Station security and petty vandalism/theft at OAC

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BCL

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I think OAC has an issue with security. I found broken glass (the remnants but not my car yet), and I parked there but may not again after today. I'd seen broken glass on the street leading to the station, but in recent months it's been at the station parking lot itself. Amtrak apparently refers the City of Oakland which owns the station, and OPD is kind of overwhelmed. Cameras don't seem to do much (might have been a deterrent before which is why it was on the street outside of camera view). I think Amtrak Police patrols the station occasionally, but it's the city's primary responsibility since they own it. In any case I don't think it would necessarily stop anyone who would just wait for them to leave or save the vandalism for a later time. About all that might help is that if they just happen to stumble upon any vandalism.

I found some document stating that OAC no longer has a Quik-Trak kiosk because of vandalism.

This is kind of sad. I'd like things to work out. I don't have any worries about physically being in the neighborhood, but it sounds like some bored kids (I think) are getting their jollies by breaking windows. I have no issue using the station, but parking is just too much of a risk now.
 
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It is a neighborhood issue that also stems over to the Coliseum BART station. It got so bad at one point that there was a dedicated BART Police officer posted at that station. It is also going to be the first to get the new bullet-resistant glass installed and the Dutch doors on the station agent booth. I can't say how much transit crime we have had there related to the buses and trains (BART and Amtrak station areas), however it is one of the hot spots that was on our list. As you said, OPD is overwhelmed with other priorities that patrolling that area has unfortunately fallen more to the wayside. The Sheriff patrols the bus areas and BART Police patrols the BART station side and sometimes the pedestrian overpass, however the Amtrak Parking lot is tucked off the main road out of visual sight so it does not get much attention in terms of regular visible patrol.

I used to circle in there to sit on the side street and watch buses when I worked that area and there were a few times I did see broken glass and juveniles horsing around in that area. During the daytime the area was fine but after dark is when the criminal activity really picked up in the station and bus areas. I wouldn't personally park my vehicle there but that may be a result of bias given the main basis of my job was to respond to incidents and accidents in that area.

There are a few Capitol Corridor stations slated to get security upgrades so I would assume OAC is on the list. I'm not sure when but even more cameras may be installed to cover more territory around.
 
I guess I lucked out today. I mentioned the broken glass to a conductor, and he said he saw it.

I don't know how much cameras will deter anyone. I suspect it's not necessarily the same vandals, and not all would be paying attention to the cameras nor worry much about being identified anyways. The reports I hear are that cars deliberately parked where the cameras had been pointed were smashed.

I'm thinking its a combination of the access to public transportation along with the neighborhood's reputation as a place where you don't "snitch".
 
The only use of a camera is for evidence later (if there is a working recorder). Does not seem to deter crime nor does anyone ever watch cameras in real time. I volunteered doing security (metal detector) for the local sheriff's office at the courthouse. Our area was under constant surveillance but there was no recorder and the paid person who was suppose to be watching the cameras instead played computer games. I quit doing it after I complained and nothing changed. My life was too important to me.
 
The only use of a camera is for evidence later (if there is a working recorder). Does not seem to deter crime nor does anyone ever watch cameras in real time. I volunteered doing security (metal detector) for the local sheriff's office at the courthouse. Our area was under constant surveillance but there was no recorder and the paid person who was suppose to be watching the cameras instead played computer games. I quit doing it after I complained and nothing changed. My life was too important to me.
How long ago was this? I know that when it was typically VHS tapes there might need to be a system to use two recorders to get enough tape to record more than 6 hours. Of course the tapes would then probably need to be saved, and that was a hassle. I understand they would typically get recorded over if there was no perceived need. And then the quality of the recordings would suffer.

These days security footage can be saved on computer drives cheaply and at high resolution. I know back in the day of VHS they'd often record four cameras simultaneously, which reduced the already lousy resolution/quality of VHS EP (extended-play). These days there's cloud-based storage of security footage and multiple-redundant ways of saving footage.

And the last time I went to a courthouse it was real sheriff's deputies working the metal detectors. I don't know - they could have been unpaid volunteer reserve deputies, but I'm pretty sure they were full-time.
 
