Let’s start with the facts: Quality surveillance systems can be quite an investment for a small business or home owner. However, there is a tempting way for potential clients to save money. Fake cameras are cheap, easy to install and they can look impressive to the untrained eye. Are they a viable option for your client? No, and let me explain why.
One of the main arguments in favor of fake cameras is that surveillance cameras are mainly there for prevention of crime. In theory, fake cameras should be just as effective as the real ones.
The first major flaw with this argument is that a surveillance system is not just about prevention. It is about prosecution if a crime does occur. Prevention is great but when push comes to shove, the fake cameras are not going to be there for your client. I like to compare it to buying car insurance. Sure, buying cheap, barebones insurance will save money in the short term but what if there is an accident? Too bad. Installing fake cameras means that the client is betting on no crime ever occuring in their home or business.
The second flaw in the prevention argument is that fake cameras can look, well, fake. To the home owner or business owner they may look pretty good. To the trained eye of a security professional and, sadly, some criminals, the dummy cameras are painfully obvious.
In many cases, fake cameras are really nothing more than a placebo for the business owner. I am reminded of an acquaintance who was the owner of a small retail business. Inventory shrink was a problem since she sold many small, expensive items. To prevent shoplifting, she installed some dummy cameras and put the more expensive items in a locked display case. The expensive items in the case were safe but the rest of the items in the store continued to be stolen at the same rate as before. However, the business owner bragged about how effective her dummy cameras were because her most expensive items were untouched. The locked display case, by the way, was given no credit at all.
Of course, I realize that cameras from name brand companies like IC Realtime cost a bit more than their ersatz cousins. However, a real surveillance system also means that the client is able to determine if something untoward has taken place, offer prosecutable images to law enforcement and have a real record of any criminal activity in their home or business.
I wish I could say that there was a bargain basement answer to surveillance systems. The simple fact is you get what you pay for. Check out our article on how much a surveillance system should cost. And always remember that the real thing is always the best choice.
Security & Cameras 