Talking Surveillance Poles Come to Fort Scott

If you happen to pass near the old Walgreens parking lot, you may be greeted by a voice coming from the sky saying, “You are trespassing! Please leave the area. This area is under video surveillance, and you have been recorded.”

While you look up to identify the celestial speaker in the heavens, you will instead find an aerial bullhorn complete with multiple video cameras and flashing blue lights.

According to the Fort Scott police department, they aren’t owned by law enforcement but are installed by property owners. The devices, made by Live View Technologies, are marketed as a solar-powered way to prevent theft and vandalism.

The devices gained attention in 2023 when they were placed outside an operational Walgreens across the street from a Ronald McDonald house. There, they loudly announced their oration every half hour to the annoyance of families trying to sleep across the street. The innkeeper was unhappy about “Robocop” waking his guests. While those devices seemed to be launching their repetitive discourse on a timer, the LVT website indicates they usually respond to motion.

 

One thought on “Talking Surveillance Poles Come to Fort Scott”

  1. Gosh, what a quick and easy solution that will definitely be set off all day and night by birds and wind. Could we have a follow up article on who made this decision at the property owners’ and why? Is vandalism a big problem at that spot in the photo? Wardkraft employees seem to be the most at risk of being surveilled and annoyed by this “innovation”.

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