8 Main Reasons Why Security Cameras Are Important
Security cameras are all the craze nowadays. Homeowners, businesses, large and small institutions all utilize surveillance systems for additional security.
But if you’re looking to buy one or more security cameras for personal use it’s good to ask: what are the exact benefits that security cameras provide? Start with these 10 important reasons and you’ll quickly grasp their importance.
1. Deterring and identifying criminals
Small and big time criminals are both very much afraid of being caught on camera. Their identity can be revealed which would help the police catch them more easily. Some things that a security camera can capture is:
- their face
- other physical features
- body mannerisms
- vehicle type and color
- license plate number
- how many people were included in the crime
- what they stole
- potential witnesses
- how they entered and left
- in what direction they took off
All of this can help in an investigation. This is why criminals will either avoid performing any undue activities in an area with security cameras or try to neutralize them first. Sometimes they will try to neutralize a camera by:
- cutting off the electric power
- physically destroying the camera
- covering the camera lens or directing it elsewhere
- interfering with the WiFi connection (to prevent alerts or storage of the captured footage on an external server or cloud storage service)
While these neutralization methods sometimes work, they provide a risk that many criminals aren’t willing to take. So just having a security camera increases protection against break-ins and violence in the monitored area.
Learn more: How to improve night vision on a security camera
2. Insurance price reduction and validating insurance claims
Insurance companies will often lower prices of their service if a home or business is protected by additional security measures (source).
Furthermore, in case anything does happen, having the accident recorded can be very helpful with any insurance claims because it provides evidence to back up the claim.
3. Increased sense of safety and security
Public and private areas that are monitored are generally safer and they also serve as assurance of safety to law-abiding citizens. For example, parking lots that contain surveillance cameras saw a 51% reduction in vehicle theft (study).
If you own a business or want to improve the reputation of your home and surroundings installing one or more cameras is a very affordable and simple method to create this effect.
4. Cameras can replace expensive alarm systems
Older security cameras often lacked the motion sensor and alert technology that newer models have. Thanks to WiFi and modern mobile phones a security camera can send a real-time alert in case it captures activity in the area.
Many cameras also provide real-time video access from an electronic device (phone, computer etc.) so that the owner or surveillance company can immediately check the area for intruders.
Sometimes a conventional alarm system will go off because of an animal that wandered into the backyard. It’s hard to know if the alarm is justified or not until someone physically inspects the area.
A camera with motion sensor alerts provides this convenience of checking the area remotely, allowing you to contact the authorities only if there’s a good reason to do so.
5. Checking up on a vacant property at any time
A security camera that provides instant video access can assure the owner that his/her property is safe at any time.
Whether you have a vacation house or you’re travelling for a couple of days/weeks/months or even years, a security camera can stand as a loyal guard protecting your belongings.
Instead of paying someone or bothering the neighbors to keep watch of your home while on vacation, you can access the camera at any time through a WiFi connection and do this without any hassle.
Read more: How to secure a vacant house
6. Monitoring children and elderly
Security cameras and baby monitors are both effective methods of keeping an eye out on your loved ones, children and even elderly family members of questionable health.
Cameras that provide two-way communication are a great solution because you can check up on them visually along with immediate audio communication if necessary.
If your teenager is grounded because of poor grades, a security camera placed in the right spots (like entrance/exit points of the home) can be a neat (albeit authoritarian) disciplinary device.
7. Increase property price
If you’re selling real estate, implementing additional security measures can distinguish your property from the competition.
Imagine that you and your neighbor were selling identical apartments but your apartment has a Ring video doorbell or a security camera neatly monitoring the front door area.
It’s such a small and affordable way to make your property more appealing.
8. Preventing theft in retail
Monitoring your employees and customers is very useful in preventing theft or catching the criminal in the act.
According to the National Retail Security Survey, the average loss from dishonest employees was $1,234. Stealing small amounts of money from the cash register is a tactic that unfortunately too many workers have attempted and gone away with doing for years. Stealing products or supplies is another common form of employee theft that surveillance systems can prevent.
Also according to the 2016 National Retail Security Survey, US businesses lost around $45.2 billion in 2015 to retail theft, more than 1.38 percent of overall sales, making retail theft one of the leading issues facing retailers today.
Customers pretending to slip and injure their backs in a store can cost the owner a fortune. Many such devious attempts were prevented or revealed as scams thanks to security cameras.
Final Word: Why Security Cameras Are Important
Security cameras are the go-to device for security and safety purposes. This is true for home, business and public properties. It’s important to monitor entrance and exit points and those places that contain especially worthy valuables. Exterior doors, ground-floor windows, gates and driveways are some areas worth focusing on.
Banks and important government institutions usually have multiple security cameras monitoring the same area in case one of them malfunctions or is neutralized by a criminal.
How many security cameras should be used in an area depends on the risks of criminal activity, the nature of the landscape and one’s security budget. If you’re ready to invest in a security camera (or two), check out the following articles to get started:
4 Best Security Cameras Under $50 in 2022! (Indoor & Outdoor)
Top 5 Places to Install Home Security Cameras (And Which Type!)
