Tag Archives: Surveillance

by | May 18, 2011 · 6:58 pm

Hotel Industry Video Surveillance Issues: San Francisco Hotel Video Tapes Are Central In High Profile Court Case Implicating Police Officers In "Illegal Search And Seizure" Charges (Video)

A San Francisco police officer accused of stealing items from a man’s residential hotel room following a drug arrest has been captured on video in a second incident, appearing to leave a residence at the Julian Hotel with property never booked into evidence.

The video, released Tuesday, May 17, by San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi, comes less than a week after Adachi released surveillance footage documenting a similar incident on Dec. 30 at the Jefferson Hotel.

 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0pnz670Nj0&feature=player_embedded]

The new footage stems from a Feb. 25, 2011, illegal search and drug arrest by Mission Station officers Ricardo Guerrero, Reynaldo Vargas, Jacob Fegan, Christopher Servat and Adam Kujath. Guerrero, Vargas and Fegan were also involved in the Jefferson Hotel incident.

In the most recent video, officers can be seen walking into the building empty-handed. However, Guerrero is later seen leaving with property that appears to be consistent with a laptop inside a bag, which was confirmed missing from the room later that day along with a camera. Vargas is carrying a second bag containing unknown items. Neither bag was booked into evidence.

Officers arrested resident Jesus “Jessie” Reyes, 64, for possession for sale of methamphetamine. Prosecutors dropped the charges against Reyes May 4 after Guerrero failed to show up to testify despite a subpoena. Reyes had never before been arrested, said his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Cindy Elias.

For more:  http://sfbayview.com/2011/more-videos-reveal-illegal-searches-theft-brutality-by-sfpd/

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by | February 7, 2011 · 7:29 pm

Hotel Industry Security Risks: Importance Of Security Cameras And Securely-Locked Doors Seen In Robbery And Assault Of Louisiana Hotel Guests

It’s believed the two men by-passed the front desk and slipped into the hotel through the back door as someone else was leaving. Security cameras show they went directly to the elevator and proceeded to the 6th floor.

The Sleep Inn Hotel in Kenner is where police say three guests were terrorized inside their 6th floor hotel room. Security cameras are posted in all public areas of the hotel.

That’s how detectives obtained pictures of the men they say robbed the victims at gunpoint and took off. “We know there was some property taken but we don’t have a whole lot of information about that right now,” says McInnis.

WGNO Reporter, Darian Trotter says, “The fact that there were other guests on the 6th floor, but no other robberies reported, leads investigators to believe the victims may have been targeted.”

Lt. McInnis says he showed the victims pictures from security cameras. “They said these are the two individuals who burst into the room carrying firearms and robbed us,” McInnis says. He says the victims had never seen the gunmen before, and therefore did not know their names or any information that might help police identify them.

For more:  http://www.neworleans.com/news/local-news/559140.html

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by | January 10, 2011 · 10:17 am

Hotel Industry Theft Risks: Hotel Management Must Make Valet Parking Areas Secure From Thieves Who Hide In Vehicles

Police said a casino surveillance video shows a man handing his Hummer over to the valet. The valet parked the Hummer in the casino’s secured lot without knowing there were three men hiding inside the vehicle. The men had access to all the cars parked in the lot, police said.

 Three Cadillac Escalades were stolen from a secured valet parking lot Saturday at Detroit’s MGM Casino Hotel, police said. The video shows the men stealing the Escalades.

When hotel customers asked the valet employees to retrieve their vehicles, the drivers were puzzled to find that the Escalades had disappeared from the parking lot. It may sound like a clever crime, but this same type of theft was acted out in an episode of the TV show “Las Vegas.” The episode was re-run last week. The men could have been copying the fictional thieves.

