PROTECTING YOUR SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS
CCTV cameras are vulnerable to being destroyed by vandals if not properly protected. There are many different ways to deliberately destroy a security camera on someone’s business or personal property. In this article, we will discuss a few different ways that vandals will try to ruin or disable your camera and also go over the multiple ways that you can protect your security equipment from damage.
Types of Vandal Proof Cameras
There are many different types of security camera housings which will protect your camera from being destroyed by vandals. With enough research, you will find cameras which are listed as vandal proof security cameras (vandal domes), explosion proof, dust proof or dust-tight, bullet proof, and pressurized housing. Vandal domes are usually rated to have the ability to resist the most basic of vandal tactics. A lot of them can even withstand being run over by a car. Most of the other ones are pretty self explanatory, however, a lot of people mistake explosion-proof cameras for being able to resist an explosion. These camera housings are made so that they will avoid creating an explosion in places where there are gasses and other explosive elements around.
Another thing you should be aware of is that certain lasers and laser pointer pens can damage the lens in the camera rendering it useless. Many lasers are monochromatic, so if you use color filters you will be able to reduce the effects of a vandal trying to ruin your camera with a laser pointer. A lot of filters will also affect the quality of the image on the camera and overall light sensitivity so be aware of this when using them. If you wanted complete protection from lasers, you could use black filters but this will make your camera pretty much useless.
Fake Security Cameras
Having visible cameras which are fake or non-functional can also help you avoid damage to your actual working surveillance cameras. Many people will purchase broken cameras and put them in plain sight, while other cameras are hidden somewhere pointed in the same general direction of the area they’d like to capture. This way if a vandal comes on the property with the intention of destroying your cameras, they will at lease be destroying a camera which in non-functional instead of breaking an expensive camera that can record them in great detail.
Another benefit of fake security cameras is that they can deter people from doing something wrong if they think they’re being watched. Some people don’t even go through the trouble of installing a real surveillance system. Just having the fake ones up can deter most people from doing something they shouldn’t be doing. Most criminals are looking for the easiest way to commit a crime and will certainly avoid places with cameras. However, if something does happen, those people are out of luck and will not have the evidence they need to prove the crime has occurred.
When choosing a fake surveillance cameras there are a few things you should know about. Criminals who know a thing or two about surveillance systems will be able to spot a cheap dummy camera with a quick glance. If you want to fool them, the best option is to purchase a camera which is a real surveillance camera that has malfunctioned from a CCTV distributor. A great place to find some deals is on CCTV auction websites. Be aware of cameras which have a red LED that remains on with the use of an internal battery. Many times this is used to fake people into believing that the camera is on and recording but in reality, surveillance cameras do not have any lights on them and only the IR led’s come on at night. You can also get a real surveillance camera which is broken but still has a functioning IR emitter and this can definitely deter the more educated criminals who may see them up on your wall or ceilings.
Hidden Security Cameras
Owning hidden security cameras is another great way to avoid having your cameras vandalized. If a criminal doesn’t know that there’s a camera there, then they won’t attempt to knock it out. As mentioned above though, there are some benefits to having visible security cameras since it can deter a lot of people but in the case that you have issues where you feel someone is going to vandalize your property or security cameras, the solution would be to purchase a camera that is not visible.
Hidden surveillance cameras can come in many different styles. There are cameras which are simply small enough that most people will miss them, then there are some cameras which are in shapes of other objects. Some of these items include smoke detectors, mirrors, motion detectors, clocks, and many more. Be careful when purchasing hidden surveillance systems. Often times they are limited by the amount of space they can record on, such as SD cards, and battery life. These type of hidden systems are best for when you know something is going to occur. I would suggest purchasing the camera first and testing how long it’ll last for and how long it’ll record for. Another downside to these is that they don’t always come with the best resolution and quality that you may be looking for.
Conclusion
In Conclusion, There are many ways and devices that can help to deter criminals from vandalizing your surveillance systems. Either way you choose to go, make sure you do the proper research so that you’re getting the right equipment for your needs. If you ever have any questions or concerns, you can always call us or contact us by email and we’ll help you choose something that works for you. Techpro Security Products and Security Camera King is operational Monday through Friday from 9AM-6PM eastern time. You can contact us at sales@securitycameraking.com or call us toll free at 866-573-8878. Our staff is trained to help you with these type of questions so please don’t be afraid to ask!
