Surveillance cams solve crimes, aid homeowners

TAMPA - In the spare bedroom of Garret King’s house in Tampa, you’ll find a wooden board covering a shattered window.

The broken glass was the handy work of a burglar’s brick. The burglar then came into the house and stole King’s laptop and television.

“It rattles you,” King admits. “It was fairly scary. You don’t expect someone to try and get in your house when you’re here.”

If you continue to look around King’s house, you’ll also find a new addition: four newly-installed surveillance cameras, aimed at preventing another burglary.

King is not the only homeowner who has added cameras. According to Byron Reid, director of Total Surveillance Inc., the popularity of surveillance cameras has exploded in the last five years.

“The ability, size and complexity (of the cameras) have really advanced in those five years,” Reid said.

The price has also dropped. According to Reid, it is now possible to get a good surveillance camera system installed for $1,200-$2,000.

But the surveillance cameras are not just popular among homeowners. Business owners have also begun using the cameras more frequently.

One of those business owners is Micky Sula, who owns Sula’s Deli in Ybor City, where surveillance cameras line the famous 7th Avenue.

According to Sula, he installed the cameras because they “don’t lie.” If something happens outside his restaurant, “we just call the officer and say ‘Here’s the proof,’” Sula said.

That makes a difference to police officers. According to Tampa police officer Harry Augello, one of the first questions police officers now ask after a crime is committed is ‘Are there surveillance cameras?’

“We get to see the crime as it happened,” adds Tampa Police detective Jeff McGrath.

Augello and McGrath both have examples in which surveillance cameras helped them solve cases.

McGrath used surveillance video to not only help police find and identify a man who robbed a 7-11 on Sligh Avenue earlier this year, but later used the surveillance video to prove he had committed the crime.

Augello utilized surveillance video when a man stole a $64,000 necklace from a department store. The video showed the suspect touching a door as he left. From the video, detectives knew where to look for fingerprints. The video helped police catch a major player in a country-wide jewelry snatching ring.

“I think (surveillance video) speaks volumes,” Augello said. “It’s going to be there forever and it’s going to be your best witness. You can count on it.”

There is another side to the story, though. The American Civil Liberties Union believes surveillance cameras are an invasion of privacy and some studies have shown they do not lower crime rates.