About the authors: David Carman and Antoine van Gelder are IT professionals and residents of Scarborough. We are founders of the Scarborough Wireless Users Group (SWUG) and are interested in sharing practical, cost-effective technology with Scarborough residents in order to improve our quality of life.
Background: Scarborough residents are looking at ways to improve security in our village. Security cameras have been shown elsewhere to be a particularly effective real-time and forensic tool as well as a deterrent to criminals. However they can also impact on privacy. Herewith we present a summary of a proposed camera surveillance system for Scarborough.
Digital camera technology differs from CCTV in that the cameras:
Operate at a resolution roughly twice as high as analog CCTV systems.
Automatically detect motion in their view and can alert monitors or log the activity.
Can capture accurate images in low light conditions without the need for security lighting.
Transmit their images over a standard computer network without specialized cabling and monitoring equipment. In conjunction with the Scarborough Wireless Users Group (SWUG) mesh network, cameras can be sited anywhere in the village and transmit images to any computer elsewhere without additional infrastructure.
Have a built-in password-based access control.
There are two main areas of concern in respect of privacy:
A centralized surveillance system can be abused by a central authority.
Surveillance can be abused by an individual with a personal interest in another individual.
Therefore we propose the following policies:
Cameras are only to be installed on private land by private individuals at their own discretion. The reason for proposing this policy is that:
It decentralizes control of the surveillance system making it difficult for any one body to abuse it.
It avoids conflict with existing municipal regulations covering the installation of surveillance systems.
It removes the burden of payment for the surveillance system from the Scarborough Ratepayers Association.
Cameras remain the property of the individual on whose property the camera is installed. The reason for proposing this policy is that:
It prevents owners from being locked into any single organization for service.
The camera view must not encroach on any neighbouring property without written agreement with the owner of the neighbouring property. The reason for proposing this policy is that:
Individual's rights to privacy must be respected.
If a camera is surveying public land the camera must be both visible and signposted. The reason for proposing this policy is that:
Camera visibility is an effective deterrent in itself.
It is in line with laws in other parts of the world that seek to provide a balance between security and privacy.
Cameras are to be password controlled and it is at the sole discretion of the owner as to when and to whom access may be given.
If cameras are not password controlled they can become a tool of the very elements which we seek to deter with this surveillance system.
It protects the right of the camera owner to choose who is responsible for monitoring the camera.
The cameras are capable of both providing a real-time video stream as well as snapshots of scenes in which motion has been detected. This video stream and images can be viewed in real-time with a standard PC that is either connected to the SWUG mesh or connected to a broadband Internet connection.
Access to real-time video monitoring can be granted to:
The owner of the camera in order to survey their property from within their house.
The owner of the camera while they are away through the Internet.
Trusted neighbours.
Local security services.
A neighbourhood watch.
In addition, it is possible to archive pictures for forensic purposes. Such an archive would have to comply with the draft legislation formulated by the South African Law Commission which can be found in Discussion Paper 109 at http://www.doj.gov.za/salrc/dpapers.htm
The camera surveillance system can be used for many other applications including baboon monitoring, nocturnal wildlife viewing and surfcams.