Why should You NOT Worry About Your Security Cameras Being Visible
When talking with clients I often hear, “I want this camera so it isn’t noticeable!” After delving into this topic with the clients about why visibility of the cameras are so important, I have come to the conclusion that I would rather my cameras be known and prevalent than hidden. There are several trains of thought on this, but I am going to talk about the benefits and uses for both covert cctv cameras and overt CCTV cameras.
When it comes to crimes of opportunity, most ‘would be’ criminals take advantage of no one being around to see them commit the crime. Situations like this is where ‘Big Brother’ comes in handy. What if even if no one is around there is always a chance of being seen? Would crimes of opportunity drop? I feel that it would and this is because people inherently do not want to get into trouble. If you know that no matter if someone is around there is always someone watching you, you’re more than likely going to do what you are supposed to.
Overt cameras are great for these types of crimes. If a criminal sees that there is a chance they are going to leave some sort of evidence at the scene, they more than likely going to choose another target. Why would they want to even a chance that they will be caught. Even the simplest overt camera will help to deter crime. It does not have to be a big fancy Pan Tilt Zoom camera or box camera that are commonly seen in parking garages and other industrial settings. A simple bullet camera that is visible from all angles will work or a well placed vandal dome camera. What you are looking for is whatever style of camera that you decide to go with, make it visible. A well placed visible camera has huge benefits over trying to hide a camera to prevent it from being seen. You generally will get better angles and coverage area for your views, along with deterrence.
That is for the outside of your property, inside is where covert or hidden cameras come in very useful. So lets say that someone is brazen enough to still try and come into your castle, now you want to be able to get even more information as to what they were doing inside while you were not there. Having a well hidden covert camera can often provide more details of a perpetrator due to them being less cautious when they think no one’s watching. There are a wide variety of covert cameras out there that look like everything from a clock to a wall plate. I have found that I like to take board cameras and make my own very discreet covert cameras. I do this so that a very experienced criminal may overlook it due to never seeing it before. I know of clients who have built bird houses with cameras on the inside. You would never know that there was a camera was contained inside, and they worked well for their purpose. I know other clients who have taken blank faceplates and mounted a camera behind them with a small hole just for the camera to see. The options are virtually unlimited in the number of ways for you to use and make a covert camera. There are dozens of way to use covert cameras with in the legal realm. You are only limited by your ingenuity and creativity.
This being said, when it comes to protecting my most valuable possessions; I have chosen to use overt large cameras for prevention as well as protection on the outside of my house and covert cameras throughout the interior. I have around the perimeter of my house a combination of vandal ball dome cameras and large bullet cameras. I use a combination of 630tvl and 700tvl cameras, and the picture quality is excellent. There are very few areas around the perimeter of my house that can not being seen. At first my neighbors scoffed at my camera system, but after explaining to them that it is not only for my protection, it is also a deterrent for their houses as well; most feel more comfortable in their own homes. My house is on the main entrance and exit for my neighborhood, so my cameras could be potentially helpful if crime occurs in the neighborhood. Also, the fact that my cameras are overt they have helped to deter crime in the neighborhood. I am not going to go into detail on the interior of my house as to not give anyone the whereabouts of my cameras. Lets just say you are not going to get away unseen.
When it comes to cameras in the workplace, I feel that it keeps honest people honest. I work in an office that has more cameras per square foot than probably anyone could imagine. Yes, at first it felt uncomfortable but once I thought about it and got used to it, I never even think about it. In a workplace having overt cameras is a good thing, so that everyone knows that they are being looked after. If something were to ever happen, you know wrongs will be righted. It also, helps to eliminate wrongful lawsuits. You would generally only use covert cameras in this situation if you are trying to catch someone stealing information, money, or other valuable items. I personally feel that if employers want to watch their employees, they are entitled to do so. It is their livelihood as well as the employees livelihood at stake. I feel that they should do it in an open way and if they feel that they absolutely need covert cameras, they might want to just remove the threat before needing to go that route. This is a topic for a completely different discussion.
Another consideration for your security system is the quality of the recording device. More commonly know as the DVR or NVR. What you need to look at is what kind of details are you looking to get out of the recorded image. Your camera is not the only consideration, you could have the best most expensive camera on the market, if it is on a inferior recorder. What good does it really do you? Are you looking for a ‘crime confirmation’ tool, meaning that you know a crime happened and you can see the crime happen, but you do not have enough detail to know who committed the crime. Or are you looking for a unit that the image that is seen in real time is the image that is recorded, giving you more details in the image. The more details in an image the better the video footage will be in apprehending a criminal. This will be discussed in a later topic.
Now, let us make help you make this tough decision. Contact SecurityCameraKing today!
[IMG Credit: airflyers.com]