When Pam Bombien installed a nanny cam in the kitchen, all she wanted was to catch a thief — and confirm her suspicions.  Bombien, a resident of Franklin, had lost money on several occasions before under mysterious circumstances but did not really take it seriously until she lost $60 in April and $50 the next month.

What made Bombien suspicious was that an old friend, former school board president of Franklin Roseann Lewandowski, was always with her each time money disappeared.  To make sure she wasn’t just placing her suspicions on an innocent person, Bombien began using a nanny cam.

The nanny cam provided Bombien the evidence she needed.  When Lewandowski came to visit, the cam recorded the woman leafing through Bombien’s purse.

However, it was not until the nanny cam caught Lewandowski stealing the funds supposed to be used for the local Little League that Bombien decided enough was enough.  Lewandowski made off with $880 from Bombien’s purse and again, she was caught on the nanny cam doing it.  Bombien asked for assistance from the police, who promptly arrested Lewandowski.

The nanny cam knows
It has been said that cameras are unforgiving — they will show what we sometimes do not wish or expect to see.  This is probably the best move that one person did to finally stop the sneaky ways of a former school board president, catching her performing the act without placing any doubts as to the authenticity of the evidence.

As the Franklin case shows, the correct placement and use of the nanny cam was instrumental in helping a woman to finally find out the truth about her missing money.  Bombien was smart enough to consider the circumstances that proved to be the common denominator each time she lost money — that is, the location and the person she suspected was involved.  By placing her nanny cam in the kitchen, she finally proved her suspicions right.

Using the nanny cam
Something that works as an all-seeing eye such as the nanny cam is most effective if its advantages are optimized and its limitations minimized.  Nanny cams or any hidden camera used legally for reasonable surveillance rely on unobstructed vision in order to monitor and record any activity that may be of interest or prove to be illegal.

A good first move when using nanny cams would be to start with areas that are most likely to be where an activity could occur.  In Bombien’s case, it was the kitchen, the same area where she frequently left her purse and entertained guests, one of whom happened to be the guilty party.

Since there are legal restrictions to the use of hidden surveillance devices such as the nanny cam, take note that proper placement also requires that they are only installed at publicly accessible places, such as the living room, family den, dining area and kitchen.  Nanny cams are not allowed in private areas such as the bedroom or the bathroom.

The view from the nanny cam should also be clear of any obstacles such as plants, walls, dividers or curtains.  The angle of viewing should also be carefully considered.  While most nanny cams are positioned at a slightly higher angle to overlook an area, setting a camera at eye level or even slightly below might also be effective, depending on what the user needs to monitor and on the availability of space.