Preventing crime at your business

A great deal of Crime is preventable, and safeguarding your businesses through the use of technology is a critical component in risk reduction. Once key component recommended by CSC is the use of CCTV.

Effective deployment of CCTV

A shocking statistic that you might be unaware of is that for every 100 crimes, an average of 16 are prevented through the use of CCTV. If a business hasn’t already installed a CCTV system, it is already at risk and criminals who want to commit horrendous crimes against that business can instantly spot vulnerabilities. It is also known for crime rates (burglaries and vehicle crimes) to reduce in areas that have active CCTV systems.

The benefit of CCTV is that any footage recorded can be used by a police force. For example, if there was no CCTV in place, it could take longer to catch the criminal as detectives would have to search for CCTV in the local area, obtain that footage and then look through it. If a business has been victim to a crime, but has CCTV, it can be a much quicker process; although active CCTV can deter criminals completely from attacking a business.

It is vital to think on your feet when it comes to placing CCTV around your perimeter. It is important to be able to identify people who come and go from the business on a daily basis. From this, you can use the high-quality footage to identify an individual and this will allow police to pick up on certain characteristics that may lead them to the culprits. It may also be necessary to capture vulnerable points to make sure all areas of a business are covered.

See our CCTV overview below.

CCTV Basics

CCTV cameras come in both wired and wireless models. Some of the wired models get their power from the network cable, while others need a mains connection. If you need to place cameras outdoors, or minimise visible wiring, wireless cameras are usually a better choice.

Various types of cameras exist to cover different areas. That might include domed cameras for outdoors, small ‘bullet’ type cameras for doorways, and a more traditional camera on a stand indoors.

Features of CCTV

We recommend that you purchase HD cameras if at all possible. Older cameras with 640×800 resolution are fine for the basics, but they may not present a clear picture, which might be important if you needed to see someone’s face or read a number plate.

Infra-red LED lights will illuminate the area at night and give you a better picture in the dark. Remember that infra-red light, while invisible to our eyes, will reflect off glass. In other words, you can’t point an indoor camera out of the window at night.

For full control and remote access, ask us to supply cameras with pan and tilt technology, so you can move the lens using a smartphone or browser and see a wider viewing angle. You might also choose to have two-way audio, so you can hear what’s going on and speak through the camera. Speaking through the camera may require an external speaker.

Costs and Convenience of a CCTV System

IP based cameras are inexpensive and don’t require masses of wires. You’ll need to decide whether you want footage recorded on-site (on a DVD or SD card), or whether you want footage to be sent to you electronically when motion is detected.

While you can watch your cameras from remote locations, it’s best to have some kind of automation so that you catch intruder activity whenever it occurs.