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Police say this is the guy who beat a Mattapan Line trolley driver
By adamg on Mon, 10/31/2016 - 3:17pm
Transit Police have released surveillance video showing the masked man they say beat and dragged a Mattapan Line driver Sunday morning.
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Comments
Michael Myers?
Michael Myers?
Mike Myers?
I first read about this on social media. It took me a while to figure out that the perp wasn't wearing an Austin Powers mask.
screen shot
Once again, can someone please buy the Transit Police whatever cable they need so that we don't keep getting literal screenshots of these surveillance videos?
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/06/27/mbta-to-install-more-cameras-on-bu...
I guess the DHS grant didn't include funding for said cables.
Is the BPD so technologically
Is the BPD so technologically incompetent that they literally had to record a copy of the video on a cell phone and then post it to youtube? They have done this will still images, too. Uploading the original would have better quality and might help to nab the suspects better.
Anyways hope the catch the guy and the driver recovers.
Details
It's transit police. If you're going to criticize and come off as a know it all, at least get the right organization
TPD, not BPD
That's from MBTA Transit Police. And, yes, my first thought too was how the hell did they not figure out how to use a screen grab?!
Funny enough, they are using
Funny enough, they are using VLC to play it and not Windows Media Player
not really
Since VLC is free and can be easily licensed... many video systems now use that as the default player. Less issues and hassles than WMP
Security System
Not to stuck up for TPD but I have some experience with security and A/V stuff.
Its not a matter just sticking in a thumb drive somewhere and be done with it. Alot of these systems you need to 'export' the section of video to a file. Which while it sounds easy, it's time consuming. Many security systems use ultra-high compression on video files. Many times when you export from these, it has to re-render file into something anyone can play (i.e. avi, mpeg) which can take bit of time re-render. (plus on some systems you may even need a license to export at all!)
Plus like most security systems I've worked with, and I'm sure the T's is far more high end than ones i've used, so its probably a gazllion steps to export a small 1 minute section of video. And if you don't know you're doing very well, it can be daunting.
Honestly, its easier for the non-tech savvy to hold up a phone to a screen and press record, then upload and be done. Its easy for us tech saavy folks (as there are many of us on Uhub) to say sheesh.. but to someone's main job is to fight crime and not use a computer, I understand why they did it this way.
Fair enough.
Fair enough.
Let's pin the blame then on the designers of the hardware and software for not ensuring a non-techie-friendly way to get video clips onto the social media of choice.
"You had one job"
"Plus like most security systems I've worked with, and I'm sure the T's is far more high end than ones i've used, so its probably a gazllion steps to export a small 1 minute section of video.
Look, a surveilance system has one goddamn job. Record evidence of shit going down. A system that covers an entire region, multiple subway lines, hundreds of busses is going to need to export video to investigators, officers for BOLO reports, to prosecutors for cases, etc. So it stands to reason that exporting video out of that system should be easy and convenient.
"And if you don't know you're doing very well, it can be daunting."
MBTA Transit Police don't have Muppets for employees. They have (supposedly) professional police officers. And I expect them to be trained in how to operate the surveillance system.
"And I expect them to be
"And I expect them to be trained in how to operate the surveillance system."
Have you called your local reps to express your expectations of public service entities? I mean seriously, how dare the T police not meet your expectations.
You obviously
You obviously have never worked with end users nor have ever used complex software OR try to train it to people who are not tech savvy.
I have. Its not what you think.
Let me tell you an illuminating story to prove my point.
Many years ago in my 25+ year of doing IT support and administration.. I got a contract job at pharmaceutical company working in their lab as a PC Tech. I was working with people who had dual Phd's and were solving the world's disease problems. Very smart people, far from a bunch of lunkheads.
Yeah those smart people.. could not use a computer to save their life. Especially when their job required them to use a computer to run tests. At the time, this type of testing software was fairly new so the users were trained on it.. THREE FUCKING TIMES. They still always called daily asking me how to load up the software...
My point to this story is.. some people can only retain so much information, some of it you forget, some of it you retain. What is retained is information you're going to use daily. It happens to everyone. It's why I can still do to this day setup Windows 95 dial up networking setting in my sleep, yet I still have to look at my pumpkin pie recipe each and every time, even though I make several of them a year. It's all about priorities in your brain.
No they don't, but they aren't hiring people with MIS/CS degrees or people with Audio Visual Backgrounds either. I don't expect people to know everything.
And if you really 'expect' them to know this.. like its a end all, be all requirement for them, let me ask you this? Can I quiz you on your job and expect you to know everything about your job, no matter if you've done the task once or 100 times? I bet you wouldn't pass either. No one would.
And finally, which would you have.. a cell phone video uploaded to YouTube to catch a criminal or them just going "sorry we can't figure out to export the video so you'll have to go on our description of the guy". I'll take a crappy cell phone video for 200, Alex. It's better than nothing.
Thank you
I am not a technical person and and have been using my 8yr old niece to help me do stuff on my computer phone and iPad. Now I don't feel so bad.
Surveillance Excuse
Now Americans offended by a surveillance state have one more reason to hate being dependent on the MBTA.
For parity, let's mandate interior cameras in every suburban BMW that cruises into the Financial District every morning.
Bring 'em on!
I for one love the fact that so many crimes are now solved by the use of surveillance cameras. The more the merrier.
(But first teach the people running them how to pull off a digital version for posting to the web.)
Benjamin Franklin would like a word with you
Liberty, Safety.
Riding the Terror Train
I have seen zombies, the walking dead, and the cast of the Purge but I haven't seen Mike Myers. I would check the nearby Cedar Grove Cemetery. What about the cameras on the platform?
Well,
That's a disturbing video, especially considering it occurred in a graveyard.