In an industry constantly facing threats of cheats, theft and fraud, from customers and employees, security cameras are an essential element of a successful casino or other gaming operation.

Katherine Mangu-Ward, a contributing editor to Reason magazine, recently published an editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer with an interesting argument in support of public surveillance, especially the cameras that are appearing more and more frequently in large cities like New York and Chicago.

In an effort to keep their tenuous border with North Korea more secure, the South Korean government has introduced a battalion of 1,000 intelligent surveillance robots to help in patrolling the border.

The Boeing Company, which in late 2006 was awarded a multi-billion dollar grant for securing the US-Mexico Border, has put in a request for a fund increase from the US Department of Homeland Security. Boeing's goal is to secure the 1,957-mile border through a combination of traditional fences, aerial drones, surveillance cameras, and a large force of Border Patrol officers by 2008.

Blake's Bar Harbor Marina in Pasadena, MD might just be the safest place on the planet to dock a boat, and that has nothing to do with the community's friendly sea-faring populace. The resounding sense of security stems from a new $30,000 video surveillance system installed to monitor the marina's parking lot and 40 boat slips. What makes this system special is that it spurns traditional CCTV, opting instead for the latest in Web-based video surveillance technology. Boasting 12 IP cameras strategically placed throughout the marina, the video surveillance network is a fine demonstration of high-end parking security. Streaming footage from the cameras is accessible online via the marina's Web site. The inclusion of password-protected accounts can restrict access to certain IP network cameras, while keeping others open to the general public.

Fifty nine video surveillance cameras currently watch over the Guadalupe county jail, and officials want more. Concerned with drug trafficking and prisoner safety, Sheriff Arnold Zwicke is requesting the replacement of 15 current cameras and the addition of 45 more, bringing the total to 104.

Philadelphia's Port Richmond neighborhood has its fare share of problems -- drugs, prostitution, muggings, and the curious refusal of any resident to properly deposit garbage in cans. Needless to say, business owners in the area have a hard time succeeding.

Warfare has evolved rapidly over the last 50 years - the advent of airplanes, submarines and atomic weapons has forever changed the way that wars are fought, and has made strategy, intelligence and espionage into essential battlefield weapons. One of the latest developments in this new, distant type of war? Unmanned aerial drones.

Ports have long been considered some of the weakest entry points into the United States, and one of the biggest challenges facing security officials in the fight against terrorism is port security. Millions of packages enter and leave the country each day through the 100+ ports in the US, which can make establishing security a challenge. The Port of Pittsburgh, the second busiest inland port in the country, has recently received a $2.6 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security to help secure the area.

We've discussed how awesome video surveillance is for protecting almost any environment - from schools to businesses to research environments, it's one of the most surefire ways to protect nearly every type of building. But paradoxically, some areas are so secure and so sensitive that video surveillance isn't just inadequate, it could actually wreak havoc.

One of the biggest concerns many people have when in the market for a video surveillance camera is "How do I know it'll work?" Their concerns aren't completely unfounded - surveillance cameras are great at identification and constant monitoring, but what happens when you have a true emergency on your hands? Security With Advanced Technology has introduced a system it hopes will demonstrate the potential that developing technology has for improving video surveillance.

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.

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.

It's been a busy weekend for the Scotland Yard. Two gasoline-and-nail filled car bombs were discovered in Piccadilly Square, one of the busiest neighborhoods in central London. Thankfully the bombs were diffused before any damage was done, but officials are scrambling to find a solution, and some suspects, before the situation escalates.

Usually, when parking a car in a lot at a mall, you get the standard security reminder: hide your belongings, lock your car, take your valuables with you. These are thought to be the best way to prevent break-ins, car theft, and expensive repair for things like broken windows. However, a rash of unusual crimes around the Washington, D.C. metro area has made parking lot security officials think twice about the standard precautions.

A series of seemingly unprovoked attacks near downtown Charlottesville, Va. has prompted business owners to seek out an effective form of video security for the popular shopping area. The public's confidence in the Downtown Mall's level of safety has waned due to the widely publicized attacks, each of which featured the same group of youths assaulting innocent pedestrians. Many malls and shopping areas install security cameras to both cut down on theft and also to enhance the overall level of safety by deterring these types of assaults and criminal acts. Surveillance footage can also prove extremely valuable to investigators tracking down suspects involved in incidents after they've been reported.

In the wake of the worst school shooting in US history, worries about student and classrooms afety are at an all-time high. Schools around the country have implemented security systems - ranging from the simple to the highly complex - in an effort to make the learning environment as safe as possible.

The Dougherty County Courthouse in Albany, GA has stepped up its security program by adding surveillance cameras - ten, to be exact - to monitor movements around the building. Monitored around-the-clock by the Dougherty County Sheriff's Office, the ten cameras (which are concealed from the public) monitor each courtroom, all doors, stairways and side halls of the courthouse.

Don't get the lead jumpsuits out of storage - the x-ray camera isn't yet a reality. The surveillance company ThruVision, has just introduced a revolutionary new surveillance camera that uses electromagnetic rays that explosives, drugs, and other illicit substances emit - from under clothing.

An attempted abduction at Westview Elementary School in Champaign, IL had school administrators scrambling to find ways to boost their security. The answer? A school security camera.

The Summer Olympics will be here again, in just four months. The 2008 Summer Olympics - three weeks of sweat, torn muscles, and teary-eyed athletes singing along to foreign national anthems - will be happening on Chinese soil for the first time ever this year, and security is a key concern for both organizers and athletes alike.

