Door Checkers - anything I could be doing better?

[harleyl7]

Had a police officer knock on my door this morning and tell me that my neighbors' car was broken into. Seems the car was unlocked, and door checkers are known to come through once the weather starts to warm up.


All the clips were combined and some frame rates didn't go well together. Playback on my local device is smooth.

The first camera is my LPR that I haven't had the time to dial in AI detection for or even the zoom. Wouldn't have mattered though since they came down that way. I plan to add a second LPR finally that will grab plates going the other way.
My cameras are designed to protect my property - so I don't think I got much that would help the police actually identify these criminals. If they came onto my property, I think that would be different.

Tempted to add a 25x PTZ though

 

[wittaj]

Well like you said, if you had LPR up and running and if they didn't have fake plates, that certainly would have helped.

Other than that, like you said, your cameras are for YOUR property not others.

Although it sucks to not be able to help neighbors.

But even if you could, it isn't like your neighbors would give you a monetary reward LOL. At least mine haven't LOL.

 

[harleyl7]

Well like you said, if you had LPR up and running and if they didn't have fake plates, that certainly would have helped.

Other than that, like you said, your cameras are for YOUR property not others.

Although it sucks to not be able to help neighbors.

But even if you could, it isn't like your neighbors would give you a monetary reward LOL. At least mine haven't LOL.

Yeah true haha the LPR still unfortunately wouldn't have got anything because the only plate we have is on the rear. But I'll be adding a second one. At least this is an excuse to add more to my system haha.

 

[looney2ns]

The second view with the siding in the FOV, needs to be adjusted so the IR reflection off the siding is out of view.
It's ruining the overall exposure of the scene.
FYI; date is wrong in the time stamp on that camera.

 

[mat200]

hi @harleyl7

@looney2ns has a good point

Try to move the camera angle a bit away from the wall ..




you can also try an IR light on the front of your house to provide more light to the front yard area

 

[harleyl7]

Good ideas. Thanks! I'll get on the side of my house and change the angle. I threw that one up recently and haven't dialed it in.

Good point about the IR light. I was thinking my LPR IR lights was already pushing enough

 

[Ri22o]

Had a police officer knock on my door this morning and tell me that my neighbors' car was broken into. Seems the car was unlocked, and door checkers are known to come through once the weather starts to warm up.

Tempted to add a 25x PTZ though

If the car was unlocked, then there was no breaking into the car; they simply just let themselves in.

Build a more robust system and then look into a PTZ to compliment the rest of it.

And, I agree, your system's primary purpose is for your house and property. If you are able to aid in your neighbor's issues, then bonus for them.

 

[TonyR]

If the car was unlocked, then there was no breaking into the car; they simply just let themselves in.

If more people out there could see these videos posted on IPCT of door checkers perhaps more people would lock their doors!
Maybe some folks grew up not locking doors where they lived but times have changed dramatically....lock your $%#@ car and house doors!
Mine are locked 24/7/365 unless I'm performing some sort of outdoor task and am in view of the house and car doors.

 

[Ri22o]

If more people out there could see these videos posted on IPCT of door checkers perhaps more people would lock their doors!
Maybe some folks grew up not locking doors where they lived but times have changed dramatically....lock your $%#@ car and house doors!
Mine are locked 24/7/365 unless I'm performing some sort of outdoor task and am in view of the house and car doors.

Same.

I get a lot of grief from my neighbors about how I treat security around my house, but I like the things I have. Most people don't lock the door between their house and the garage, and I don't know why.

 

[Ri22o]

I would physically rotate the camera on the side of the house, over the gate, 90 degrees to put it into "corridor" mode. This will narrow the L <> R FOV, reducing the IR bounce off of the siding. It will also let you tilt down to give more coverage of the gate and less of the sky and second floors of the houses across the street.

 

[wittaj]

Same.

I get a lot of grief from my neighbors about how I treat security around my house, but I like the things I have. Most people don't lock the door between their house and the garage, and I don't know why.

Just wait until something happens with their car and they now want to see if your video caught something!

One of my neighbors that is as far left as you can get and has told me several times when he complains about my cams "well if someone steals something out of my garage they need it more than I do". Well someone damaged his vehicle and guess who was pounding on my door at midnight to see if my cams caught anything. WTF lol.

 

[TonyR]

Same.

I get a lot of grief from my neighbors about how I treat security around my house, but I like the things I have. Most people don't lock the door between their house and the garage, and I don't know why.

I've pretty much been a door-locker since this little episode over 50 years ago, served me well living in San Jose/Santa Clara, CA for 29 years:

Thieves took my DVR!

You simply need 10-15 minuets of power reserves unless they cut power and wait. Having a camera pointed at your meter box would likely capture them turning your power off.

ipcamtalk.com

 

[Parley]

Just wait until something happens with their car and they now want to see if your video caught something!

One of my neighbors that is as far left as you can get and has told me several times when he complains about my cams "well if someone steals something out of my garage they need it more than I do". Well someone damaged his vehicle and guess who was pounding on my door at midnight to see if my cams caught anything. WTF lol.

When something happens in my neighborhood the people come over to my house to see what video I have of the incident. I guess you could call me the neighborhood watch. Also, the street next to the house is one of the main entrances in and out of the tract.

 

[mat200]

Double check that you are able to get enough pixels about where this car is to ID anyone under normal light conditions
( I try to get about 100 ppf where the car is .. normally need a varifocal here .. )

Add that with your LPR and you should have a nice setup ..






Now if you really want the "works" setup .. looks like you have a mailbox by the street .. can make for a great place to put a few cameras there ..

 

[CCTVCam]

There may be better cameras for use at night but using what you have I'd get a small IR flood on the driveway and probably put one on the top outside front edge of the porch roof looking down on the garden rather than inside the porch next to the camera as you'll avoid IR reflections of the porch column supports that way. You'll get some light spill back from the garden and bleed from the driveway light that will help fill under the porch anyway. I fear if you put one under the proch, you'll end up with reflections of the columns, a large difference between under the porch and garden possibly making the garden view worse, and you may blow faces out under the porch if they come close to the camera. On the bright side as well, if they don't work where I suggested, you can always move them. Lights are a lot easier than cameras to reposition.