Terrorism in the USA:threat & response

[slapout9]

They undoubtedly will get some good evidence from all the photos and videos but it ain't magic.

IMO getting the photo/video is the easy part and the FBI has all that super duper stuff to enhance everything to a point that is truly incredible compared to when I was working the street...... BUT!!! getting a name to go with the picture is the hard part!!!! that can take a while.

[davidbfpo]

A sensible BBC report 'The Boston Marathon bomber: Caught on film?' and the role of the body the National Digital Multimedia Evidence Processing Lab (unclear whether a public or private body):http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22191029

Missing from the article is any mention of the level of human and technical resources needed, thousands of hours of footage take a very long time to assemble, analyse etc to an evidential standard.

Our experience is that CCTV is not the "magic wand" in crime detection; I cannot recall a good commentary on the value of mass citizen footage.

[bourbon]

Useful info-graphic from the NYT. What is not noted on it though, is that the entrance for the out-bound side of Copley Station is on the corner of Boylston and Dartmouth St. Under 500 ft from the first bomb and the finish line.

[carl]

By outbound, do you mean out of the city?

[davidbfpo]

A comment by Bill Bratton via WSJ, who was with Boston PD and is in London in his advisory role. Nothing startling:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...Tabs%3Darticle

I am sure the SWJ Editor published the article 'Case Study: The IRA’s Hyde and Regent's Parks Attacks in London, July 20, 1982' by an EOD veteran as it was - sadly - topical. It makes an interesting comparison with this bombing, notably over the first responders, lack of witnesses and difficulties in assembling an evidential case:http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art...n-july-20-1982

Two RUSI analysts have added a commentary, which draws on Jennifer Cole's expertise in emergency management:http://www.rusi.org/analysis/comment...516D53C0587A4/

[bourbon]

By outbound, do you mean out of the city?

Correct, away from "downtown" or the center of the city. Here is a map of the MBTA system - Copley Station is where E-branch of the Green Line converges/splits with the other three branches of the Green Line.

Unlike other stations, you must go outside and cross the street if you want to switch inbound/outbound tracks at Copley Station. You cannot use the Boylston and Dartmouth St entrance for the inbound track. The inbound entrance is on the other side of Boylston St. near the middle of the library.

[Firn]

Thanks for the info about the potential visual evidence. Doesn't the relative recent and wide incorporation of GPS in a sorts of camera devices as well as all that wireless geolocating help to filter and organize the data? Still a lot of images to look at and maybe it doesn't come as a surprise that the first lead based on images comes from CCTV. They should be far better integrated into the various organisations and procedures.

@davidbfpo: I think in this case the stakes are high and the ressources invested huge as it is certainly not your regular street robbery. While all those cameras did in this case nothing to detect and prevent the crime they should a good job at supporting the investigation.

P.S: A friend from home and his company do for a couply of years now create seamless 360°/180° pcictures of crime scenes for the regional police. They use the same technology internationally for different purposes as well.

[bourbon]

@davidbfpo: I think in this case the stakes are high and the ressources invested huge as it is certainly not your regular street robbery. While all those cameras did in this case nothing to detect and prevent the crime they should a good job at supporting the investigation.

Oddly enough, the cameras from the Lord & Taylor department store have been reported to have the best coverage of the second blast, which occurred across the other side of the street. They put up the cameras covering the street because they were getting hit by rip-and-run thefts – people would dash out the street exit w/ arms full of merchandise into waiting cars. The cameras could catch the license plates.

[ganulv]

Thanks for the info about the potential visual evidence. Doesn't the relative recent and wide incorporation of GPS in a sorts of camera devices as well as all that wireless geolocating help to filter and organize the data? Still a lot of images to look at and maybe it doesn't come as a surprise that the first lead based on images comes from CCTV. They should be far better integrated into the various organisations and procedures.

I am sure it would be helpful as long as there is a recognition of the limitations. My handheld GPS sometimes gets accuracy within three to four meters with WAAS activated, clear skies, and no tall buildings around. If I understand correctly, some mobile phones are also GPS devices but many figure location via proximity to WiFi hotspots and cell towers. Timestamping is also an issue to consider. Not everyone has the time set correctly on their camera or mobile device.

After an initial sorting via the EXIF data a visual inspection would turn up a percentage of images taken with devices with the time set wrong. And to be thorough, there would be the need to sort through the images to see if any were excluded from the pile for the same reason. As with any data reduction, getting the last little bit is time-consuming as all get out.