For more:  http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/26439694/detail.html#

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by | December 7, 2010 · 6:22 am

Hotel Industry Security Risks: Connecticut Hotel Pays Damages To Settle Civil Suit Brought By Woman Assaulted In Hotel Garage By A “Drifter” Who “Roamed The Garage For Hours”

The Tresser Boulevard hotel was accused of failing to prevent the 2006 assault in which a drifter roamed the garage for hours

Surveillance cameras in hotels.

before sexually assaulting a woman named in court papers as “Jane Doe.”

The victim claimed Fricker had been in the hotel and garage and acted suspiciously for days leading up to the sexual assault. The lawsuit alleged the hotel security staff failed to notice him or make him leave.

A woman raped at gunpoint in front of her children four years ago in the Stamford Marriott parking garage has settled a civil lawsuit filed against the hotel for an undisclosed amount of money.

Attorneys involved in the lawsuits would not comment about details in the case, which was withdrawn this September and resolved using a private alternative dispute resolution firm.

“It’s been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties and no further comment will be made,” said Donald Derrico, a lawyer representing the Stamford Marriott Hotel and Spa. The Tresser Boulevard hotel was accused of failing to prevent the 2006 assault in which a drifter roamed the garage for hours before sexually assaulting a woman named in court papers as “Jane Doe.”

Gary Fricker, a Danbury native and transient carpenter, was arrested three days after the October 2006 assault and was sentenced a year later to 20 years in prison. Wanted in Florida on arson charges, Fricker roamed the Marriott parking garage looking for victims before targeting a then-40-year-old mother, an arrest affidavit said.

One woman called police after the assault and said a man matching Fricker’s description was following her around the garage about an hour before the attack. A second woman reported her ATM card stolen from the garage that afternoon. Fricker tried to use it later that day, police said.

Authorities say Fricker put a gun to the back of the victim and forced her young children into their minivan, where he raped the woman after trying to rob her. He fled when the woman screamed and a car passed by. He was arrested in White Plains, N.Y., and immediately confessed to the attack.

The civil lawsuit was filed in March 2008, six month after Fricker was sentenced. The victim claimed Fricker had been in the hotel and garage and acted suspiciously for days leading up to the sexual assault. The lawsuit alleged the hotel security staff failed to notice him or make him leave.

The hotel had no security director or internal security policies at the time of the assault, according to a deposition in the case.

More than a year after the lawsuit was filed, controversy erupted over special defenses filed by lawyers hired by the Marriott that claimed the woman was careless, negligent and failed to “exercise due care” for her own safety and for the safety of her children. Attorneys said if the defense wasn’t raised they might have lost a chance to bring it up again in the future.

For more:  http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Settlement-reached-in-Marriott-rape-case-860707.php

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by | November 15, 2010 · 7:22 pm

Hotel Industry Security Risks: Department Of Homeland Security (DHS) Launches Initiative To Raise Hotel Employees Awareness Of Potential Terrorism

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have joined forces on an initiative to encourage and educate lodging employees to recognize, report, and react to suspicious and crisis situations that occur on property. 

It is a simple and effective program to raise public awareness of indicators of terrorism, crime, and other threats, and emphasize the importance of employees reporting suspicious activity to their supervisors and in turn, security or law enforcement authorities. 

In May DHS launched their “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign, which was originally implemented by New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and funded, in part, by $13 million from DHS’s Transit Security Grant Program.  It has since been customized and expanded for surface transportation (Amtrak), general aviation, several cities and states around the country, and now the lodging industry.  With the assistance of AH&LA’s Loss Prevention Committee, DHS has created public education materials for industry employees, including posters, table circulars and paystub inserts. 

Last month, AH&LA, via its Loss Prevention Committee, teamed with DHS to create a guide, video and threat assessment document specifically to help hoteliers plan and manage security at their facilities.  The Protective Measures Guide for the U.S. Lodging Industry provides an overview of threat, vulnerability, and protective measures designed to assist hotel owners and operators in planning and managing security at their facilities.  The No Reservations: Suspicious Behavior in Hotels video is designed to provide information to help hotel employees identify and report suspicious activities and threats in a timely manner.  The video is approximately 10 minutes in length and intended for use by all hotel employees. A Spanish version will be available in the near future.  All three items are available in the members only section of the AH&LA Website.

