The Benefits of a Security Camera
A security camera is a device that captures video footage to send to an onsite network video recorder (NVR). Most are wired or wireless.
Some cameras are designed only to take pictures or record when motion is detected. This saves storage and transmission costs. Contact Baltimore Bodyguards now!
When choosing a smart security camera, be sure it encrypts its footage and that it’s on a private Wi-Fi network. Otherwise, hackers can hack your camera and track your activities.
- Deters Crime
Several studies indicate that criminals are less likely to engage in theft or burglary if they know there are cameras present. A security camera system can help deter crime before it even occurs, especially if you place them in visible areas like near doorways or entrances to your home or business. In fact, one study found that homes with visible security cameras are 300% less likely to be broken into compared to homes without them.
Visible cameras are also a strong deterrent for robberies and other types of violent crimes. Rather than risk getting caught on camera, a criminal may choose to bypass your property altogether. The most effective cameras are the ones that use high-resolution images with night vision and two-way audio, ensuring the most accurate recording possible. A good security camera will also have secure encryption for a more comprehensive level of protection against hackers and other cyber threats.
In addition to keeping a record of incoming traffic, a surveillance camera can also provide valuable information about how your business operates and what improvements you need to make. By monitoring employee activity, you can see if anyone is spending too much time at their personal phone or on the internet, for example. This data can also be useful for businesses looking to track inventory so they know when products need restocking.
A security camera can also keep a record of customer behavior, which is ideal for retail stores and other businesses that have to regularly deal with shoplifting or fraudulent claims from customers. In this way, a surveillance camera can help reduce losses and ensure the profitability of your business. This is especially important when you consider that the ACFE Occupational Fraud 2022 Report to the Nations estimates that organizations lose $4.7 trillion annually to fraud.
- Detects Objects
A security camera will alert you when it detects movement on its field of view. It can also distinguish between different types of motion. For example, some security cameras use artificial intelligence to distinguish between people and inanimate objects like animals or cars, reducing the number of false alarms from things that move around in an unintentional way.
This is called object detection, and it’s an important feature of advanced security camera technology. It’s a type of computer vision that enables cameras to understand the world and interact with it, much like humans do.
When a security camera detects an object, it records a video of the event and sends it to a server for storage and processing. The software then analyzes the recorded video multiple times per second to determine when and where the object entered and left its field of view, which it then reports back to the dashboard.
MV’s object detection is powered by machine learning, so it can be trained to recognize specific objects like people, vehicles, signs, and other items of interest. It can even be taught to differentiate between different types of motion (like the difference between a person walking and a car driving by).
To get the most out of your security camera’s object detection:
- Make sure the camera is physically installed in the correct location and adjusted for the correct field of view.
- Keep in mind that bright light can impact the performance of a camera’s object detection. This includes things like sunlight, spotlights, fluorescent lighting, or reflected light from posters depicting people or mannequins.
- If you are concerned about this impact, try to deploy your camera indoors where the lighting can be more controlled.
- Monitors Your Property
If a burglary happens, you will have the footage to identify the suspect. This may help your local police department in their investigation and make the crime more likely to be solved.
Security cameras can be wired or wireless depending on the type of camera you choose and your home layout. Wired security cameras connect to your home’s internet via a wireless router (if they are digital) or through a wired network (analog). Wi-Fi-connected cameras use an app to monitor and view them. They can also connect to a cloud storage service that lets you track events remotely.
Having security cameras around the outside of your home and inside your home helps you see who is visiting, what they are doing and when. This makes it easier to monitor guests and keep an eye on any strangers who might be trying to break in. In addition, it can deter crime as burglars are less likely to target a house that has an obvious CCTV system, alarm or other security measure installed.
A good quality security camera should offer a high resolution. A minimum of 1080p is recommended. You can go even higher, but it will require more sophisticated hardware and it will use up your wireless bandwidth and storage a lot faster. A happy medium is 2K, which offers plenty of detail without consuming your storage or bandwidth too quickly. You can opt for a security camera that has a two-way audio feature as well so you can communicate with anyone who might be trying to break into your home or yard. You can also find cameras that integrate with smart home devices and allow you to control them using voice commands like Alexa or Google Assistant.
- Provides Evidence for Law Enforcement
If a crime takes place in the sightline and timeframe of your security cameras, police can formally request access to your footage as part of their investigation. Often, this helps officers identify and arrest criminals as well as gather crucial evidence in legal proceedings to ensure justice is served.
Law enforcement can also access your camera data to investigate non-criminal incidents or improve public safety. For example, they might request access to your business security camera feeds to review a dangerous intersection that needs to be fixed so that everyone can safely move through it.
It’s important to note that your privacy rights are still protected by law even if you share your surveillance footage with the police. Your data is considered your property and law enforcement can only legally access your surveillance recordings with a search warrant, court order or subpoena.
Moreover, most home security cameras are only designed to record the exterior of your home and not inside your private spaces such as bedrooms or living rooms. If your home security camera data is shared with the police, it must be secured with unique login credentials or end-to-end encrypted.
While it may seem like a no-brainer to protect your home security with the latest technology, you’ll find that it isn’t always easy. One of the most recent examples of this occurred when two FBI agents were killed by a man who shot them through their doorbell camera. Luckily, this shooting highlighted that context matters and security camera footage can be a valuable tool for police investigators when eyewitnesses’ accounts are unreliable. Using a digital evidence management system (DEMS) to manage your community security camera registry is an ideal way to protect transparency, accountability and privacy while giving the police the tools they need to keep you safe.
- Gives You Peace of Mind
While locks and deadbolts are standard security features for a reason, security cameras give you a whole new level of peace of mind. Whether you’re at work, running errands, or on vacation, having access to your property’s camera feed lets you monitor the status of your home, children, and pets from the convenience of your smartphone.
This allows you to quickly check in on a babysitter or nanny, as well as make sure your kids are safe playing on the trampoline or at the pool with friends. Plus, if you’re away from your elderly parents and their caretakers, security cameras can keep you informed about their safety. And if an emergency happens, such as severe storms knocking down windows or even a fire breaking out, security cameras can also help summon first responders for you.
Additionally, some indoor security cameras are designed with speakers and microphones for two-way communication. This feature gives you the ability to talk with those you’re monitoring and provide instructions if necessary, such as “turn off the lights” or “open the gate.”
Additionally, some security cameras have smart integration capabilities that allow them to communicate with your alarm system to avoid annoying false alarms. And if you’re away from your home for extended periods of time, the most advanced cameras can send alerts to notify you when activity occurs on your property. Moreover, many of these cameras have features that can detect motion or movement and differentiate between different types of movement such as cars, people, and inanimate objects, allowing you to be more selective with your notifications.
