I can't stop thinking about this poor baby in Kansas, kidnapped from the Target parking lot and found murdered.

The video cameras at Target taped her entering the store, the maniac coming in a minute behind her, him shadowing her through the store, and walking out when she went to checkout. The outside cameras showed him sprinting up behind her as she was getting in her car, and shoving her in.

The tapes were very helpful for the investigators, and the scumbag has been arrested.

But I can't help but wonder WHY nobody monitored these cameras. Could this girl have been saved if somebody was watching and notified police immediately?? I realize there are manpower issues to having all the surveillance cameras monitored in real time, but I know so many of these stores do have people watching the camera feeds, looking predominantly for shoplifters.

I do not blame Target, or the personnel there for the actions of this predator. I just wonder if we have a false sense of security from all the video surveillance cameras we know are watching parking lots, stores, etc.

Where my son attends college (urban, high-crime area), they have a camera system throughout the campus which is constantly monitored. It is a wonderful system, because it reacts and alarms for certain types of behaviors. For example, it sets off an alarm to the monitors if somebody is walking upright and then is down on the ground, or if somebody is closing the distance between themselves and the person walking in front of them.

I just can't help but wonder.

I also have a broken heart for Kelsey's family.

With that being said, no, I do not think cameras should "protect" us.

I am over sensitive to my safety and am ALWAYS aware of my surroundings. I walk to my car with my keys in a stabbing pose, do NOT unlock my DRIVERS side door ( I do NOT use my electronic opener- as this unlocks ALL doors)until I am SURE no one is close to me, and once inside, lock my doors immediately and drive off.

You don't know how many women I see sitting in their cars, putting on make-up, making phone calls, etc.

I think that the camera footage of what happened to Kelsey was helpful, and I am happy they arrested the scum, but I think it was ONLY helpful because the officials viewing it were looking for suspicious activity.

Had someone actually been viewing it in real-time, would they have been suspicious of a man walking into a busy store behind a woman? No

Would they have been suspicious of a man 'shadowing' a woman in the store? No.

How mnay times have you walked into the grocery store behind another shopper and ended up basically shopping " with" them the entire time?

Granted, had someone been watching when Kelsey was shoved into her car, 911 could have been notified immediately, and maybe this could have ended in a happy way.

But, again, I do not count on ANYONE to be responsible for my personal safety. It is too big of a job that I only feel comfortable being in charge of myself.

I am almost paranoid, actually. I will not get into an elevator that is occupied with soley men or a man. If I am on an empty elevator and a man gets on, I will exit and wait for the next one.

I do not go to stores at night by myself, or put myself in potentially dangerous situations.

Poor Kelsey, she went to Target, in the daylight, something I do twice a week.

I hope the scum rots in prison.

No I don't think cameras "protect us". They can be a witness to the after fact and help prove a crime was committed and might help to catch a person who comttied a crime. Obviously they do not stop crime from happeneing. Think about all the banks, convenience stores, etc. that are robbed, people rob those and everyone KNOWS they have cameras in those places. Everyone should always be aware of their surroundings anywhere they are, no where is really safe, the predator just looks for the easiest looking victim. Walk tall, look around at your surroundings, notice any strange people, make eye contact with them, let them know that you know they are there and you see them, if you are in a store and someone is following you ask someone for security to walk you to your car. You can carry your car keys with one or two keys between your fingers and the rest in the palm of your hand which makes a great weapon if you are attaked in parking area, keep your hands free, I always use a basket to carry stuff to the car I hook my purse handles in with the baby strap in the seat carrier this leaves my hands free until I get to my car, once I am at my car I put my purse in the car first and shut the front door then put my groceries or other items in all the time taking notice of my surroundings. I am not sure if I still do this out of habit, but at one time I was stalked and I had to be constantly aware of what was going on around me.

I think I must have worded my OP wrong. I don't have the expectation that I am safe because there is a video camera. I am extremely cautious, especially in parking lots, day or night.

What I am wondering is why we can't make better use of these cameras, especially in a circumstance where there are already people monitoring some of the store's activities on monitors. I know the only action shown on the surveillance cameras that would cause attention in Kelsey Smith's case was the actual abduction.

I'm just so saddened to think she might have been saved.

I'm more puzzled by the fact that no other people in the parking lot saw her get shoved into her car???? That is very scary to me. Have we gotten to the point that we think that is a "normal" thing??? Maybe people DID see it, and thought they were just a couple having a spat??? I don't know. I think they will find that this dirt bag they have in custody has molested someone in the past. I know they have not said Kelsey was sexually assaulted, but, I think that will be the outcome. It's disgusting and pathetic, to say the least.

Back to the original topic. I really don't know why they have the cameras in the parking lots at certain places....to give the customer a sense of security??? I don't rely on things like that. I am diligent about my own personal security. I park as close to the door as I can. I never talk on my cell phone coming or going to my car. I have taught my kids to "do as I say" immediately, and never question what DH or I tell them to do in certain situations. Pervs like this guy look for vulnerable people, and what could me more vulnerable then a mom/dad dealing with kids acting up???

I try not to go out alone at night, too.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

The cameras are there solely for the the protection of the store. It's a nice side benefit that it helps in situatiions like this poor little girl but the stores have them to protect themselves from lawsuits, to monitor their employees and in some cases to watch for shoplifters.

I would think that maybe the cameras are NOT monitered 24/7, I know in convenience store and banks that there is not an extra employee sitting in the back watching the moniters. I know one my DD's used to attend a middle school that had cameras everywhere and the moniters were in the main office anyone going in there would see them, the pricipal and secretary were in and out of there but even then there was not someone wathching the whole time. I don't know at the larger stores what type of security they really do have, like Walmart has rent-a-cops that drive around the parking lot, they have cameras, I assume that they have security posing as shoppers (they do at the store I work in, not a Walmart), but as far as someone watching all the cameras 24/7 that might not be happening. Anyone work in a large store in security that can tell us what type of security there is, or would that be giving away secrets?