Dallas homeowner in shootout with attempted armed robbers

[allisji]

http://www.fox4news.com/news/230936351-story

Terry Morgan was fast asleep in his Oak Cliff home on Lea Crest Drive when he was startled from bed by a rattling noise at his front door...

Morgan says he saw five people jump into a car and drive away. Security cameras only caught three of them -- the first one who knocked on the door to see if anyone was home and two more using a crowbar to try to get in.

BG appears to have either an SBR or an AR Pistol.

[bblhd672]

Every day I think more about expending funds on high resolution security cameras for my home.

[Beiruty]

Every day I think more about expending funds on high resolution security cameras for my home.

Excellent idea. I have 2x 1080p Ethernet-over-power ( Pro Cameras and Pro Installed some 5-yrs ago or so) and believing due to the distance and wide angle. The image quality is like looking a monitor from the 1980s. Digital zoom is not great when you need it.

Best is to get modern day and night 4K sensors with smart optical zoom that follow detected motion areas.

[TexDotCom]

WFAA.com reports that he "stepped out of his home and returned fire". No sir, not me, you won't see me leaving a place providing both concealment and cover to stand out in the open for a "Wild West" sort of shootout. Apparently no one was injured in the gunfire exchange, but it could have gone *way* worse for that homeowner when he stepped outside.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/dallas-c ... /390385498

[allisji]

WFAA.com reports that he "stepped out of his home and returned fire". No sir, not me, you won't see me leaving a place providing both concealment and cover to stand out in the open for a "Wild West" sort of shootout. Apparently no one was injured in the gunfire exchange, but it could have gone *way* worse for that homeowner when he stepped outside.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/dallas-c ... /390385498

I agree. From the article I was a little unsure about when the shooting was initiated. It sounded like he shot at them while they were running for their car and then they began returning fire, but they may have starting firing at him while they were retreating. Either way, I think that I would be more interested in seeking cover than in running them off. Hopefully his camera footage helps the police catch these guys and get them off of the streets.

I don't have security cameras on my house, but have definitely been thinking about it. And have found a lot of useful information on this forum about security camera systems. We definitely have some experts here.

[mr1337]

Every day I think more about expending funds on high resolution security cameras for my home.

Excellent idea. I have 2x 1080p Ethernet-over-power ( Pro Cameras and Pro Installed some 5-yrs ago or so) and believing due to the distance and wide angle. The image quality is like looking a monitor from the 1980s. Digital zoom is not great when you need it.

Best is to get modern day and night 4K sensors with smart optical zoom that follow detected motion areas.

After a quick search, I'm not able to find any affordable 4k cameras that record 25+ frames per second. The ones I'm finding are 7-10 frames per second, so it's definitely a trade-off.

[Beiruty]

Get a GoPro 4k Camera and wire it and find a an app that record for it like a DVR with loop over 7 days. That is older than 7 days, data storage is reclaimed. My Security Cameras DVR goes for 30 days or whenever data space is needed, your choice.

[bblhd672]

Best is to get modern day and night 4K sensors with smart optical zoom that follow detected motion areas.

Sounds expensive!

[GeekwithaGun]

These camera's are really nice - around $150 each, less in a bundle from a reseller
https://www.ubnt.com/unifi-video/unifi-video-camera-g3/

[TheCytochromeC]

If someone can spend a grand on gun or two they can spend a grand on a surveillance system.

[Flightmare]

If someone can spend a grand on gun or two they can spend a grand on a surveillance system.

Living situation I'm sure also gets factored in. A person living in an apartment does not have the opportunity to place exterior cameras that a homeowner of a single family residence does.

[tomneal]

Did you design and install the security surveillance system yourself or did you hire 'The Guy'?

[RHenriksen]

One of the big improvements in IP cameras in the last few years has been super low light capability. Improvements in both the sensors themselves, and the electronics processing the sensor data. A 2 megapixel camera (aka 1080) can be plenty if you're not trying to cover a very large area (say, 30+ yards in depth & width).

Moreover, either a supplemental IR light or a motion-activated outdoor floodlight to throw more light on the camera's field of view helps significantly improve image quality.

Beyond low light, you also have to be aware of the dynamic range of the camera. If you have very bright & very dark areas in the same scene, traditional cameras cannot properly expose & show detail in both. WDR (wide dynamic range) is the buzzword to look for, but again be aware that there are many different levels of WDR. In the Axis product line, the highest performing cameras are tagged with 'WDR Forensic' capability. This video does a good job showing the difference WDR can make:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TiV66LGnTg

I do a lot of outdoor cameras for an industrial environment, but most people aren't willing to spend this much on their home:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... e_for.html

[Noggin]

Maybe I should consider getting some cameras. We have a blind spot on our drive way and garage doors which are to the side of the house. Like others have said I would not venture outside, there is always a chance the BGs might have some friends who are coming round the back of the house to kick in the patio door, then you could find yourself having to fight your way back into your house. At least from the living room I can cover all three entrances, front door, patio door and utility room/garage door. Fortunately I do not have to worry too much about what stray shot might hit on the opposite side of the road out front all I am likely to hit is a deer or a cow.