Video surveillance sign required?

[Blacky]

Hopefully I'm in the right forum for this question. I installed a video camera to watch my driveway area - am I required to put up a sign or stickers that make everyone alert to the fact they might be being video taped or recorded? Its a very wide angle lens and I have a view of 3 or 4 condo units in the area. I spoke to a local PD officer and he said I was A-Okay but I would like more of the smarter peoples opinions.

Mods please PM me if I'm out of line here.

[Cokebottle]

No reasonable expectation of privacy in a public area.... but I would make sure that the camera is positioned so that it does not capture activity inside of other units.

Most businesses that post signs post them as a deterrent for those too stupid to look for the cameras.

However... dummy cameras and "decoy" signs are not allowed (at least not on commercial/HOA property). It has to do with a potential victim believing that there may be a tape available of the attack.

[Blacky]

Thank you very much, I cant see anything but garage doors. Actually I don't even record anything but I have the cam connected to a DVD Recorder just in-case we see something that is suspicious or unfamiliar people loitering in the area. That's very good to know about the dummy camera on HOA property. I had the camera architecturally approved by the HOA Association over 3 years ago. I just want to cover all of the legal bases or at least as many as I can.

[Cokebottle]

Thank you very much, I cant see anything but garage doors. Actually I don't even record anything but I have the cam connected to a DVD Recorder just in-case we see something that is suspicious or unfamiliar people loitering in the area. That's very good to know about the dummy camera on HOA property. I had the camera architecturally approved by the HOA Association over 3 years ago. I just want to cover all of the legal bases or at least as many as I can.

Ya... I found out about that when I had some surplus camera housings from my last job. I gutted the tubes, put some small photocells on the top of the sunshield, and tied them to a simple circuit and small rechargeable battery with a single red LED.

Presented one to the board (I was Prez at the time) and the board members all wanted me to build 8 or 10 (I had access to probably 50 housings). Our management company rep called me the next day to let me know that it wasn't legal.

[JDay]

No reasonable expectation of privacy in a public area.... but I would make sure that the camera is positioned so that it does not capture activity inside of other units.

There is no expectation of privacy if you leave the shades open. Video taping what goes on in someones house through their window is legally fair game.

[johnny_22]

I posted signs.

Next to the "beware of dog" signs and one small "video surveillance in use" sign at the door. It is great because people see the sign and start looking around. So, I always get a good picture of them.

[Cokebottle]

There is no expectation of privacy if you leave the shades open. Video taping what goes on in someones house through their window is legally fair game.

I wasn't thinking legally... I was thinking of respect for the neighbors.

[a1c]

I wasn't thinking legally... I was thinking of respect for the neighbors.

Some people enjoy being watched.

[Cokebottle]

Some people enjoy being watched.

True... but quite often, you wouldn't want to watch them

[devilinblack]

Sometimes a sign is all it takes. I work for a school district and we were installing cameras at one school to hopefully cut down on graffiti and vandalism. Once the camera install started, all problems stopped. That's a good thing, since the video the cameras do capture is not great quality and we'd be hard pressed to prosecute anyone using the video.

Rich, do you happen to have the PC that says that fake cameras and bogus signs are illegal? At this same school they continued to have graffiti problems in the parking lot since it wasn't covered by a camera, but a $20 fake one on the light pole solved that problem.

[xxdabroxx]

I would like to know more on the fake camera's as well. I cannot see how that would be illegal. I think that would fall under the no sales to CA CYA stuff.

[Cokebottle]

Rich, do you happen to have the PC that says that fake cameras and bogus signs are illegal?

No, I don't... That's what we (the HOA board) were told by our management company rep when we were discussing installing them.
I didn't think to ask for the PC, because it's rare that she does that, and we've done quite a few things over the last 20 years that have been of questionable legality.