Most thieves are opportunistic. They will try to find the path of least resistance for robbery or property damage. Having a surveillance system can deter an offender by giving him/her something real to think about. However, a determined crook will take a chance and work around any security system, so a surveillance system is not generally considered a crime prevention tool, rather a deterrent tool. More on prevention in a moment.
Video Surveillance does work well as a deterrent. There have been tons of studies on the effectiveness of security cameras. Most prove surveillance cameras are an excellent deterrent. A study of convenience stores monitored 83 locations for a year without surveillance cameras in place. They monitored the same stores for a year after the installation of camera systems and found a 53% drop in theft rate. That’s an impressive drop in loss. Again, it won’t curb the appetite of every criminal or vandal out there. Some just don’t care, or are just too stupid to worry about being on video. In other words, cameras won’t take the place of a good door lock or a monitored alarm system, unless you have a human monitoring every camera all the time.
Most experts agree there are two directions to think about when considering a surveillance system. The first is the deterrent factor. Well placed cameras that let potential thieves know they are being watched, or, at least, recorded. The second factor is to assist in investigation after an incident occurs. Handing over video or stills of an alleged criminal will aid in their capture and arrest. And, it’s not just theft that should be recorded. In today’s litigious society having a video record of accidents, injuries, assaults, etc. can be a huge advantage. We’ve seen recently how quickly law enforcement was able to identify the suspects in the Boston bombing by using a camera on an area store’s view.
Back to surveillance cameras as prevention; Cameras by nature are just stupid eyes, watching everything, but not able to act on their own. With today’s IP and software based cameras there are many functions that cameras can now perform on their own. Through software a camera can actually alert someone or multiple people on motion or changes in environment, such as the light changes with an open door or broken window. And, that motion setting can actually be bracketed to just small areas in the camera view, so it won’t alert if someone walks around most of the space, but will if they enter a designated space such as a cabinet where the safe if located. An owner or manager can watch live streaming video from their desktop or laptop from anywhere in the world. There are apps that work great with smart phones and tablets that allow that owner or manager to be mobile as well. And, they can pan, tilt and zoom into areas to get a better view very easily with IP cameras. This allows the manager or owner to be at the workplace anytime from anywhere and to be able to act quickly to stop the undesired activity.
Mostly, like any application, before installation a proper design needs to be established to capture the best ROI. Camera placement is key, as is having the correct camera and lenses. Low light, back light, changing light and quality are all factors, as much as what the camera actually sees. Also, the best use of the technology needs to be deployed, as in: when to record, when to notify, how to integrate with alarms, etc. Also very important, the content needs to be seen and it has to be known that it can and will be seen.
Proven ROI against loss is huge for an owner. Surveillance cameras can also help a business owner by:
- 1) Protecting against fraudulent slips and falls or bogus worker injury claims
- 2) Eliminate or discourage “Shrinkage” or employee theft
- 3) Improve employee productivity
- 4) Could lower business insurance cost in conjunction with alarms and security
- (need to check with your agent)
(Article by Charles Bressler – ECS Account Manager)