View Full Version : Someone tried to break into the store
The store you may have heard me mention before. It's a really small town, so it's the only store in town. They used to make food and baked goods too, but for now can only afford to have the deli, aside from the rest of the store.They opened about 4 years ago, and then had to close down for about a year due to bridge construction. So now they've re-opened recently. I was their first customer when they opened, it's across the street from my house. I go over there every day and help them out. I got their computer system that they have for managing the store (register and sales and everything financial is run right off of the computer system). I do it for free, but I don't need them to pay me.
So anyways, about an hour ago I heard an alarm go off. At first I think it's just a car alarm and ignore it. But then I think, a car alarm going off at 1am sounds a little fishy. So I open my window to see whereit's comming from, since it sound kind of close (although sound does carry across the river). Turns out it's comming from the store. Well, nobody else had done anything, and the alarm company only contacts the store owner, not the police, so I dialed 911. I went over there after the police and owner got there to see what went on. Someone tried to break through the door. I would've taken a picture if I had my camera with me (I usually have it with me everywhere I go). They didn't get in, and nothing was taken. I guess they heard the alarm and got scared and ran off. I didn't see any cars or anyone leaving, so no one has been caught. The cameras also aren't hooked up yet. When the owner was resetting the alarm, a message popped up on it that said "cellar motion", which means the motion detectors downstairs saw something. The searched the place already though and didn't find anyone. The glass on the door is broken all over, but it's re-enforced, like car glass, so it didn't shatter apart. Hopefully the door stays closed for now. If it does oepn or get hit again, the alarm will go off, as well as if the motion detectors see anyhing.
I have an old computer that I don't use anymore. I'm going to buy some RAM for it and a TV tuner card. I've seen the current system they have for the cameras, and if I can get that setup, I can hook it into the computer via the tuner card, and then have it record it onto the hard drive. I'm just going to give it to them to have. I'll also be on alert for tonight, incase anything elose happens. And come on, nothing happens there for 3 years, and then when they re-open someone tries to take everything they've earned. I'll make sure they get caught if anything happens again.
simon275
03-14-2007, 02:36 AM
Wow you really support your local community business. + rep
You better hide the system that is hooked up to the CTV as it falls flat on its face if some crook nicks it and the till as well.
Must be so handy having a store that close you can walk out of your house in bare feat and dressing gown to buy milk or the paper.
I mis sread deli as dell for some reason as I was skim reading it really fast as dinner was ready.
How'd you know there's a Dell :O
And I've thought about what would happen if they try to take the computer that the cameras would be hooked up to, and I have a few ideas regarding that.
GT40_GearHead
03-14-2007, 04:04 AM
one thing you should do is to install a silent alarm:twisted:
wire it to your home, or/and the owner and/or police, and nail the mother****er
it works i tested it :D funny story behinf this :p
+ rep, you are doing the right thing !
Well I was actually thinking of maybe networking the cameras into the computer at my house too somehow. That way if something happens, I can check it immediately. They do have a wireless network there, maybe it's close enough for me to access.
jdbnsn
03-14-2007, 04:29 AM
I know where there are plans for a PC controlled sentry gun...great theft repellant!
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f395/jdbnsn/misc/imag0058.jpg
Drum Thumper
03-14-2007, 04:39 AM
A couple of things to consider:
Backups of the HD
How big of a HD do you want to use?
I'm sure you could find some software that would allow for daily backups. If money isn't an issue, I would get a full tower with 7 DVD-RWs and a 200 gig HD(the company I work for runs a similar setup in a rack mount). Why 7? Once a week changing of the guard, so to speak.
Not too sure how heavy our compression is, but I do know that we're constantly recording 40+ cameras to HD (now that I think of it, it might be multiple HDs--will have to ask our LPM in the future) and doing backups on a nightly basis.
Loss Prevention is an interesting field, but after getting bogged down in the paperwork, I decided that it wasn't the route I wanted to go. I'd much rather play with computers all day!
+rep for being the neighborhood watchdog.
Well right now there are only 2 or 3 cameras, so I figure the 80GB hard drive I already have will do. And I could just make it so the computer is hard to get at. Hidden away, locked away, so nothing can happen to it. Plus, I have a webserver with 300GB of space and 3,000GB of monthly bandwidth, so I could use that too.
Drum Thumper
03-14-2007, 04:47 AM
You say the store is right across the street from you? You might also want to look into a wireless system, that way the 'puter is off site (ie your house)
Just another thought.
Well they already have a wireless router hooked up there. I could get a high gain antenna and see how good the signal from them is.
Drum Thumper
03-14-2007, 04:55 AM
High gain antenna? If all else fails, you could go this route:
hardcore high gain antenna (http://www.educypedia.be/electronics/Wlan-antenna/wlan-antennas2.htm)
But that's just the geek in me talking.
Might as well make my own antenna and mount it on the roof, eh
Drumthumper, mate, that's a bit much.
I've only just got up.
Brain nearly fell out.
+rep Daje, we could all do with someone like you living opposite.
Crimson Sky
03-14-2007, 08:06 AM
The best way for consumers to get reliable daily backups is to get a NAS enabled external hard drive. WD and Seagate make some fairly priced models.
Airbozo
03-14-2007, 10:48 AM
FYI: There is software on the market (some free) that will monitor the image on either camera and if it detects movement, will start recording. One package I used had that software and a web interface for the camera systems so you can monitor it anywhere you have a internet connection.
