Bri’s 30th Birthday originally uploaded by Daniel
A couple of weeks ago I covered the vandalism problem which has recently plagued the MVTA’s Apple Valley Transit Station and following my private communications with others, apparently other transit stations under the MVTA’s purview as well. The research I did then created a slew of new questions regarding how the MVTA operates the $98,000 security camera system, how they patrol the site, and how these decisions impact taxpayers funding the MVTA and our facilities.
The main issue I had was that the MVTA did not report the acts of vandalism to the police even though they likely had video evidence of the crimes being committed. I simply could not fathom how the taxpayers funded a $98,000+ expenditure for a security camera system which was not being used to recoup any of its original cost. After repeated requests to view the security camera footage I was finally granted access to view excerpted videos chosen by MVTA staff off-site at the old Apple Valley Transit Station.
Two quick notes about the camera system:
1. The camera feeds are only activated when there is motion in front of the camera. While a single DVR may contain the video feeds from multiple cameras, the motion activation limits the amount of viewable data stored on the DVR thus making reviewing the cameras’ feeds much easier (depending on the camera in question).
2. The cameras themselves take excellent video which would certainly be clear enough to make a positive identification of a suspect(s). I was told that while you can see images at night (I chose not to view these myself) the quality is severely degraded.
The MVTA staff members I met with (Customer Service Manager and the individual tasked with, among other things, reviewing the video feeds on a regular and ad-hoc basis) were basically unhelpful. It was pretty clear to me from the outset that they were not planning on answering any of my questions and they were there basically to show me the videos, claim that they don’t have any time to support the $98,000+ security system, and that it’s just there for show.
I was told over and over again that the cost/benefit ratio just didn’t make sense for them to review the tapes for vandalism crime. Regardless of what questions I asked about how long it would take to view taped data which was only recorded when motion activated the cameras they refused to acknowledge that it was worth their time. At one point they mentioned that the issues being dealt with were just not serious enough to warrant what I was expecting. When I asked, “do you not consider a hate crime to be serious,” (while referring to the anti-semetic comment) the MVTA staffer who normally reviews the tapes became visibly upset, stood up from his chair, refused to look at me, and said that he was uncomfortable with my questions and I’d be best served by asking any other questions through their main office via written request. Now I know why the MVTA’s Customer Service Manager refuses to allow me to deal with anyone except her directly–these people are incapable of acting in a professional manner.
Following my examination of the system’s capabilities and their procedures around it, what this comes down to is a very expensive security system which is only a facade. While they claim that it is not cost effective to check for issues which crop up and could be solved by the cameras, they forget that it cost $98,700 to install and it was meant to recoup its loss over time by deterring and then also helping to apprehend those who break the law. If the MVTA is going to refuse to use this very expensive system as it was intended, they would be much better off by disconnecting it entirely and leaving the cameras in place instead. They’d be able to recoup some of the cost by selling off the back end equipment and the monthly electricity the system uses. As of right now they basically have a couple of cameras, a couple of signs that the area is under surveillance and a very expensive bill hanging over the taxpayers for something which should have cost 1/100th what it did.
Overall I was again disappointed by how the system and my requests for information were handled by the MVTA. Instead of doing what is right and agreeing to take a look at their current inadequate processes and make the necessary modifications to utilize the system as it was intended, they outright refused to do anything but continue to waste tax dollars while pretending they’re being cost effective. I urge you to pressure you local MVTA Board members to ask why this expenditure was made and why it isn’t being used as it was obviously intended. These are OUR tax dollars they are wasting. Would the entire transit station have cost $21 million if they had cut out all the unnecessary fluff which they never intend on fulling using and/or supporting? I doubt it.
You’ve heard what I had to say. What do you think about it?
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October 21st, 2010 at 8:16 am
I looked up the Board Representative on the MVTA’s website. Burnsville’s rep is Dan Kealey; the people in charge of the MVTA website seem to have a hard time spelling Dan as they have it spelled “Den”. So in addition to the MVTA employees not being able to act in a profession manner, I guess they can’t spell either.
October 21st, 2010 at 8:20 am
It’s a system that should be used.
I’ll throw this out there – MVTA can pay me 60K a year to sit and review all the video footage there is on the DVR. I’ll gladly look for the minor offenses and the hate crimes they don’t feel important to report.
People forget, most acts of violence and crimes start small and work up. Being able to find the perps when they do this small crap and kick them between the legs might help us down the road with more serious crimes. At the very least, it’s the point being made that these acts are not acceptable in the community.
October 21st, 2010 at 8:41 am
You are aiming too low. Why the hell should taxpayers with cars be paying ANYTHING so that others can take the bus?
3M might have fake security cameras, but nobody can bitch about them because 3M paid for them.
Public transportation needs to be paid for by the public that uses it, not the rest of us.
October 21st, 2010 at 9:24 am
“Why the hell should taxpayers with cars be paying ANYTHING so that others can take the bus?”
Maybe because the taxpayers who are choosing to take the bus, are paying for the road system you drive on? For the air you are fouling with your gas fumes, and oh yes, for the actions it takes to secure the cheap gas your car needs?
It’s time to recognize that we are not islands or castles with moats. And so I as a taxpayer understand that the people who park their cars at the park and rides do so, with trust that their valuable property will be guarded in some way. And that they will not be mugged on their way to it.
They are taxpayers, too, and they deserve public safety.
I wonder if the insurance companies could influence anything? Surely vandalism claims affect their bottom line.
October 21st, 2010 at 10:26 am
I would agree with you that vandalism should be reported to the police. I wouldn’t be surprised if the police didn’t want to do any further investigation. But the report should be made anyway. If it not reported we are just giving in to the criminal because the crime not severe enough. Maybe if the report count gets high enough we can set a couple examples.
