Are today's surveillance cameras so remarkable that they can actually capture images of spirits walking amongst the living? Sounds like the makings of an M. Night Shyamalan thriller, but a recent report out of New Mexico gives us reason to believe in specter surveillance.

It's the biggest recorded heist in UK history - a staggering £53 million pounds, (about $105 million USD) taken from a sorting and holding depot for retail stores and groceries all across England, even serving the Bank of England. So how did this take place? Money handling and intense security go hand-in-hand, and this depot was no exception. This was an inside job - security guard Emir Hysenaj actually used video surveillance to counter the security of the depot.

The University of Pittsburgh recently unveiled a new multi-million dollar security system designed to significantly increase campus safety. The new system features a bevy of surveillance cameras providing comprehensive coverage of the entire campus. Video feeds from the cameras are transmitted to a new campus communications building loaded with monitors for in depth viewing and analysis. The wide-reaching surveillance coverage gives operators an extensive view of campus life, allowing them to quickly respond if suspicious activity is detected.

Two would-be robbers in Dalian City, China have learned a valuable lesson - never go back to the scene of the crime. As alluring as it may be, there will always be trouble awaiting. These two 21 year olds learned the hard way - they were arrested by the police.

One of the decisions that must be made when installing a video surveillance system is whether to keep the presence of security cameras relatively secret, or blatantly obvious. The thinking behind openly announcing the cameras' existence is that it will work as a stronger deterrent to crime. In other words, criminals are more likely to stop before they start if they know they're on camera. Such is the strategy in Onslow County, North Carolina, where the county's Superior Court building was recently equipped with security cameras that transmit feeds to flat-screen television monitors mounted on the wall for all to see. The Court Security Committee wanted a system that was overt rather than covert.

The Channel Tunnel (commonly called the "Chunnel"), an undersea tunnel connecting England and France, been called one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Completed in 1994, the 50km (31 mile) tunnel is used extensively by freight and passenger trains. Surveillance is an important security tool for ensuring that trains move efficiently and safely.

He said, she said...it's one of the oldest paradoxes of all time. How can two disparate opinions regarding the same issue be resolved? For hundred of years, it was a decision founded on trust, but in recent years, security cameras and video surveillance have been helpful arbiters when these issues arise. Officials at Trimet, Portland OR's public transit bureau, have come to painfully understand this dilemma in the past week.

School buses in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana will have a new flair come September. No, it's not snazzy new seats or a bold departure from the ubiquitous yellow paint job, but a system of video surveillance cameras.

How many times has this happened to you? You pick up the phone to call a friend and your wireless phone picks up your neighbor's conversation instead. You hear a noise on your baby monitor and it turns out to be someone calling the pizza delivery place down the street. A Palatine, IL woman recently discovered that her baby monitor - a new model featuring wireless video and a viewing monitor - was intercepting some very unusual footage...from the Space Shuttle Atlantis.

The Senate Armed Services Committee has boldly proposed the idea of requiring the use of video surveillance cameras at military recruiting stations in order to prevent recruiter misconduct. According to the committee, the presence of security cameras is intended more to provide prospective recruits with peace of mind, rather than for trying to catch recruiters acting out of line. Potential recruits along with their friends and families would know that any improper conduct would be recorded, in theory making incidents of wrongdoing less likely to occur.

Retail loss, or shrinkage, is a huge problem for retail stores of all shapes and sizes. A survey conducted in 2005 showed that retailers lost 37.4 billion due to theft over the course of that year. It's quite common for retail stores to utilize video surveillance to effectively prevent instances of shoplifting and theft from both outsiders and employees, however the numbers show that there is certainly room for improvement in the way the surveillance is utilized.

Enter Cisco Systems.

It's hard to believe, but vandals in Bolton, England have targeted the town's prized collection of multi-colored fiberglass elephants. The decorative pachyderm, named Ellie, Elner and Mr. Jackbow, recently fell victim to a series of attacks resulting in a fractured trunk, and cracks to the head and body. The elephant statues were installed in March, replacing the original grey herd that was commissioned in the 1980s. The new elephants were designed by local school children, but only three days after installation, they were removed because of vandalism and attempted theft. In August, the vibrant herd will return to its rightful home on Newborn Street, coinciding with the town's new video surveillance installation.

The city of Moorpark, in Ventura County, Cal. will soon outfit its Metrolink station with six digital cameras aimed at preventing tagging, vandalism, and other crimes in the station as well as its parking areas. The train station has proven to be a popular target for graffiti artists who find its architectural design -- which includes elevated sidewalks, a large blank wall and benches -- irresistible.

Eighteen year old Kelsey Smith has been missing since the evening of Saturday, June 2. Overland Park, KS law enforcement have used the traditional methods of looking for a missing person - canvassing, search parties, and offering rewards. But this time, feed from a surveillance camera inside a Target store may help find Kelsey quicker than before.

In its short, 40-year lifespans, video surveillance technology has brought about many security revolutions. Stores have shifted from man powered security to exclusive camera systems. Cameras are used almost universally in places never thought possible - even 10 years ago. But the cultural implications to security cameras started in 1949, before the age of security cameras, with George Orwell's novel 1984.