The only use of a camera is for evidence later (if there is a working recorder). Does not seem to deter crime nor does anyone ever watch cameras in real time. I volunteered doing security (metal detector) for the local sheriff's office at the courthouse. Our area was under constant surveillance but there was no recorder and the paid person who was suppose to be watching the cameras instead played computer games. I quit doing it after I complained and nothing changed. My life was too important to me.
How long ago was this? I know that when it was typically VHS tapes there might need to be a system to use two recorders to get enough tape to record more than 6 hours. Of course the tapes would then probably need to be saved, and that was a hassle. I understand they would typically get recorded over if there was no perceived need. And then the quality of the recordings would suffer.

These days security footage can be saved on computer drives cheaply and at high resolution. I know back in the day of VHS they'd often record four cameras simultaneously, which reduced the already lousy resolution/quality of VHS EP (extended-play). These days there's cloud-based storage of security footage and multiple-redundant ways of saving footage.

And the last time I went to a courthouse it was real sheriff's deputies working the metal detectors. I don't know - they could have been unpaid volunteer reserve deputies, but I'm pretty sure they were full-time.
Yup -- pay people full-time to watch cameras that watch other people :)

Why? is this self-defeating in the long run? logically insane?

Doh!

I pay taxes (but the watchers are tax-haters) so somebody stupider than me can watch or re-watch a private u-toob thing that shows mostly just me and my kids just being us -- but there "might" be some criminals somewhere on the tape of disc -- but really really not likely but hey -- I pay some snoozer to play games while pretending to watch me --

totally psycho -- that's what we humans are good at --

Doh
 
I'd also be hard pressed to believe that assuming the City of Oakland owns the parking lot at OAC that OPD would even come out to take a report for vandalism to an auto.
 
Considering that the new "thing" for vandals in the City of Chico is to actually target cameras, I'd say the days of their presence being a deterrent are long over.

Yup, you read right. Thieves and vandals are actually grabbing cameras, not at all fearing repercussion, and making off with the electronic eyes. So if the cameras themselves are targets, it says nothing to the safety of the area those cameras are pointed.

Bottom line is, just as you noted BCL, its incumbent on the person to perceive threats to themselves and their property and act accordingly. If OAC is no longer a viable location to park one's car, then its time to choose a better place (even if its at the sacrifice of convenience.) A sharp drop of ridership at a location could prove the point, especially considering OAC is soon to have the brand-new Oakland International Airport people-mover directly connected with it via the BART station, might be enough to put on the political pressure to beef up patrols.
 
I'd also be hard pressed to believe that assuming the City of Oakland owns the parking lot at OAC that OPD would even come out to take a report for vandalism to an auto.
They've got an online self-reporting form. Even if they don't really investigate it, that gets a case number assigned and will probably satisfy most insurance requirements for a police report.
 
Bottom line is, just as you noted BCL, its incumbent on the person to perceive threats to themselves and their property and act accordingly. If OAC is no longer a viable location to park one's car, then its time to choose a better place (even if its at the sacrifice of convenience.) A sharp drop of ridership at a location could prove the point, especially considering OAC is soon to have the brand-new Oakland International Airport people-mover directly connected with it via the BART station, might be enough to put on the political pressure to beef up patrols.
I don't worry so much about what goes on in the Coliseum BART station itself. There's typically people there including those who just came from the airport. Additionally, the new shuttle and the existing station are all BART property patrolled by BART Police. I don't know what incentive BART PD would have to check up on a small train station serving Amtrak and owned by the City of Oakland.

Addendum: yeah it's convenient. It's close to the freeway and there's no need for a permit. Parking there is on the honor system, and it's 25 feet to the tracks from the closest parking spaces. I've been stuck in line at EMY and once managed to get a parking permit just in time because I asked if I could skip ahead just for the 15 second it took to prepare a permit. Of course a parking permit might be more convenient if I had a monthly or 10-ride.

I'm thinking of parking in Hayward instead. Might save me a bit on fares, and my main reason for taking CC is to get around the mess on 880 through Fremont. Also - that part of Hayward doesn't have the ready access to BART and buses, which is supposedly one reason why there are issues with kids vandalizing near the Coliseum or the even worse stuff that happens around San Leandro.
 
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