There are also large lock boxes designed solely for anti theft solutions. They're big, heavy, and mounted into the wall or a on a shelf. They will easily hold a pc. The only use I've seen of one is for a baby theft monitoring server in a hospital. Really neat stuff, I got to talk with one of the technicians while he was setting up the system.
Any large telecommunications/electrical supplier will be able to give you size dimensions and prices.
Backup solutions are vital. Veritas backup exec and some type of data drive will increase the price of the machine, but can save your butt in times of failure or theft.
You're a good neighbor. They should give you a free lunch.
One of the owners has given me free food before, but I'm not supposed to tell anyone ;). I'm going to go buy a sandwich over there now though, and see what they think should be done.
Alright. Looks like thyey have the old system setup for now. Although they need some longer cables for one of the cameras, so that one's not hooked up right now. I have a 50 foot coaxal cable I can give them though. I'm not using it. Also, there's a steel door to the room where the camera equipment is, so a computer should be safe in there.
Luke122
03-14-2007, 06:10 PM
I used to help setup security systems and video cameras when I worked for a video rental chain.
We used motion sensing video capture cards and infrared cameras, and then had remote backups take place every night through the internet to head office. We had stores with 8 cameras running at a decent resolution (good enough to identify someone), and a PC with a 120gb hdd was enough to store several weeks of video. The PC used a capture card with 4 inputs, and a slave card with another 4 inputs.. took up 2 PCI slots for the whole works. All the inputs were just standard RCA in, but we did have some with coax input too.
The software we used could be remotely accessed/controlled to allow us to peek in on any store at any time. Very cool stuff. If you are interested, shoot me a PM, and I can put you in touch with the fellow who ran all the security for us (62 stores across western Canada). :)
The cards, cameras, and software were pretty affordable too... dont remember exact numbers, but the cards with 4 inputs were around $150 CAD, the slave was around $100, and the software was included with them.
I can probably just buy a card off of Newegg with 1 input on it. The monitor that the cameras are viewed on has a video out. So I could jsut run a cable from that to the computer.
Here are some pictures of the door that got attacked.
http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT73982.jpg
http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT73992.jpg
http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT7401.JPG
http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT74022.jpg
http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT7403.JPG
Looks like some type of blunt instrument to the corner.
Hooray for laminated glass.
LiTHiUM0XiD3
03-15-2007, 03:24 AM
hmmmmz dont think th soup of the day would agree with my gut...... :P
+rep bro for being a nice guy... helping out in the community is a awsome thing...... wicked job man..
The soup before that one was clam chowda (yes, it was spelled with an a). As for setting up a camera system, that might take a while. I could put off on putting anything towards modding for now and give them that computer I have, and buy some RAM for it, and then see what else I can get for them. And they still have to pay to replace the glass and maybe to fix the door (it doesn't close as tightly now). And they just re-opened recently too, so it's not like they have a lot to put towards the cameras or the glass yet. I'll have to figure something out.
danthegeek
03-15-2007, 03:53 AM
you could use some thick plexi until they can afford new glass. I dont know that it is as tuff as shatter-proof glass. Good luck.
Oh what type of ram does that pc need to run?
Just some DDR 400 SDRAM. I found 1GB of it on Newegg for $75 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145440
And the motherboard has dual channel. Right now it has no RAM in it though.
danthegeek
03-15-2007, 04:39 AM
Ill ask around and see if I can find you some. Do you need a gig sence this is a dedicated machine? Just trying to get an idea of what would be exceptable.
You mean giving me free RAM to put into this? Wow, that's great if you could actually do that. It probably doesn't need to be 1GB, since basically all it'd be doing is recording video, and possibly sending it to another computer so it can be monitored, and maybe backing it up to a webserver if needed. Right now it has no RAM in it though. It has two DDR 400 slots (dual channel). And as for the rest of the computer, it has a 2.66gz pentium 4, three PCI slots, and an 80GB hard drive (freshly formatted, with Windows installed). I should also look around for different video capture cards, maybe I shuld talk to Lukifer about that. I'm not sure if I'd need more than one card, or if I could do it all on one input. And I'd probably need one PCI slot free to install a wireless card so it could be hooked up into their network. But anyways, thank you in advance if you actually do find somr RAM for me.
I looked at the current camera setup yesterday. The ends of the cables seem to be a little bit different than a normal coaxial cable. So I can't hook up a cable I already have, and I can't hook it into a TV input on a capture card. BUT, the cable that goes from the device that controls al the cameras, to the TV that the cameras are watched on, seems to be a regular RCA cable with an adapter on each end. So I can just keep the adapter on the end that comes out of the camera device, and then just plug it into a yellow video input on a capture card.
Guardian
03-16-2007, 10:36 AM
Wierd, I live in a small little town, Theres a small ghetty Gas station maybe a block away from my house, I stop by every so often pick up maybe a soda or a Red Bull, But I was watching channel 12 news (local) and it said the bella ghetty station (the one near me) got robbed, And they showed a sketchup of the suspect.
Sure I May live in NY, but I'm in the suburban West Chester. Not really any violance or anything going on near me. I was really suprised. Now, Nearly 3 months later, A few days ago I talked to the owner Eugene, He said they caught the robbers, I didn't ask how but it's good news.
Its a little scary when these things happen, Wether it happens to you or someone else. Today its the gas station, tomorrow it could be you.
+rep for sharing.
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