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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:04:15 AM EDT
Mysterious cameras mounted along St. Lawrence County highways;
Massena Electric removes one for lack of authorization 
Closeup of one of the apparent cameras mounted inside a gray box and bracketed to a utility pole on NYS Hwy. 56 in Norwood. These are stationary license plate readers (LPR) At least half a dozen boxes that apparently contain cameras have been hung on utility poles in St. Lawrence County, and in at least in one case, without authorization. The Massena Electric Department recently removed one of the boxes from a pole it owns. The cameras, in substantial light gray boxes mounted on the sides of poles, reportedly have been spotted in Massena, Norfolk, Norwood, Raymondville, Waddington, Canton, DeKalb Junction, and in Malone, too, according to Michael Jay of Norwood. Andrew McMahon, supervisor of the Massena Electric Department, said one of his crews spotted one on a pole in their service area, hanging “in the electric space and dangerous, mounted without our authorization,” and took it down.
State Police Lt. Kevin Boyea of Troop B said he has no knowledge of the cameras, their origin or their purpose. A spokesperson from National Grid had not yet responded to a request for comment by the time this story was posted.
“A Border Patrol operations officer in the sector station in Swanton, Vt., said he had no knowledge about the use of the cameras,” North Country Now reported.
St. Lawrence County Sheriff Kevin Wells told local press he has used similar units for ten years, but said the mysterious cameras “are not mine.”
http://northcountrynow.com/news/one-mysterious-cameras-mounted-pole-along-rt-56-norwood-058447 |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:05:27 AM EDT
[#1]
Massena Police: Utility Pole Cameras 'Shouldn't be Alarming to Anyone'
June 1, 2012 MASSENA, N.Y. — An investigation by the Massena Police Department into a suspicious box containing a camera has apparently ended.
Police Chief Timothy J. Courier said police have located the camera’s owner and returned it, however officials were not at liberty Thursday to disclose details about who owns the camera or why identical ones have been spotted along telephone poles around St. Lawrence County. “I could, but I’m not going to discuss it,” he said. “I’m not going to comment specifically as to who owned the camera.” “Cameras posted in various locations shouldn’t be alarming to anyone because it’s not uncommon for them to be on street corners, on roadways, in cities or in neighborhoods,” Mr. Courier said. “It’s a relatively common practice for law enforcement.”
http://www.newzjunky.com/news/0601massena_cameras.htm |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:08:27 AM EDT
[#2]
Congressman To Look Into Mysterious Cameras
The office of north country Congressman Bill Owens says it's going to look into those mysterious cameras that have popped up on utility poles throughout St. Lawrence County.
We spoke with the U.S. Border Patrol, which said it knew nothing about the cameras.
Homeland Security didn't return our calls. http://www.wwnytv.com/news/local/Congressman-To-Look-Into-Mysterious-Cameras-156012825.html |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:15:49 AM EDT
[#3]
Quoted: Congressman To Look Into Mysterious Cameras The office of north country Congressman Bill Owens says it's going to look into those mysterious cameras that have popped up on utility poles throughout St. Lawrence County. We spoke with the U.S. Border Patrol, which said it knew nothing about the cameras. Homeland Security didn't return our calls. http://www.wwnytv.com/news/local/Congressman-To-Look-Into-Mysterious-Cameras-156012825.html This is what I'm thinking...or some other fed |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:20:15 AM EDT
[#4]
Could be IEDs. Better deal with them as such to be sure.
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:20:32 AM EDT
[#5]
When i went home last week on leave, i noticed these hanging up and mentioned something to my wife. I figured it was for poachers or the drones that fly the border around the River and Canada.
Odd stuff. 
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:20:44 AM EDT
[#6]
Game cams for The Predator?
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:21:09 AM EDT
[#7]
Umm... yeah... a big ugly thing like that?
Sure... that's not going to attract anybody's attention. 
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:23:11 AM EDT
[#8]
Rattle can on a stick.
Problem solved. |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:24:24 AM EDT
[#9]
What round for mysterious cameras?
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:25:50 AM EDT
[#10]
Well if no one wants to claim them, I guess they belong to whoever wants to take them down.
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:25:55 AM EDT
[#11]
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:26:29 AM EDT
[#12]
Quoted: What round for mysterious cameras? .22 should do it if I see them around here. |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:26:44 AM EDT
[#13]
Quoted:
What round for mysterious cameras? Paintball! 
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:27:33 AM EDT
[#14]
 |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:28:29 AM EDT
[#15]
I love how everyone is like, "we don't know"
 right.
