Imagine an innocent walk in the park while you’re enjoying (like I am overhere in Belgium) a superb Indian summer, with an unusual 26°C (80°F) and not a cloud in the sky. On your way to the local university you suddenly notice a strange bird in between the leaves..
Upon closer inspection you realise you’re looking at a multitude of full-sized security cams, the ones usually found at your local bank. You can’t quite figure out what on earth is happening here, but then you bump into several huge, high-tech emergency units from Code Blue (US), the ones some cities use in underground train stations, high-crime urban areas or some large, remote parking lots.
A red panic button, a cam, an flashing alarm, a direct emergency operator voice-link: the works, anything you can imagine in crime alerting. But hey, reality check: you’re walking in the peaceful, almost 100% crime-free Arenberg University park… (leuven, Belgium, 30 km East of Brussels), so this surely must be some sort of sick joke?
It’s not a joke, it’s real.
Is there a crime wave threatening this cozy Belgian university park? Is there a serial killer on the lose? A rapist in search of virgins? Not at all. This university actually believes that a couple of cams and silly, extremely expensive high-tech SOS units at the entry will convince students that they care about their security, while ignoring 99% of the park, which even lacks basic lighting.
My shots:excessive security, Arenberg Park,Sept 23: 
Creating a fake sense of security, it has become a booming business worldwide. If you happen to know equivalent examples of security gone haywire, feel free to comment.
[Left: Arenberg university park, Leuven, Belgium]
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