Neighbours spycam - HELP!!!

jim_j

jim_j

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I had to take some pictures of the back of our house back in April as I was selling something on eBay. One of the shots I had also included part of the neighbours house - no big deal until I noticed a camera in the 1st floor window. I don't know what style you call the windows but they protrude out from the house with the two end panes at an angle. The camera was sitting squarely in the end pane pointing directly into our garden. Looking further there was cable coming out of the window which might even be a small mic??? Wasn't sure what to think, but we've had a few problems with this neighbour.
Was going to ask a guy from the council about it, until I realised that the picture was taken a week before easter & only a couple of days before my 2 nieces (14 & 12)came to stay for a few days. Living next door is a woman in her mid 50's and her son late 20's who never seems to go out. The neighbours on the other side of us also have kids in their garden on a regular basis.
I don't want to overreact, but who the hell would want to take pictures of us in our garden. Our nieces were outside a lot, especially in the mornings still in nighties/pyjamas which has gotten us both a bit freaked. I have stuck the images on a CD and wondering if I should contact the police - any thoughts or suggestions greatly received. it's a red p&s but worryingly it is plugged into a usb which runs into the room so can be viewed remotely.
 
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I thought about that, but it has the usb plugged in and is sitting on a box to point over the window frame & its still in the same position since mid april.
 
It could be something dodgy but at the same time it could just be left there as its not used often, honestly wouldnt like to say either way really but i suppose its better airing on the side of caution
 
Cheers Craig, just don't want to go off at half-cock, wife's convinced it's dodgy but I'd like to know more.Can anyone ID this, its hanging outside the window??? Sorry for the quality
 
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jim_j said:
Cheers Craig, just don't want to go off at half-cock, wife's convinced it's dodgy but I'd like to know more.Can anyone ID this, its hanging outside the window??? Sorry for the quality
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It's not very clear, but a guess would be a plug connection. It doesnt appear to actually be plugged into anything though.
 
As Dave says, it looks like some king of inline connector, probably power.

I don't understand your concern over the camera though, it's in plain sight and on their property, perfectly legal even assuming it's connected and working. Maybe your neighbours think their neighbours are dodgy and need watching?
 
Simply place a sign in your garden facing the spy cam saying WE ARE WATCHING YOU TOO.:wave:
 
If it's any kind of cctv system I'm pretty sure it's only allowed to cover their property and not yours. I have a camera on the back of my house but it's shuttered so it only recored my garden.
 
just get the hedge clippers out

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What could you possiblely be selling on ebay, that your neighbours bay window would be in shot. I need to know lol
 
Put something in your garden level with the camera that would block out its view? At best it is a gross invasion of privacy.

If you're that concerned then it should be a police matter as it is frankly very weird to have a camera pointing into a neighbours garden. Even a quite word with the police might be enough to have their neighbours realise the potential seriousness of what they're doing.
 
why not just go round and ask him?

it could be something completely innocent like the camera was just plonked there to be out of the way.

whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? honestly there are double standards on this place sometimes, if it was the other way around and someone was accusing a photographer of perving into someones gardens everyone would be defending them.
 
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Wow! lots of replies & lots of views, I have no problem with a camera facing into their own garden and ours still being in the frame, but having it facing directly into ours is a bit strange, considering it has been perched on a box so that it has a clear view and is not just been left on the window sill.
And for Chris the Greek it's the conservatory I'm selling Link and if you look closely at the windows on the left you can just about see what I'm talking about.
 
Is it possible the window dangler is actually an outside temperature monitor? Think you need to get outside with some binocs for a closer look!
 
Hi Suz, don't really want to look too much, who becomes the snooper then?
 
Seems like its pointing more into your conservatory than the garden itself, you and your mrs donot have ermmm "fun" in the conservatory do you and he just likes to keep a reminder of how good you two are??

Ok jokes aside it does look a little wierd, and seeing as you have had a few problems before with these people you will not get a satifactory answer from them as to why they have it there.

