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Getting the most out of your CCTV installation

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Alex, Staff Writer

Tuesday, 26 January 2021

Installing CCTV is one of the best ways to protect your property against crime or criminal damage. Its very presence is enough to ward off most criminals. Plus if they do strike, it will provide vital evidence to the police, which is more likely to lead to a conviction. This is especially the case if the event happens while you’re not at home, therefore there are no witnesses. 

But before you go ahead and install CCTV, it’s good to know how to get the most out of the technology. Here’s our guide on getting the most out of your CCTV installation. 

CCTV feature options

  • Static or pan-tilt

  • SD/HD/4K

  • User or remote monitoring

  • Single or multi-cam

  • Heat sensor

  • Motion sensor

  • Phone alerts

How to choose the best location

Have a good walk around your property, and identify any weak points that would be attractive to a burglar or criminal. 

The obvious place to install CCTV is near entranceways and doorways. However, you need to make sure there aren’t any blind spots, especially if there are several access points a burglar could use. For example, by climbing up to the first floor and forcing open a window. You may also want to ensure your car or anything else of value in your drive has sufficient coverage too. 

Once your CCTV has been installed, double-check all areas are covered and that you’re happy with the angle. If not, you can ask your installer to adjust the positioning of the cameras. 

Motion sensor technology

CCTV comes in many different forms. Traditionally, cameras capture static footage that can be reviewed after the event has taken place. This is useful for revealing the identity of the perpetrator, but ideally, your CCTV should have motion sensor technology, so that they can be caught in the act. The images can either be sent to your phone as an alert or even monitored by a remote control centre. 

Advanced systems even allow for a control centre to verbalise a warning and tell the perpetrator that police are on their way. This type of CCTV will be more expensive but is worth it if you live in a high crime area, or if your property contains valuable assets. 

Maintaining your CCTV

So that your CCTV can continue to work and capture the best images, some occasional maintenance will be required. Bad weather or even cobwebs may obscure the lens, which is why periodic cleaning is required.  Likewise, tree branches may block the camera in the summer. If you notice any problems with the signal or image quality, this should be looked at promptly so that it doesn’t leave your property vulnerable. 

Points to note

When it comes to your CCTV installer, they are a great knowledge bank for all things security. It’s always worth asking them if they can see any vulnerabilities in your security, and whether they’d advise taking any other steps to protect your property.

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