The British organization, the Association of Police Officers (ACPO), estimates that 80% of supplies surveillance footage is not usable by law enforcement. Why? Poor Cameras are certainly part of the problem but another important issue is lack of a good surveillance plan and the inability to record and export high quality surveillance footage.
Let’s start with the first problem. We have already written articles about the importance of using professional-grade cameras and why camera/DVR kits from big box retailers are not the great deal that they seem to be. There is another problem with do-it-yourself surveillance: lack of exert advice on camera placement.
When a professional surveillance company is called in by a client, they analyze the client’s needs and carefully plan the placement of each camera. This is especially important in the client is working with a tight budget and can only afford a few cameras. Camera placement is as important as camera selection but it is something that comes from experience and technical skill; it doesn’t come packed in a box from a superstore.
A surveillance professional can tell where the cameras should be placed, if hidden cameras should be used and will advise the client on how to get the most out of their new surveillance system.
The next issue with footage is the inability to record quality footage. A client’s cameras are only as good as the DVR recording the footage. The cameras can be high-end and catch every second of an event but this is useless if there isn’t a DVR capable of recording the footage at that same high quality.
This is another aspect where the surveillance professional comes to the rescue. A professional surveillance consultant can match up cameras to DVR, as well as training the client so that they are able to call back important footage and export it in a portable format, such as CD-ROM or DVD.
Check out our other articles on how much a surveillance system should cost and whether fake cameras will save the client money.
Case Study
Small Retail Business Surveillance Plan
Business: Small Gift Shop, 800 square foot storefront
Budget: Since this is a very small business, the surveillance budget is small. The owner wants quality cameras but wants the surveillance system to be as economical as possible.
See our article How Much Should a Surveillance System Cost? for more details on surveillance system prices and how to get the most out of your surveillance budget.
Solution: Given the store’s size and budget, a four-camera setup with a four-channel DVR is the best option.
Cameras and DVR: The recommended camera for this situation is the IC Realtime ICR300h 600tvl dome camera. Four of these cameras will be installed in the store, carefully placed to get maximum coverage. Because the store owner cannot afford to add hidden cameras, special attention is given to camera placement in order to capture the faces of anyone committing a crime in the store.
Of course, cameras are only as good as the DVR they work with. An IC Realtime 4-Channel Flex DVR will be able to capture the image quality required for prosecutable imagery.
Finally, the store owner must be trained in the use of the new cameras and DVRs. The goal is to make the business owner able to call back the footage they need, as well as record it to a portable format.
Security & Cameras 