Many security camera companies market their products under the guise of providing protection to consumers, and I can’t really blame them. After all, they have a sales quota to reach. However, I do believe saying a security camera helps deter crime and protect your property is a rather misleading statement.
Now, I am sure that there are benefits to using a security camera, but how many of these benefits are actually security-related, and how many of them will keep your property safe or stop a crime from happening? I want to emphasize that I am not disparaging security cameras. I am simply stating that just like picket alarm signs, they are not all that effective at protecting your property.
The Passive Nature of Security Cameras
The main purpose of a security camera is to observe and document a particular area that falls under its visual radius. For some cameras, this radius might stretch far, and for others, it will be nothing more than a few feet. The keyword I would like you to pay attention to here is ‘observe.’ Observation is a passive activity that does not indicate that any action will follow. This is the key facet of security cameras that people tend to overlook.
Do Security Cameras Protect Your Property?
Observation alone is not enough to protect your property. Relying solely on a passive security measure like security cameras will leave your property vulnerable. As I pointed out earlier, there are benefits to using security cameras, but not many of these benefits will actively protect your property.
Why Your Security Cameras Are Not Protecting Your Property
*1. Criminals Do Not Care About Security Cameras:
- People often cite the deterrence of crime as their reason for utilizing security cameras. I completely empathize with people that foster this notion, but I can’t say that I agree with them.
*2. Security Cameras Do Not Stop a Crime From Being Committed:
- The truth is having a security camera around does not guarantee that criminals will not commit a crime.
*3. Security Cameras Can Be Removed and Stolen:
- Most surveillance and security cameras are given minimal security, which makes them fairly easy to access.
*4. Security Camera Footage Does Not Guarantee That a Criminal Will Be Caught:
- The battle cry for anyone who has a security camera installed as a means of protection seems to be the aspect of documentation.
*5. Security Cameras Do Not Guarantee That Criminals Will Stop:
- I do not want to sound like I am praising thieves or criminals for breaking the law, but I do have to point out their uncanny resilience.
*6. Security Cameras Do Not Restrict Access:
- A security camera does not restrict the access that a criminal has to your property, which is something everyone forgets to tell you when they say security cameras protect your property.
Active Security Measures To Utilize
Here are some active security measures that you can utilize to ensure that your property is better protected. If you choose to integrate your security cameras with the measures listed below, all the better. That will ensure that you are actively securing your property while simultaneously documenting activities that occur around your property.
- Actively work to restrict the access of unauthorized individuals.
- This should be done for your home, office, and any other property you want to protect. Assess the ways in which your property can be accessed.
- Take the time to layer your security measures.
- Having layers in place ensures that if one security measure fails, there will be another active measure to back it up.
- Secure all important valuables.
- This means that you should have air conditioner brackets guarding your external AC units, and use padlocks and security chains to guard your security camera equipment.
- Do not neglect to maintain these security measures.
- Installing them is only one part of the solution. Maintenance will keep all facets of your security in tip-top shape and prevent anything from breaking down and causing a vulnerability.
Final Thoughts
Property is an investment, regardless of how you look at it. For this reason, protecting it is important, so you have to do your best to accomplish this. Like I said earlier, I am not advocating against the use of security cameras. I am simply pointing out that they have to be used in a smart fashion so that they complement other security measures that are protecting your property.
