Recently, in the town where this reporter resides, the government “blanketed” the area with cameras. Their black domes and white casings are rather obvious, but that's sort of the point. It's the old Big Brother approach to controlling the masses, a hearty “Hi there! We're watching you!” to the criminals that run rampant in the streets.

Here's the thing. They're expensive, intrusive and don't necessarily catch or stop anyone; and there can be unintended consequences. And Schenectady, N.Y., is not the only place to prove that. Check this story out.

So, a camera was set up at a 470-acre spread that includes a 7,800-square-foot mansion, guest quarters, a foreman's residence, swimming pool, tennis courts, a barn, corrals and a lake. The reason? They're trying to catch vandals. Apparently someone was covering the place with graffiti.

The only thing the camera's caught, though, is a (partially) uniformed police officer having sex with a woman on the hood of a car with an audience of one Chihuahua. Poor dog.

The officer faces an “internal investigation” which roughly translates to “indecent exposure is not a priority.” Or so we figure, anyway.

Update (Sept. 2): The officer won't be charged with a crime but could face disciplinary action.