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:28:50 AM EDT
[#16]
Wonder how well they would work with a 1w laser aimed at the lense.
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:31:33 AM EDT
[#17]
Quoted:
Wonder how well they would work with a 1w laser aimed at the lense. What is the minimum power of laser to burn the cmos detector in a camera? |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:32:35 AM EDT
[#18]
Picture of lemonparty.org taped over the lens.
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:34:58 AM EDT
[#19]
It's "The Machine" and it's watching you.....
Anyone watch Person of Interest? |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:37:54 AM EDT
[#20]
If they really wanted to be sneaky about it they could have made much more convincing and obscure enclosures.
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:39:47 AM EDT
[#21]
Quoted: Quoted: Wonder how well they would work with a 1w laser aimed at the lense. What is the minimum power of laser to burn the cmos detector in a camera? Good question... Not much. There are plenty of examples on the internet of consumer grade, or even nice DSLR's, having sensors damaged by laser light shows(it seems both CMOS and CCD are very vulnerable to damage, and having a lens on it to focus the light certainly doesn't help the situation any). But the real question is how long till they start putting laser filters on govt cameras?  |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:40:13 AM EDT
[#22]
Quoted: You are being watched... |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:40:59 AM EDT
[#23]
Quoted: It's "The Machine" and it's watching you..... Anyone watch Person of Interest? Nope!  |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:42:23 AM EDT
[#24]
Quoted:
If they really wanted to be sneaky about it they could have made much more convincing and obscure enclosures. 99% of the general public wouldn't notice and still won't care when they do notice or are informed of them. |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:42:46 AM EDT
[#25]
I am from the government I am here to help.
Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:45:52 AM EDT
[#26]
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:46:05 AM EDT
[#27]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Wonder how well they would work with a 1w laser aimed at the lense. What is the minimum power of laser to burn the cmos detector in a camera? why risk minimum do it right go for BIG POWA! |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:51:00 AM EDT
[#28]
My first thought too. You watch Person of Interest? |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:53:19 AM EDT
[#29]
Quoted:
Quoted:
What round for mysterious cameras? Paintball! used tire fify |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:53:57 AM EDT
[#30]
ANSWER
Local Franklin County DA put them up for 'data collection'. Did not realize domestic intelligence gathering is part of the job description of a local DA. Local and state law enforcement denied any knowledge of the cameras, or if they did know about them, they wouldn’t explain what they knew. That raised questions about what seemed to be a desire for secrecy, particularly in light of the fact that it is hard to keep a secret when you hang it from a pole along a major road.
After denials by local law enforcement and the tight-lipped nature of federal authorities, speculation turned to notions that U.S. Customs and Border Protection or some other federal agency was at work. Franklin County District Attorney Derek Champagne says the Franklin County Border Narcotics Taskforce is attempting to better coordinate information and investigations into where border violations occur
Through a grant from the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, the license plate readers and software are being placed along likely routes. DA Champagne said that the cameras are part of a program to improve data collection and communication, since “there was no focused effort at matching seizures of narcotics, aliens and other contraband found across the North Country.
"I understand some of the concern," Champagne said. "In many ways it is much less intrusive then the 40 or 50 cameras that are on you when you go into Walmart or banks." "I'm not doing anything wrong. He's not doing anything wrong, but now that you are in the camera, you are in the system. Your license plate is in the system. Now you are part of the database. I don't think we belong there," said Michael Jay of Norwood, N.Y.
http://northcountrynow.com/news/cameras-along-north-country-highways-part-franklin-county-border-task-force-innitiative-058645 |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:54:04 AM EDT
[#31]
hmm... if nobody owns them and they have been hung without permission then it sounds like they need to come down
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:54:27 AM EDT
[#32]
Nothing to see here move along citizen.
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Posted: 6/4/2012 9:55:22 AM EDT
[#33]
I wonder if you can buy a long extension for the gun. You know, for those hard to reach places...
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Posted: 6/4/2012 10:02:28 AM EDT
[#34]
Now that government has caught on to this nifty thing called technology the governments fight against terror and drugs is going to get very interesting.
But don't worry, if you aren't doing anything wrong you have nothing to be concerned about. Oh, and don't worry about mistakes, the people in government never make mistakes. They are always fair, intelligent, and just, and they never act in their own self interest at the expense of yours.
