Florida: talking cam proposed to deter beach sex

by: Pam Spaulding

Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 12:00:00 PM EST

FlashCAM devices sense motion and then flash a bright light, said David Graham, assistant to County Administrator Duncan Ballantyne.

After being activated, the cameras issue a pre-recorded verbal warning to let people know they are under surveillance, Graham said. Sixty seconds later, they start recording.

The cameras, which the California company of Q-Star Technology makes, are solar powered and can be connected to light poles or even trees along the shores, Graham said.

In July, a sheriff's office sting caught six men at two county beaches on charges of either exposing themselves to undercover officers or soliciting them for sex.

Last weekend, a Martin County teacher was arrested and charged with exposing himself to an undercover deputy.

DiTerlizzi's call for surveillance also comes after several high-profile arrests statewide and nationally involving elected officials soliciting sex in bathrooms.

...The logistics of wiring all beaches for continuous broadcasting to the Internet would be difficult, Graham said. A county worker would use a computer to go to the beaches and download footage from the camera, he said.

UPDATE: You must check out The General's letter to DiTerlizzi. A snippet:

According to the Palm Beach Post, the cameras are triggered by motion sensors. That could prove troublesome don't you think? I mean, while I like to discourage any motion on the beach, sometimes it's unavoidable, like when I'm adjusting the big ball of socks I keep in my Speedo to provide proper moisture control.

Then there's the motion that occurs from just lying on the sand. Often the wind will create ripples across my very manly gut and chest, much like those you'll see on a properly prepared jello salad. If you combine that with the constant adjusting, it might appear as if I'm really going to town on my Mighty Staff of Patriarchal Authority. I could wrongly be accused of committing a naughty crime just like 78% of your state legislature's republican caucus.