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) is working with the AH&LA Loss Prevention Committee, DHS, and other agencies to update its current security certifications and to develop new programs designed to provide hospitality security personnel and other employees with information on terrorism awareness and anti-terrorism preparedness.

For more:  http://www.hotelinteractive.com/article.aspx?articleid=18760

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by | September 28, 2010 · 5:50 am

Hotel Industry Security Risk Management: Hotel Surveillance Systems Used For “Outsider” And “Insider” Threats As Video Systems Perfect “Facial Recognition” Systems

“A homeless person was trying to sneak into the hotel, and we got a shot of him and put it in the system,” explains John Alan  Moore, the hotel’s director of security and life safety, by way of example. When the video system picked him up trying to enter the hotel again, the system sent off an alert, so security might escort him off the property.

“…the hotel isn’t just monitoring for potential outsider threat; it’s also keeping an eye out for rogue insiders, too.The hotel is using facial recognition to monitor employee behavior, paying particular attention to any former employees who leave on less-than-pleasant terms. All employees are informed that video monitoring of them takes place…”

As open buildings, hotels are typically on guard for any signs of trouble. So it’s no surprise that the downtown Hilton Americas-Houston just upgraded its video-surveillance system, installing one based on 3VR Security’s digital recorder platform for the sake of efficient retrieval of video footage for research.

Americas-Houston’s new networked digital-video system also includes facial recognition capability so Hilton can input a digital facial image that can send out an alert related to that individual if picked up by the video surveillance cameras.

But the hotel isn’t just monitoring for potential outsider threat; it’s also keeping an eye out for rogue insiders, too.The hotel is using facial recognition to monitor employee behavior, paying particular attention to any former employees who leave on less-than-pleasant terms. All employees are informed that video monitoring of them takes place.

The video system monitors the areas where employees come to punch into time clocks in order to verify the person’s identity. But perhaps more significantly, the facial recognition system is used to watch for any suspicious activities of employees or former employees.

“If someone leaves under bad conditions, we set up alerts for that,” Moore says. If the former employee suddenly showed up at the hotel, the video surveillance system would send out an alert.

In any serious cases related to any trouble, the video surveillance footage is stored and can be e-mailed to insurance carriers or the local district attorney. The system has 1TB each of storage and backup and only saves movement in clips.

The video surveillance system is used far more often for examining more mundane problems, such as when a guest complains of misplacing an item or wondering where the valet is. And the hotel isn’t doing facial recognition of its guests — though it would be nice to know whenever a top celebrity might walk through the door.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/09/27/urnidgns852573C400693880002577AB003BA3C6.DTL#ixzz10pcTDCVe

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by | September 23, 2010 · 1:56 pm

Hospitality Industry Security Management: Hotel Surveillance Cameras In Garage And Parking Areas Can Assist Police And Deter Crime At Properties

Surveillance cameras in the hotel captured the suspect’s image walking through the hotel’s garage and up a stairway in the hotel. He is described as a black male, about 5-foot-10, weighing about 200

Surveillance cameras in the hotel captured the suspect’s image walking through the hotel’s garage and up a stairway in the hotel. He is described as a black male, about 5-foot-10, weighing about 200 pounds and estimated at 25-35 years old.

pounds and estimated at 25-35 years old.

Police are searching for a man who entered an apartment at the Alexandria Hotel in the early morning of Sept. 21 and stole cash, credit cards and laptops from the couple who live in the unit.

The married couple was awoken when the apartment’s main room lights were turned on at about 4 a.m., apparently by the suspect who entered the unlocked unit. The suspect then entered the bedroom wielding a knife, Lt. Paul Vernon said. The victims agreed to cooperate with the suspect, and gave him their ATM access codes.

“Most burglars go out of their way to avoid confrontation,” Vernon said. “This suspect was not afraid of running into his victims, and perhaps, intended to all along. That makes him more dangerous.”