Regarding the cameras being useless. I wouldn’t agree with that at all. Just say a crime of violence occurred; I would hope a full investigation would happen including video analysis.
October 21st, 2010 at 10:35 am
Isn’t this just par for the course now?
October 21st, 2010 at 1:36 pm
“For the air you are fouling with your gas fumes”
When did the taxpayers start paying for my air?
I don’t think it is a stretch for me to suggest that public transportation be at minimum a break even enterprise.
With that said, I hope the Vikings get a stadium.
October 21st, 2010 at 1:44 pm
Clearly your username has nothing to do w/your political leanings ;-)
October 21st, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Ha, I was wondering if that nickname would create that perception. I am left handed, and I lean politically all over the place.
October 21st, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Glad to have another southpaw here!
I’m torn on public funding of transit. I think it should break even too, but how do you measure that? I’m not sure how you’d measure that for a publicly-financed stadium either.
Ultimately, people just have to agree on where we spend our money based on what’s important to us. Public transit has been deemed as important enough to finance in pretty much any city over 100,000 (and many that are under). I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
October 21st, 2010 at 2:25 pm
It hurts my head. It literally causes my head to hurt whenever I have to think up reasons why government employees/officials feel a need to act like idiots.
At a minimum, and I say minimum, the MVTA should be reporting these events to the police and then leave it up to the police to let the report sit at the bottom of the pile. At least then we can highlight the lack of resources there. Why is it that we only hear of post office employees cracking from stress? Is it because they are the only ones that take their jobs seriously and actually feel any pressure to perform?
I am surprised you were allowed to talk to anyone other than the MVTA mouthpiece. As you noted, the folks you spoke to simply were not up to the task of holding a conversation and were too interested in providing excuses.
Ya know what, tell me you need a 10 million tax levy to equip the Dakota County 911 center for monitoring public camera feeds and officers to follow up on the complaints and I’ll be the first one to vote yes. I heard Cisco can help you get setup:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-chtkGoycXM
October 21st, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Bill, it strikes me that if anyone quoted to you the saying about catching more flies with honey than with vinegar, you would probably answer, “Who the *$&# wants to catch flies?”. Ha.
October 21st, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Touche’, lefty, touche’. I wouldn’t touch the stadium issue with a ten-foot goal line, especially being married to the first original Vikings fan.
Okay, let’s scratch that word “taxpayers” and make it “all humans breathing in.” Don’t get me wrong, I love my car as much as the next person. But a good transit system benefits everybody, from cleaner air to a larger employee pool.
Tough to argue the breaking even point, though, when MTVA spends the money like this.
October 21st, 2010 at 7:53 pm
I just cant stand overpaid public employees who are unable to remember that they work for the public. Idiots.
As for not using the cameras, its par for the course. Idiots using public money and then wondering why we are upset when they are proved to be utterly and completely wasting the money.
October 21st, 2010 at 9:45 pm
I don’t want to get off topic, but it drives me absolutely nuts to think that we will probably fork over $700-$800 million for a Vikings stadium. The state is in the financial crapper but we should subsidize billionaire owners and punk millionaire players so they can have a new playpen? Granted the Metrodome is not a great stadium, but it is only obsolete because they cannot milk enough cash from it to keep up with salaries that are getting more and more ridiculous each year. Maybe I am way off but I don’t see any way a new stadium would generate anywhere near the money you and I would fork over for it. At least with the Twins stadium it is used 81 times a year. The NFL season is only 16 games, so you’re looking at only 8 regular season uses!!!
I love football, but the money side of the game is out of control and it subsidizing a playpen to fuel that insanity makes me think that as a society our priorities are a bit off. I’m listening if anyone feels differently.
Sorry for the rant. As for the cameras I just feel like that entire station was an example of waste. I think the much more modest ramp on 35 was built for quite a bit less and it seems to be more of what should have gone in on Cedar.
October 22nd, 2010 at 10:12 am
Just a thought, but if the main purpose of the cameras is to have a deterrent effect on crime (minor or major offenses), wouldn’t it have been a smart P.R./deterrent move to report/prosecute the first known offense [i.e. the vandalism] whether MVTA considers it to be “minor” or not – in order to “send a message” and deter crime in the ramp (again, both minor and major offenses)??
To me, the only message that has been sent is that taggers have free rein on messing with the ramp, because the first several offenders weren’t even pursued, and the only outcome is to have a new building tagged several more times (until MVTA decides to do something about it), when the third, fourth, fifteenth, etc. occurrence could have been deterred from the outset.
Remember at the grand opening, how proud MVTA was about the design/appearance of their spiffy new building? Way to follow through, people.
November 30th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
http://applevalleypolice.blogspot.com/2010/11/mvta-theft-suspects.html
November 30th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
That, my friend, is classic. Oddly poetic.
Hey, now the MVTA can take the insurance money, buy some old cameras that don’t work, install them, and lay off the person whose job it was to review the footage and yet do nothing about crimes shown on the footage. It will be just as effective of a system as the one in place before the thefts.
November 30th, 2010 at 10:58 pm
This is not only a waste of tax dollars but a dangerous situation because those unused cameras create a false sense of security in the folks that use this facility.
December 1st, 2010 at 8:56 am
The pictures look like you just need to pass them around the local schools and you’ll figure out who took the cameras. Of course no one really cares, especially at the MVTA.
December 1st, 2010 at 8:59 am
I was going to say that someone who goes to Eastview could probably find them on Facebook.
December 1st, 2010 at 11:40 am
Pretty funny, and should be pretty easy to catch if anyone cared.
December 1st, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Is there a reward? Jesse could use some Christmas money…
December 2nd, 2010 at 8:46 am
I’ll put up $50 reward if someone wants to provide info to the Police which leads to an arrest in this case.