My advice would be to go round anyways and explain about it, and ask for it to be removed or replaced in a different window, or taken away all together, like said if you have history with these peole then also mention that if it is not removed then you will call the police.
That way its fair to everyone, could be innocent on his behalf in which case he should remove it.

spike
 
The suspense was killing me lol

That's a very nice conservatory, good luck with the sale.
 
Hi guys, I've spoken to the police and the local community support officer is coming round this afternoon - will keep you informed.
 
jim_j said:
Hi guys, I've spoken to the police and the local community support officer is coming round this afternoon - will keep you informed.
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Thats a good sign then, saves you having to get involved with the neighbours.

spike
 
Looking at that picture I don't think I'd be too happy with a DSLR pointing into my garden. It's not really a cctv camera and imposes on your privacy.

Talking to the local police is the right move in my opinion. Myself I'd have been round and advised him nicely to remove it before now though :)
 
I often have my camera on it's tripod looking into my neighbors residence. if any of them come round to complain I doubt if I will be posting on here again.


As my neighbors in question reside in a cemetery any of them complain then I'll likely drop dead of a heart attack.
 
No afraid not, I haven't even managed a good one of the squirrels as yet and as for the owl well since I got the new camera i haven't even seen him. Still hear him almost every night I'm sure he is taunting me. At least i think it is the owls screeching.
 
Just had the local community support officer, he's had a good look from the upstairs window. He agrees it is very strange but nothing they can do if its pointing into the garden, however he's going to have a word with his sergeant as the case could be made that it is also pointing into the conservatory which is a completely different matter and not allowed.
 
How serious are the past problems? Ideally just ask them why it points into your garden and conservatory.

It may be they were photographing something, a bird maybe, and just haven't taken it down again? I left my camera sitting on a tripod, pointing out into the garden, for weeks after photographing birds on the feeder. I know it's not the same as mine only views my garden but it's easy enough to walk away and forget about it especially if it's in a spare room that's not used often.
 
Difficult to see clearly, but it looks like the camera is just sitting on the window ledge pointing horizontally. In which case it's only getting a view of the roof of the conservatory. To be looking inside it and/or the garden the camera would have to be elevated more to be able to point downwards.

Even if you're not on good terms with your neighbour, unless you're performing witchcraft rituals and sacrifices, or engaging in sexual activities in full view [either with a partner or on your own] then I can't see the neighbour finding anything of interest worth photographing.
 
I would have spoken to the neighbour first, without involving the police. Just because there is a woman "in her fifties and her son late 20's who doesnt seem to go out" doesnt automatically make him some sort of pervert. He may have a social phobia, agaraphobia or just be very timid.You dont say either what your previous problem was with the neighbour. I would certainly have a problem with my neighbour if she complained to the police that I had a camera on my windowsill without speaking to me first.
 
I'd have spoken to the neighbour first... There's bound to be a sensible explanation!

But please let us know what it turns out to be!
 
That window dangler thing looks like a limit switch to me :thinking:


Then again it could be anything ;)
 
Bringing in the police because there's a camera that's sat on the windowsill for months really does seem like a bit of an over-reaction.. If it's some kind of compact camera, the chances are it's going to have a pretty wide field of vision, so won't be zoomed in to see what flavour sausages you're eating in your bbq.. And if it was zoomed that much, then they'd have to keep moving it to get anything worth watching.. Seems a lot of fuss about nothing to me :) I'd have just knocked on the door, said hi, and asked politely whether they'd mind moving it, so that at least it looked the other way.. Would have been much easier than pulling in half of your local constabulary..

I'm sure people will say 'ah but what if.....' - but surely that's what we as photographers have to face every day.. On one hand we're all shouting for freedom, and then when someone mentions that someone else has a camera that's sat on a windowsill for months on end without moving, that it needs police involvement to sort out..

I hope it's all worked out :) but I do think it could have been resolved more easily than this.. Although I appreciate I only know what you've told us, and no additional facts.
 
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