Police use the phrase “hot prowl” to refer to robberies or burglaries that take place while victims are present.

Based on the captured surveillance image, police are hoping someone will recognize the suspect and contact detectives. Vernon said that investigators are currently working with staff at the hotel, at 501 S. Spring St., to determine whether the suspect was possibly a resident.

“We hope someone will recognize him so we can arrest him before he hurts someone,” Vernon said.

Anyone with information on this crime is urged to call Det. Alfredo Rasch at (213) 972-1245. Anonymous tips can be called into Crimestoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477), or by texting 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.”

For more:  http://www.ladowntownnews.com/articles/2010/09/23/news/doc4c9b8e5aeb21d597761290.txt

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by | June 23, 2010 · 7:03 am

Hotel Security Risk Prevention: San Diego Police Initiate Pilot Program Linking Hotel Security And Surveillance Cameras To Police Squad Cars

“…If hotel staff call the police, an officer in a squad car can click the hotel location on a Google map, and immediately see live video from the hotel’s security cameras. Police say this will allow them to see crimes in progress, to see suspects and see which way they’re going when they flee…”

San Diego police have begun a pilot program that gives officers access to security camera video inside their squad cars. Officers see it as the way of the future.

The program is a partnership between San Diego Police Department and the Hotel Indigo, located downtown. If hotel staff call the police, an officer in a squad car can click the hotel location on a Google map, and immediately see live video from the hotel’s security cameras. Police say this will allow them to see crimes in progress, to see suspects and see which way they’re going when they flee. The privacy of hotel patrons was a concern. But Mayor Jerry Sanders said cameras are already a fact of life.

For more:   http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/jun/02/police-create-web-link-security-cameras/

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by | June 21, 2010 · 6:57 am

Hotel Security And Surveillance Systems: New Jersey Hotel Employee Receives $2.5 Million Settlement From Security System Company After Panic Button Fails To Work During Attack

 “…Vanwell Electronics, the alarm company that installed and maintained the hotel’s security system, agreed to pay Grajales $2.5 million to settle her lawsuit…”

“Vanwell knew for 16 weeks the (security) line wasn’t properly connected and did nothing about it,” said her lawyer, David Mazie, who filed the claim in Essex County because Vanwell also conducts business there.”

Kimberly Grajales was working the overnight shift as a clerk at the Hampton Inn in Carlstadt when a mentally disturbed man climbed over the front desk and attacked her. Grajales managed to push the panic button on the wall, and thought police would soon arrive. No one came.

The silent alarm at the Bergen County hotel had been broken for months, and Grajales ended up struggling with her attacker for 30 minutes before escaping to another guest’s room, where she dialed 911. A hotel surveillance camera captured the 4 a.m. incident, which happened on July 4, 2008. The attacker nearly bit off Grajales’ finger, and the panic button was stained with her blood, local police said.

For more:  http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/alarm_company_settles_lawsuit.html

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by | May 11, 2010 · 6:17 am

Hospitality Industry Theft Risks: Hotel Surveillance Cameras And Guest “Identification” Procedures Are Best Deterrent To Property Theft

Gordon called the April 3 thefts at the Hampton Inns “very brazen, and quite frankly stupid,” given that the hotel lobbies have surveillance cameras.

In both cases, Gordon said, Cole checked in using a fake ID and paid in cash. Then he and Harrington left with flat-screens worth more than $1,000 each, Gordon said.

(From an AJC.com article)   Jonathan Cole and Brooke Harrington have been arrested by the Atlanta Police Department, Alpharetta police spokesman George Gordon said Friday.

Police were looking for Cole and Harrington after they hit two Hampton Inns in Alpharetta on a single Saturday. They also are wanted for similar thefts in Gwinnett County and the city of Norcross, Gordon told the AJC.

“We had been looking for them for a while … They hid out really well,” Gordon said. “This was a prolific crew traveling all over metro Atlanta area.”

http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/atlanta-police-nab-flat-522306.html

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