Oh if you think they made a mistake you are probably just guilty of breaking some other law. So its cool....  |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 10:03:10 AM EDT
[#35]
Quoted: What round for mysterious cameras? .50 BMG They blow up real good.  |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 10:04:35 AM EDT
[#36]
Source: State grant funded north country cameras
Any law enforcement agency can log into the system for investigative uses, not just border-related crime, Mr. Champagne said. He said that the cameras can be an effective crime-fighting tool and that he has used them to solve two burglaries. The cameras are used in New York, Rochester, Chicago and other big cities, he said.
Spokesmen for U.S. Rep. William L. Owens, D-Plattsburgh, and Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., were unable to identify the source of the money.
“We are continuing to look into the situation and have made inquiries with federal authorities,” said Matt House, spokesman for Mr. Schumer. A spokeswoman for state Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, said her office has received complaints about the cameras and is investigating the matter with law enforcement. http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20120602/NEWS05/706019755 |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 10:10:03 AM EDT
[#37]
Quoted: Quoted: What round for mysterious cameras? .50 BMG They blow up real good. Its as good a reason as any to get a .50 Beowulf upper now. If you get caught destroying them just say, "I'm sorry officer I checked with everyone, and no one knew anything about those boxes, so I figured it was invading aliens, and I felt like saving the world....you're welcome"
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Posted: 6/4/2012 10:17:32 AM EDT
[#38]
Quoted: My first thought too. You watch Person of Interest? Hell yeah I do, great show |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 10:21:28 AM EDT
[#39]
Quoted:
Now that government has caught on to this nifty thing called technology. In governments fight against terror and drugs its going to get very interesting in coming years. But don't worry, if you aren't doing anything wrong you have nothing to be concerned about. Oh, and don't worry about mistakes, the people in government never make mistakes, they are always fair, intelligent, and just, and they never act in their own self interest at the expense of yours. Oh if they make a mistake you are probably guilty of breaking some law. So its cool.... In the spirit of transparent gov't, there should be webcams montoring gov't activities for the public to watch from their personal computers anytimes they'd like to. |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 10:28:59 AM EDT
[#40]
Oh look.. a box full of free electronic stuff!!
Thanks. |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 10:33:32 AM EDT
[#41]
That's what I was thinking too. Great show. |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 10:35:24 AM EDT
[#42]
Quoted:
What round for mysterious cameras? In the UK, they do well with a gas filled tire. It's quite "the thing" there. Expensive electronics are useful only because law enforcement recoups their cost and then some. If they have to keep replacing them, they'll stop using them. |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 10:39:13 AM EDT
[#43]
Quoted:
Quoted:
What round for mysterious cameras? In the UK, they do well with a gas filled tire. It's quite "the thing" there. Expensive electronics are useful only because law enforcement recoups their cost and then some. If they have to keep replacing them, they'll stop using them. First thought as well. http://www.speedcam.co.uk/gatso2.htm 
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Posted: 6/4/2012 10:43:48 AM EDT
[#44]
Quoted:
Quoted:
What round for mysterious cameras? In the UK, they do well with a gas petrol filled tire tyre. It's quite "the thing" there. Expensive electronics are useful only because law enforcement recoups their cost and then some. If they have to keep replacing them, they'll stop using them. FIFY |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 10:45:48 AM EDT
[#45]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
What round for mysterious cameras? In the UK, they do well with a gas petrol filled tire tyre. It's quite "the thing" there. Expensive electronics are useful only because law enforcement recoups their cost and then some. If they have to keep replacing them, they'll stop using them. FIFY We have more nukes. Their spelling is irrelevant. |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 10:57:55 AM EDT
[#46]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
What round for mysterious cameras? In the UK, they do well with a gas petrol filled tire tyre. It's quite "the thing" there. Expensive electronics are useful only because law enforcement recoups their cost and then some. If they have to keep replacing them, they'll stop using them. FIFY We have more nukes. Their spelling is irrelevant. You will have to excuse the Brits. They talk that way because of their teeth. 
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Posted: 6/4/2012 11:08:18 AM EDT
[#47]
Our upstate brethen now have new overlords. Maybe the Mohawk Nation put them up?
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Posted: 6/4/2012 11:20:26 AM EDT
[#48]
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Posted: 6/4/2012 11:23:06 AM EDT
[#49]
Quoted:
Quoted:
What round for mysterious cameras? In the UK, they do well with a gas filled tire. It's quite "the thing" there. Expensive electronics are useful only because law enforcement recoups their cost and then some. If they have to keep replacing them, they'll stop using them. They were put in with free grant money. Do you really think there are any economics involved? |
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Posted: 6/4/2012 11:25:56 AM EDT
[#50]
Traffic Light Cameras .
We have them in New Jersey since last year |
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