Police Buys FLIR at Costco, Industry's Worst Fear

I see this all the time.

So much for laying out a system design, collecting bids and reviewing proposals.

The Costco system is not being purchased instead of the $20 million system, it's being purchased in addition to.

As all the operational deficiencies that have been noted so far manifest themselves, this will only strengthen the integrators hand for the 'real' system.

As opposed to if they had never actually went to Costco, but only made snide off hand remarks about how they should have.

A friend of mine was experiencing chest pains. So he went to a cardiologist who checked out his health -- blood work, stress tests, various scans, etc. Of all the things that could possibly be wrong with him, she diagnosed a blocked coronary artery. Of all the ways to address a blocked coronary artery, she decided the best course of action for him was a stent.

The cost of the procedure, including the doctor putting the stent in the exact proper place and follow up to make sure it was working properly, would be $25,000. What a ripoff!

Instead, my friend bought a stent online for $25.00 and is having his nursing student son install it. In the case of trouble, they plan to call the stent company technical line for support.

An exaggeration? Perhaps.

My advice to integrators is to STOP SELLING CAMERAS. Instead, sell your expertise and experience regarding threat analysis, surveillance design/visualization services, installation/placement/optics expertise, network engineering, storage management, training, repair, and maintenance. And, also, integration with other systems the customer may have. And these services come bundled with the professional-grade cameras you carry.

Sure, maybe your customer can buy that Whizbang™ Model X camera for less elsewhere, but it was your expertise that was able to make that recommendation in the first place.

And, while not a factor in the newspaper article, don't carry cameras your customer can shop online!

I hate to quote myself, but I run into the problem of extremely price sensitive customers with high end security needs all the time, and so I wrote this detailing how a salesperson should proceed in that situation.

Sorry about the self promotion.

This is just the beginning...once the IOT evolution/revolution unfolds sensors from A-Z will make everyone an expert in hanging something off a network.

At that point your value add had better be at the beginning of the food chain vs an RFP.

Think of the audit findings opportunities here. Wrong people touching government infrastructure. Uninsured staff on ladders. Non-low voltage techs likely touching the fire suppression system. Probably touching the public internet too. Who knows if the gear has the proper UL approvals.

"What could go wrong?"

I get it LE needs tools to do their job and we all want them doing their job, well. But painting a "Inmate lawyers, please file suit here" on your back might not be the right path...

Also who gave the sherriff the power to touch the walls of the building? Is that assumed? Are they king of the universe on those grounds? Does the fire marshall agree?

In addition to the $700 for the system, is the time for the labor to install. The video above shows that it took more than 1 person, a lift was required, etc.

Of course, they are running the cable without protecting them, etc. We will see what happens if an inmate pulls a length of cable down and uses it as a weapon...

I think a major factor in this is mentioned right off the top:

The Mercury News article highlights a common set of problems: delays, high costs, bureaucratic red tape - issues often associated with government projects. Integrators who bid on government projects are likely used to bid process paperwork, price sensitivity and long delays in getting projects approved and paid.

Besides the issues of trying to fit a "proper" system into the budget, there's the issue of the time frame it can take for something like this to get through all the channels (with no guarantee of it ever being approved).

So if a department of, say, a dozen cops, can kick in $100 each out of their own pockets to get a $1000 package (plus whatever necessary extras), and maybe have a couple of the more tech-savvy members come in on the weekend to slap it all in on their own time... it's a small price price for them to pay to cover their own asses, especially if there have been incidents in the past that left any of them with their integrity or professionalism being questioned.

Maybe six months down the road, the wheels turn and they get that big skookum system they were asking for... then maybe the old system gets donated to a school, or even just left in place as a "backup". Meanwhile, the guys working there have had six extra months of maybe a little extra peace of mind.

At the end of the day there isn't enough money, period.

Champagne dreams, beer budget.

Cities have a bigger achilles heal, PENSIONS.

If this cuts through the red tape and saves some money for potholes, pensions, etc., they're ahead of the game.

Technology has consistently over promised and under delivered.

Every few years they can rip and replace at a fraction of the high end solution.

5G wireless will change everything...hours of video streams transmitted in seconds.

LMAO....its pretty clear everyone will find what they want to find about the Sheriffs purchase. Actually for the money invested the Lorex low-end system is very decent. I've been running a four camera system at my home for six months. It is good compared to the other cheap systems available.

The burning issue is that the sheriff was wise for the money spent. The Lorex gives her plenty of time to learn the security short coming issues presented. It gives her the smarts to intelligently purchase a high-end system when funds are available.

Give her a break she deserves it for her wisdom on the initial purchase. Too bad Washington DC has no common sense.