Citizens Can Monitor Texas-Mexico Border Online
Citizens can now monitor the Texas-Mexico border live online and report suspicious activities directly to border sheriffs via e-mail.
The program, called the Texas Virtual Border Watch Program, is a public-private partnership, with the Texas Border Sheriff’s Coalition (TBSC) partnering with BlueServo. Texas Gov. Rick Perry hasprovided the TBSC with $2 million to fund the program.
The BlueServo site provides real-time streaming video of various strategic border locations over a web-based network.
The public can view the Texas Virtual Border Watch cameras at www.BlueServo.net.
According to the TBSC, the state of Texas conducted a test in November 2006 to assess video camera capabilities and public interest in reporting suspicious activities observed over the Internet.
Twenty-one cameras were used during a four-week pilot period, resulting in over 27,940,119 hits and 2,780 reports of suspicious activity, officials said.