Closed Circuit Television: A Crime Deterrent

While closed-circuit television, or CCTV, has often sparked debates over personal privacy issues, it is often used by some individuals and business owners as a deterrent to crime. It is important to recognize where the system is installed and not to cross privacy lines in areas where there should be no monitoring.

Closed circuit television consists of the use of video cameras that are connected to a specific number of monitors. You can find them at banks, airports, military installations and rocket launches, streets, and retail stores, to name a few. They are often placed in areas where there can’t be constant physical monitoring of a location or event, such as a shuttle launch where it’s not safe for people to be there, or along a street where you can’t have an officer patrolling there constantly. .

One of the most common places you might see them is outside government buildings, inside retail stores, or maybe you have one in your home for property surveillance. The easiest way to know they are working is not to prevent crime, although some studies suggest they are effective at this, but they are also a great tool for detection and prosecution. They can provide evidence that a crime has occurred and who the criminals are that have been recorded.

Another great resource for CCTV system is security monitoring. Many companies place the cameras in places where they can prevent accidents from happening. You may have seen them at an amusement park near an attraction, on the train or subway system, and even at a manufacturing site to monitor equipment. You can even have it in your vehicle to watch for objects or people that are not easily visible or in your blind spot.

Closed-circuit television systems can consist of anything from a single camera to a complex setup with hundreds of cameras, operators to monitor them, and digital recorders that can store many hours of surveillance. Maybe you’re thinking of one for your home, maybe for a business you own, or maybe one for your neighborhood. Whatever the need, they offer a sense of security, are efficient and effective at deterring crime, and most importantly, they’re a great way to record criminal activity in case you can’t physically monitor a location all the time. .

There are a few buying tips to consider when setting up your CCTV system that can prevent you from spending money unnecessarily on a system that is too expensive or doesn’t offer true surveillance.

1. Determine what and where you want to monitor. Maybe you want one in every room of your house, one in every area of ​​your store, or along certain points on your street where you live. This will help you buy only a system that you really need. Be sure to check with the Better Business Bureau, friends, family or colleagues who have purchased the cameras and other retail stores that have installed them to find a reputable dealer.

2. Decide what the purpose of the CCTV system is for you. Do you want to be able to clearly see faces, merchandise, crowds of people, vehicles, or just the general overview of everyday events?

3. Make sure you choose an image quality on a monitor that shows you enough detail and quickly captures movement. Lower resolution and slower frame rates for capturing motion can result in choppier images, while higher resolution CCTV cameras and recorders offer more detail and a smoother flow of motion. Make sure you have purchased a recorder that monitors long enough that you can replace the recording tape to provide continuous monitoring.

4. Use signs to let people know you are using surveillance equipment. This can be a great deterrent to criminal behavior.

CCTV has been shown to be an effective deterrent to criminal activity. Protecting your property with this cutting-edge technology is an important step in preventing thieves from taking advantage of you.