Georgia Bill Would Ban Hidden GPS Tracking Devices

Inside a completely ordinary SUV parked anywhere in Metro Atlanta, private investigator T.J. Ward and his team can track anyone at any time, without them knowing.

Instead of the old cat and mouse game, running red lights and swerving through traffic, he can just stick a little box with a 40-pound magnet to the bottom of a car in seconds. As a person drives, a computer program tracks them via satellite, and prints a list of their whereabouts -- even how fast they were going.

Ward's team has been hired by parents after a bitter child custody case, or a spouse. One man, who was married for 18 years, told us, "We used it for several weeks, just tracking where my wife's vehicle was, and just to confirm some suspicions I had."

His suspicions were right, and he's now divorced. He credits the GPS surveillance with saving him millions of dollars in alimony.

Read more at wsbtv.com

Everett (WA) Lawmaker Wants Teacher-Surveillance Restrictions

An Everett lawmaker wants to prevent public schools from conducting video surveillance on teachers without their knowledge.

Currently, students and teachers can be surreptitiously monitored by video if no sound is included in the taping. State law prohibits audio recording of private conversations without consent.

Rep. Mike Sells, D-Everett, has filed a bill restricting such videotaping in reaction to the use of hidden video-surveillance equipment by the Everett School District to investigate a teacher in 2007.

This measure would require that all certified and classified staff must be notified in writing before video surveillance. Also, schools would be required to post written notices outside of every room that may be monitored.

Read more at The Seattle Times.

Surveillance Video Frees 21 Year-Old

A young man who spent nearly a year in jail awaiting trial in a fatal shooting at the Federal Way Transit Center was set free Thursday because surveillance video shows he was not the shooter, his attorney says.

Read more at The Seattle Times.

Study Critical of San Fran Surveillance Cameras

San Francisco’s surveillance cameras in high-crime areas do not prevent violent crime, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California.

The long-awaited study by the UC Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society found the program is hurt by lack of training and oversight, a failure to integrate footage with other police efforts, poor quality cameras, and what may be a fundamental weakness of cameras as anti-crime devices.

Read more a KCBS.

County Seeks Help of Public in American Flag Bible Surveillance

Authorities are looking for help from the public in identifying a suspect from the incident that caused the Jackson County Courthouse to be evacuated Thursday.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office released video surveillance footage that shows a man praying over a U.S. flag and a Bible before midnight on Wednesday.

The footage is too grainy for law enforcement to identify the suspect, Jackson County Sheriff Lou Roberts said, and that’s where help from the public comes in to play.

Find the rest of the story at jcfloridian.com.

Surveillance Cameras Going HD to Catch Crooks

The same kind of high definition digital television that's being sold to you is also popping up in the world of private security. From the looks of things, crime fighting will never be the same.

Those fuzzy robbery suspect photos from surveillance sometimes distributed by police could soon become a thing of the past. Crystal clear facial images can be taken from video cameras some distance away, according to security experts. Security experts say the quality of security cameras is getting better, while the cost is coming down.

Some security camera firms such as SuperCircuits sell low-cost undercover cameras disguised as exit signs, tissue boxes and computer speakers for $100 or $200. Higher-end cameras franchised through security firms such as 3xLogic and Digatron are bringing high-definition digital pictures to your local service station and liquor store.

Read the rest of the story at 9news.com.