Should I install CCTV on my property?

So many CCTV questions. Should I install CCTV? Why is everybody getting CCTV? Is CCTV an acronym for Cheese, Cucumber and Tomato (the best) Vegetarian sandwich option? I don’t know, I just don’t know. However, I’m going to base the remainder of this blog on the assumption that CCTV stands for closed circuit television. Onwards.

We install several CCTV systems in domestic and business properties across Sheffield and South Yorkshire. For More information please do check out the CCTV installation page. 

At face value, the installation of a CCTV system is a “no-brainer “for those people who have either been touched by the hand of the unscrupulous or for those members of the public who want to be proactive in crime prevention.

The Boys in Blue extol the virtues of CCTV and at the beginning of 2018 the Head of the Met, Sir Bernard Hogan Howe, said “more homeowners should install cameras outside their homes, particularly at eye level, so that facial recognition could be used to identify criminals”. But what are the costs and benefits of splashing out on a beady eye to the world?

Why should I install CCTV in my home?

The number one reason to install CCTV is to deter and prevent crime. Isn’t it? Any thief would take the path of least resistance. So in terms of CCTV a property with no system sitting next door to a house covered in cameras is more likely to picked off. Stands to reason.

Domestic CCTV systems – wired or wireless?

A well-designed infrastructure can provide 100% coverage with multiple cameras keeping an eye on each other’s blind spots. Nowadays systems can be either wired or wireless depending on your budget but wireless systems can be subject to “drop out” due to an interrupted internet connection with the loss of coverage. Also, relatively cheap cameras can give a high resolution, giving great definition on images and videos as well as good quality night vision recordings.

CCTV For Business – the added benefits

In terms of a business scenario, and with a guilty nod to George Orwell’s “1984”, cameras can create discipline amongst staff and prevent possibilities of wrong doing and encourage good behaviour in a Big Brother style. That’s good – I think??

Recordings can assist in law enforcement which Sir Bernard alluded to which can help in identifying criminals, highlight anti-social behaviour and even liability at traffic incidents.

But the big question is “Will it stop crime”? Well I can add my six penneth now and can say without fear of contradiction that….. “The jury’s out”. A University of Leicester report states that “CCTV systems are the biggest deterrent effect in pre-planned crime”.  This means that a camera’s visibility may prevent a house form being targeted. But Police advise households that more effective security for a property is getting security lighting, alarm systems and getting better door locks for entry points when it comes to the opportunist tea leaf.

CCTV privacy awareness

There are privacy issues that have to be observed in terms of contravening the Data Protection Act (DPA) please ref previous CCTV blog when installing CCTV. Consideration has to be made in the scope of the cameras and coverage which may spill on to public land or through the neighbour’s bedroom window. It’s prudent to fix signage up to notify all and sundry their image is being captured when on your property. Fairs, fair.

How much does CCTV installation cost?

At AB Aerials we offer free advice as to the best CCTV security system to install, where to locate cameras and the importance of public privacy in relation to the DPA. Costs for a basic domestic system start from £195 with a two-year guarantee.

See our CCTV installation page for more information!

Contact us today for any questions you have regarding our CCTV installation and other services.

Steven Walker

Owner, AB Aerials - helping customers through the process of installing TV and radio aerials, satellite dishes and CCTV. AB Aerials has been trading for over 35 years so we must be doing something right. The secret is that we address customer fears. Connect with Steve on LinkedIn >>

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