Are you considering adding a security camera to your home or office to make it more secure? These are becoming increasingly popular for their effectiveness and advancements in technology. It’s a great way to watch out for criminals, watch for internal theft in your office, keep an eye out for quality assurance, and just feel a peace of mind. Take a look at why you need a security camera, what it can be used for, and what you should know before making the purchase.
Criminal watch
One of the biggest reasons that people get security cameras is to watch for criminal activity. Whether it’s protecting your home at night or while you’re away, or having your office on watch during the night, crime detection can happen to anyone and by having proof on camera it will only help you recover your items or catch the thief. Most of the time when a criminal sees a camera, they will be more likely to leave to avoid getting caught doing something illegal.
At the office
There are a couple of great reasons to get cameras at work. If you want to make sure you’re getting the quality you expect from your suppliers, have cameras put up for quality assurance. Whether you’re a food manufacturer, a company that has to prepare shipments to your customers, or you want to make sure your sales staff is taking care of your customers properly, putting up cameras will remind your staff that they are being watched and need to perform to their best ability.
If you’ve ever worried about theft happening within the building, it’s a great way to catch any of this in the moment. Internal theft can be a large problem for companies that don’t realize it’s happening since it can go on for a long time and start to add up.
Whether your staff is taking home office supplies or something more serious, like internal records and sensitive customer data, this can become a financial problem or a legal problem. Having cameras up will deter your staff from getting any ideas, while at the same time giving you a chance to see if there are other issues in the office that are slowing down productivity.
Don’t forget claims made in the office that could cost you. Be extra cautious in case someone files a harassment claim, somebody slips and falls in the parking lot, or a customer says they didn’t get the service they expect, you’ll have it all on camera. These types of things can cost you a lot of money, but if you have proof something didn’t happen as it was claimed, it will likely get dropped.
Things to look for in a camera
While it’s nice to have the visual recorded for covering your company or your home’s security, you’ll want to be sure to avoid recording audio. There is an Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 that restricts audio recording.
Keep in mind that just like any other technology, security cameras can be hacked but you can stay secure by updating your password that accesses the cameras on a regular basis. Be sure to choose one that is higher-end and can see up to 100 feet in HD, because the lower-end versions will only reach 30-40 ft. at best with low quality. You’ll also want to look for features that apply to you, such as night vision, video playback, video recording, and have notifications sent to you when motion is detected.
Then decide where you want to place your cameras and if you want them visible or not, since a hidden camera will catch things that normally would happen while those doing the action wouldn’t know they are being watched. Keep in mind that a wired camera tends to perform better and wireless cameras will kill your wireless Internet.
These are some of the things to consider if you are looking to get a security camera for your home or office. They can really give you the peace of mind you need as long as you choose the right setup and understand the best ways to utilize them. Use these tips to get the most of out of your security camera needs.