In Austin, Texas, private contractors are jockeying for the exclusive right to set up an expanded video camera network of their products on the United States-Mexico border. Even with two million dollars in federal grants to establish the border video surveillance program, the original goal of getting the program up and running by January 2008 proved overly ambitious, but the expansion of Texas' experimental pilot surveillance program should fall into place relatively quickly once a bidder wins the contract.

In an attempt to step up security at convenience and quick-stop stores in the area, Toledo lawmakers have created a law that requires all convenience stores to have business licenses and a functioning security camera system (and to share that recorded footage with the police). It's hoped that the convenience store IP cameras will help eliminate the drug, loitering and robbery problems that many quick stop and carryout stores are prone to.

There's no signs of typical high school tomfoolery at Long Beach High School - not since a comprehensive system of Axis IP cameras was installed last year. The bathroom bullying is over, and there's no more sneaking out behind the dumpster between classes either - thanks to the system of 216FD, 215PTZ and 225FD surveillance cameras, students at the Long Beach City high school know that they can't get away with much anymore.

Video surveillance is more important than ever, especially in light of the results of the National Retail Security Survey released this week. According to the survey which showed preliminary results from 2008, the rate of retail theft has increased for the first time in six years. The lowest rate was reported in 2007 at 1.44 percent of retail sales, 2008 saw the number increase to 1.52 percent, a $36.5 billion loss.

New York City’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex is using high resolution IP network cameras from Mobotix to help monitor the valuable music memorabilia exhibited at the museum. The Hall of Fame was opened in November 2008 as an add-on to the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and features 25,000 square feet of rock and roll artifacts.

Even wild animals need video surveillance security. South Africa’s Kruger National Park has just installed a new video system using Milestone Systems IP video management software and Axis network cameras. About 2 million tourists a day visit the 7,000 square mile park, and the animals within the borders are at risk from poachers and vehicles driving in the area.

Portugal's massive Palacio Do Gelo shopping complex is now being monitored by an IP-based surveillance system featuring 200 Sony network cameras. All in all, the shopping facility includes hundreds of shops and restaurants, a theater, and a supermarket. That's a lot of ground to cover. The Sony network cameras are part of an integrated solution that combines video surveillance, digital signage, and a public address system, all operating along the same IP infrastructure.

Belgian company A&C Systems distributes high-tech personal electronics, such as navigation devices and mobile phones. With such a large stock of valuable, easily-portable products, A&C wanted to reduce its risk of burglary by monitoring its vast property.

Images captured by five Axis IP cameras recently led to the arrest of thieves that broke into one of Scotland’s leading refrigeration and catering equipment suppliers. The Glasgow-based HiTec Refrigeration was first notified of the break-in by their alarm system. However, when security personnel arrived the thieves were long gone.

With cattle selling at around $1,000 each and bulls selling for $1,500 to $2,000, cattle thieves have a clear-cut motive for raiding ranches and farms, and stealing as many cattle as they can get their hands on. Just one job can easily turn into a $20,000 cattle heist. In 2010 and 2011, Texas and the Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) claimed losses of $4.8 million in stolen ranch property, including bulls, steers, cows, and calves. Cattle theft is becoming more commonplace in states that boast lucrative agricultural markets. The increase in beef prices and appeal of selling cattle at a hefty profit has been enough to pique the interest of cunning thieves who are well aware that multi-acre ranches aren’t usually protected by sophisticated – or any – video surveillance systems.

In order for retailers to protect themselves against threat, they must be proactive about it by improving their loss prevent efforts. Shoplifting and employee/internal theft are undoubtedly the two most common theft practices. However, it's extremely important for retailers to be made aware of other theft practices happening today, especially crimes that may work against one’s current security system. Grab-and-go theft, flash mob robs, or flash robs have become the theft du jour. Based on previous crime reports, these acts tend to be committed by large groups of young adults who storm retail stores – usually department stores or convenience stores – and stuff pockets or bags with merchandise in a matter of minutes, if not seconds.

A new study conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago suggested that Chicago law enforcement surveillance cameras work better at reducing crime when clustered in high-crime areas versus spread across an entire city.

Because hackers will always remain a threat, it’s critical to change your IP camera’s default username and password. Once you’ve changed the username and password, we recommend that you update it every six months to protect your network from hackers. Let’s face it: hackers are becoming smarter and more conniving.

Slip and fall fraud is big business. The fraudulent injury rose 12% in 2011 according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Please note that we’re referring to the slip and fall injury when it occurs on purpose. Unfortunately slip and falls do happen to innocent individuals who have no intention of exploiting their employers for their injuries. But with slip and fall fraud, it’s the exact opposite.

As he was led out of the courtroom, Richard Lavern Remington had one last thing to say to Safeway officials after he was banned from the store for life and ordered by Judge Youlee Yim You to pay $20,000 for the crimes he committed: "I’ll be back!"

The U.S. generates roughly 210 million tons of garbage each year, with the average American producing roughly 4.6 pounds of trash on a daily basis. The problem lies in where people dump their trash. Rather than pay for city disposal services, many individuals illegally dump their garbage elsewhere to save money, even if that’s in recycling bins, in rivers, down hills on hiking trails, or out the window of their vehicle. Sure, they won’t get caught if they’re discreet about it right? Cities across America are beginning to implement effective solutions to make certain they don’t.

Demand for video surveillance is expected to climb in Brazil, Russia, India, and China by the end of 2012 as reported by IMS Research. The demand was sparked by the development of expansive surveillance projects that have been deployed for municipal purposes in all four of these countries. Combined, these countries are expected to represent 40% of global spending on security camera equipment by 2016.