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Excaliber wrote: ...Part of the reason for planting them in parking lots likely has to do with justifying the cost of purchase with deployed time numbers.

I am less concerned about the "Stasi" vibe than I am the feeling that in the long run this will prove to be a bigger nuisance to the police/city than they find worthwhile and they will fire-sale the thing to some surplus dealer. (However, $60K purchase price is much less than I would have guessed). If they are going to staff if with civilian vollies, I am thinking that means the "Citizens Police Academy" (if League City PD has such a thing), which means staffed with geez.... er retired folks. Will make a great local TV breaking news report when one of the observers keels over and the Fire Department has to bring an aerial truck for rescue.

And if it is not staffed regularly (and I'll bet you can tell if it is manned - even in the pictures I can see through the windows) it will become a target for vandals and graffiti "artists," which will add to the nuisance factor.

If there is this much crime going on in box store parking lots, then, frankly, had I been mayor, I would have leaned a bit on WalMart or HEB or whoever and said, look, unless you step up observation and reporting of your own parking lots, you might some problems with your next city permit. A bit ugly, perhaps, but probably cheaper and more effective in the long run.