programming tasks they should assign to these young and talented programmers who have dedicated a year of they life to make Oakland better through software and Open source ?

There are 3 suggestions online that will hopefully help reduce the crime problem in Oakland, PLEASE vote all of them up NOW (click “I love it!” for each of them)

  1. Public Access to Stolen License plate Database.
  2. Map for Police only with Location of Private Security Cameras
  3. Online Suspicious Activity/person Filing

See the full subject on engage Oakland

Don’t Live in Oakland? vote anyway, the resulting code should be given out in Open source, and can benefit your city as well.

Is the 10 x more expensive Piedmont Cameras better?

Posted on by
Reply

City of Piedmont: 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611 | (510) 420-3040

The City of Piedmont, CA is sharing the same problems as the communities that has joined Neighborhood Guard: A high rate of burglaries and violent home invasions. Like the members of Neighborhood Guard they want to use modern video surveillance technology to aid solving crimes. But this is where the similarities end.

Tasked with getting a quote for a surveillance system the Piedmont Chief of Police came back with a  1.1 Million proposal, that does neither include Operations (power and Wireless fees) nor Installation. The proposal is for 57 cameras, which gives a per camera price of  $20,235 ! ($1,153,416 / 57 cameras).

Comparison:
Neighborhood Guard $2,200 per camera site
City of Piedmont      $20,235 per camera site

Why is Piedmont’s solution so more expensive than the Neighborhood Guard solution?

Is it the installation? No, while Neighborhood Guard is based on volunteer DIY installation, the Piedmont quote does NOT include installation which will be a considerable additional expense. Continue reading →

Camera Tampering alarm and notifications

Posted on by
Reply
Vandals might try to disable your camera

Vandals might try to disable your camera

The Axis P1347 Camera has Tamper detection.
Enable Tampering detection on your camera

Enable Tampering detection on your camera

It can detect if the camera lens is covered (spray paint, baseball cap etc.)
You can use the tamper detection to send an email or run a siren.