The saga of Bonnie and Clyde remains to this day one of the most popular in American criminal history. The two rose to notoriety in the 1930s and died together in the May 23, 1935 ambush staged by the Texas posse in Gibsland, Louisana. If they were alive today, which of the video surveillance equipment would they love to hate?



The Gizmos

In the 1930s, no bank had video surveillance equipment. Robberies were staged in broad daylight, and the robbers were armed to the teeth. There was no way the bank people could call the police for assistance as the robbers carted away the cash to their getaway horses. The most famous of the robbing bands was that of the group of Bonnie and Clyde.

If they were alive today, they would have preferred the good old robbing days when there were no video surveillance equipment. Such things were unheard of during their heyday. Robbing was simpler those days - you walk in a bank, announced a stick-up, and scooped the cash. No wailing police siren and no video footages to indict the robbers with solid proof. But then, those were the days.

Today's banks and gas stops have their hidden cameras that can capture the images of the robbers and in action too. If they were still around, Bonnie and Clyde would make a list of their most hated items after the video surveillance camera in the following order:

* Vehicle Tracking Device

* Motion Sensors

* Digital Video Recorder

Vehicle Tracking Device

Another video surveillance equipment is the GPS vehicle tracking device would have won hands down in the most hated list. Ever mobile, Bonnie and Clyde would have been easily tracked down in their V8-powered 1932 Ford with sweeping fenders.

The tracking device is attached to a vehicle to record the position its position at regular intervals using the Global Positioning System (GPS). It can also determine if the vehicle is stationary, or the direction of the travel when in motion.

Motion Sensors

Unlike the trip wire method to detect motion, the electronic motion sensors using a camera send signals to a device that produces an alarm. These would have slowed down Clyde and his gang because unauthorized entry is immediately detected by the sensor, which quickly transmits a signal to a sound device that emits an alarm.

Motion sensors are great video surveillance equipment to boost monitoring of the home and workplace. These are placed in areas where there is less traffic and along private passageways to detect unlawful entry. These devices are also used to detect cessation of activity to extinguish electrically powered illumination.

Digital Video Recorder (DVR)

The DVR eliminates the trouble of having to stop the recording of images because you have to review previous footages. No robber would like to have previous footages saved and reviewed, not because it an old movie rerun but it may yield a good frame showing his face, warts and all.

No need to bet on odds here. Bonnie wouldn't be caught eyeballing the camera eye. The DVR records motion electronically in digital format and the digital pictures produced are of the highest quality.

But Bonnie and Clyde would adore the bug detector, another video surveillance equipment that they could use to their advantage. They could sweep hotel rooms for bugs. Once detected, the audio tone accurately locates the bugs. This can be used on a silent mode for those covert sweeps.