Help patrol the border -- really

I kind of got to wear a badge recently. I was on what is called a virtual stakeout monitoring the border of Mexico and Texas.

Really. I'm not kidding.

Here is the explanation on the Web site, as it invites people to participate in monitoring any of several cameras for illegal activity:

"The Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition (TBSC) has joined BlueServoSM in a public-private partnership to deploy the Virtual Community Watch, an innovative real-time surveillance program designed to empower the public to proactively participate in fighting border crime. The TBSC BlueServoSM Virtual Community WatchSM is a network of cameras and sensors along the Texas-Mexico border that feeds live streaming video to www.BlueServo.net. Users will log in to the BlueServoSM website and directly monitor suspicious criminal activity along the border via this virtual fenceSM. "

When you get to the site it asks for some basic information. The live feeds offer looks at river crossings, drug trafficking areas and other areas with "suspicious activity." I don't know how well it will work after dark, when a lot of that kind of stuff takes place.

It's a virtual fence with the idea that by more people watching will deter illegal immigration. I doubt it will work, but it's kind of neat to look.