More and more people are choosing surveillance cameras as an addition to their other home security measures, and these can give a real sense of peace of mind particularly if you have a large property which you can’t easily monitor from one place, or you live in an area with a high crime rate. You can also set up your cameras to feed to one central viewing room or computer, so that you can watch what is going on in and around your property if you are concerned, without having to go outside or open your door.

Deter and Catch Criminals

Cameras don’t just help you fight crime by allowing you to identify intruders and gather evidence against them more easily; they also deter criminals from targeting you. Knowing there is a good chance they will be filmed will make many criminals think again and target another address, because disabling camera systems is difficult and not a skill the average opportunist thief will have.

However, while the appearance of cameras does a lot to protect your home on its own, you still want to make sure they are doing a good job of filming the areas that are most likely to be targets, and where they are most likely to film something useful to police (for example getting a good shot of an intruder’s face). Here are some tips for choosing where to put your home surveillance cameras:

Entry and Exit Points

The most important places to capture activity are at the main entry and exit points from your home and any other buildings on your property, such as you garage or pool house. Don’t just consider the front door, although this is a good place to put a camera, but also think about entry points like windows which someone trying to break in might see as a weak spot.

Guard your Most Valuable Items and Areas

There’s not much point in having a CCTV camera system if it isn’t set up to protect the things and people most likely to be targeted by thieves, attackers or vandals. You should therefore consider where an intruder might look for valuables, and where trespassers may be most likely to gain access.

An outdoor pool area, for example, may be an easier place for opportunist trespassers to gain access to than your house. While there might not be much there people could steal, you probably don’t want unwanted guests in that area, so set up visible cameras there. You may also want to consider your garage if this is where your car is kept.

In your home, use cameras to protect the entry points to things like the bedrooms of children or elderly people, and rooms where valuables are kept.

Outdoor Spaces

If you have a lot of outdoor space, cameras can help you catch intruders who may hide in shady areas and also investigate any strange sounds or lights you can see or hear outdoors without leaving your house. Consider putting cameras in your driveway area, along with your gardens.

Attached Images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Creative Commons image source

The author of today’s post, Kate Harris, is a security consultant at AAA Satellite, one of the leading manufacturers of security cameras and other security equipment in KS. She believes that workplaces, these days, need to be well-equipped with adequate security systems and cameras.