"It always feels like somebody's watchin' me."
Vegas is at the center of a lot of Homeland Security talk these days. Intelligence and counterintelligence officials alleged that Las Vegas is either a viable terrorist target or a meeting spot for known militants who like it because of its hedonistic what-happens-here-stays-here image. Sheriff Bill Young recently played the terrorist card to gain support for a sales tax increase so he can have more police officers (a.k.a. Homeland Security first-responders) in our Valley. And casino surveillance systems are fantastic, but provide little help, really, since its experts look for slot cheats and skimmers, not Al Quaida operatives.
We could all end up dirty-bombed before more first-responders are on the street. The solution to this real or imagined terrorist threat? Spy cameras for regular people! Outstanding zoom features allow do-it-yourself spies to capture images while keeping a safe distance from any real or imagined dissidents who may lurk in or around our popular resort corridor. Low on starter equipment? Start with Fry's. It has a particularly strong selection of binoculars, digital recorders and cameras in all shapes and sizes. It's paranoid equipment for a paranoid time.
Fry's Electronics, 6845 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 932-1400.
Las Vegas and paranoia go hand-in-hand, according to Andrew Rowles, the manager of Fox's Spy Outlet. "There's something about this town that brings it out in people," he says. He should know. He opened Fox's Spy Outlet about eight years ago, and makes a living selling hidden microphones and cameras to regular people who are not necessarily professional spies. Though the professional investigator is most likely to purchase the more sophisticated equipment in the store. Still, the spy outlet has a whole slew of great products. For instance, The Ear 200 Wall Probe is a playing card-size amplifier that broadcasts sounds from the other side of the wall. Or try the Bionic Ear and Bionic Booster, a listening device that lets the listener in on conversations up to 100 yards away. It records from that distance, too. If listening in isn't enough, check out the Original Check Mate 5 Minute Infidelity Test Kit. It checks for errant sperm on hard surfaces and fabric. Other interesting items include Invisible Writing Ink for paper and Invisible Marking Ink for metal.
2055 E. Tropicana Ave., Suite 10; 262-9313
Does all this top secret spy talk leave you feeling a little freaked out about your own privacy? Fox's Spy Outlet carries a pacifier called the CMS-11. It's a powerful bug detector that sells for a little over $1,300. The CMS-11 can find wireless microphones, tapped phone lines, infrared cameras and a whole slew of other information-gathering gadgets. If that's not in the budget, the Micro Bug Detector runs about $250 and detects bugs with a radio frequency, such as wireless microphones and cameras—but not the hard-wired stuff.
Anne Kellogg is a local writer and a longtime Las Vegan who has a thing for purchasing stuff.