Thursday, October 18, 2012

Five Ways CCTV Systems Can Help Your Business

With the low prices for CCTV systems and security cameras these days, there’s practically no financial barrier to prevent even the smallest businesses from protecting themselves. If you’ve been wavering about investing in a security camera system for your business, these five benefits of providing security with CCTV systems may help you make up your mind.
A Security Camera Helps Keep Your Property Safe
Coupled with ongoing surveillance, CCTV systems can let you know when there’s trouble brewing on your property. Even some middle-of-the-road and low-cost security camera systems can be programmed to trigger an alarm under specific conditions. The trigger can be as simple as motion where none is expected or as complex as specific behavior patterns.
Surveillance Camera Footage Can Help Law Enforcement and Prosecution
If necessary, the footage from your CCTV camera can help police track down burglars, thieves or vandals, and provide evidence needed to prosecute them successfully.
A CCTV Camera Can Help You Analyze Work Patterns
CCTV systems are often used to analyze work patterns and employee behavior to help devise a more efficient workflow. This can be especially helpful in bars and other entertainment or service venues. It’s the same way that sports teams use camera footage to analyze their games and figure out where they can tighten up. Surveillance camera footage can be used to figure out better equipment placement and work order so that your employees can work together more efficiently.
Surveillance Can Help Manage Loss and Shrinkage
Surveillance cameras and CCTV systems can be instrumental in getting a handle on shoplifting, as well as helping you identify places where your employees may be stealing from you. No one likes to think that trusted employees could be abusing their trust, but it’s a fact of life in many businesses. A surveillance camera can help you pinpoint the guilty parties and take the suspicion off those who are innocent of any wrongdoing.
A Security Camera Can Protect Your Employees
While employees may chafe at being under surveillance, a security camera can also provide protection for them. Consider, for example, that a security camera on the parking lot will prevent theft and vandalism to employee vehicles, which are often left sitting alone for entire shifts, making them prime targets. Likewise, a surveillance camera can provide safety for employees walking to their cars or working in remote areas of your facility.
CCTV systems are very reasonably priced and within the reach of even the smallest businesses and stores. Don’t leave your business unprotected.

Five Places to Put Cameras for CCTV Systems

Home security systems are becoming more and more popular because they offer far more protection than a burglar alarm. CCTV systems and IP security systems are now affordable enough for nearly any homeowner – and many apartment and condo owners – to afford. If you’re designing CCTV security systems for your home, here are five places that most experts recommend you should cover with a security camera.
Entryways
Mount a security camera to cover all of the entrances to your home so that you can see people approaching. Angle a surveillance camera to allow you a good view of the face of anyone who is standing at your front door so you can check to see who’s there before opening it. In addition, keeping your entryways under surveillance just makes good sense. Police reports show that most burglars and home invaders get into the homes of their targets through a front or back door. A CCTV camera covering the entrances will show you anyone who approaches your home, even when you’re not there.
Driveway
If the driveway where you park your car is out of sight of the main windows of the house, a surveillance camera lets you keep an eye on things. An outdoor CCTV camera mounted obviously may even serve as a deterrent for vandals and car thieves. If someone does vandalize your car or attempt to burglarize it, you’ll have surveillance footage to help police find the culprit.
Backyard
Position a security camera so that it can view as much of the backyard as possible. In addition to keeping tabs on any intruders on your property, you can also keep half an eye on the backyard when older children are playing or hanging out. It’s obviously no substitute for your presence when younger children are outdoors, but it can help prevent problems with older children and let you keep a tabs on what’s going on out there.
Baby’s Room
Lots of parents are more comfortable if they can peek in on infants while they’re sleeping. A nursery monitor is helpful, but a CCTV camera focused on the crib lets you check in on the little one without risk of waking him up by entering his room.
Main Living Area
One of the most popular areas to place a CCTV camera in residential homes is the main living room or area. A security camera in the living room allows you to check in on your home from a remote location, and lets you record interactions between nannies or babysitters and your children. The so-called nanny cam provides peace of mind for parents who can’t supervise caretakers directly.
Choosing cameras for CCTV systems can be complicated. If you’re trying to decide what kind of security cameras to choose, ask for advice from the experts at a store that sells CCTV systems.