5 Reasons why dummy CCTV cameras are bad for your business
You may not know it, but a lot of CCTV cameras are simply not in use. The fact is that dummy CCTV cameras are bad for your business and some only act as a deterrence or even decoration. This may seem like a good idea but when you delve deeper the negatives outweigh the positives. The idea of using just a superficial appearance of something watching you to control behaviour is nothing new and dates back centuries. However, when you have a fully functional alternative security option doesn’t it make sense to use that facility to its fullest potential? Well, last summer London’s Westminster council tried to save money turning off their CCTV cameras. Two years on, the council are under pressure to reenable 65 CCTV cameras they deactivated by the London mayor at a likely far higher cost. The reason, Dummy cameras don’t provide a cost-effective solution.
Imagine the consequences it could have for your business if you have a non-functioning or dummy CCTV camera ‘guarding’ your premises. Then criminals got hold of this information? You can only imagine how quickly they would exploit it for their personal gain. So why does a business owner even consider using dummy cameras? The idea is foolish, we can tell you why.
Here are 5 things you need to know about Dummy Cameras
1) They don’t fool criminals
Despite what you may think professional criminals are not always stupid. They know the business and they learn from experience. They get to know if cameras are working or not and the smarter ones probably test them. The only person you are fooling by using dummy cameras is yourself. Missing wires? Flashing Red lights? The signs are very obvious to some and they will exploit that.
2) They stand out
Especially if you use a dummy camera next to the real fully functioning equipment. You should also watch where they are placed too. A static dummy camera directed in a pointless direction makes it clear that the camera is serving no real security purpose, making it obvious to anyone who pays attention. Dummy security cameras also use static lights as opposed to intermittent power LED’s located out of sight which can make them easily identifiable.
All CCTV cameras require the ability to both transfer data and receive power, a dummy CCTV camera without the correct wiring running to an internal location in the building is a sure sign it’s a fake. Even with fake cabling, when cut no alert would be sent to the control centre like with a real system, providing a potential criminal the ability to stay on site if they wished without any response from guards or police.
3) False sense of security
The installation of a false camera can effectively harm someone in the local community. All CCTV cameras are used as part of a larger community orientated network. Innocent people passing by your business may be the victim of often disastrous crime. What if your camera was the only means to help them get justice? What if a person at your business relies on the camera to protect them if they become a victim of crime? How can they rely on your (lack of) recorded evidence? All these issues impair your duty as a responsible employer and generally as a socially responsible citizen. In conclusion, should your CCTV cameras be only for display purposes it’s important to inform your employees so that they don’t rely on recorded evidence further down the road.
4) No Damage Mitigation
Effective CCTV cameras form part of a wider security network for your business, not only preventing crime but reducing the impact should it occur. Ensuring cameras are connected to a 24/7 control centre means an unbroken chain of communication all the way down to the guards or police response should an incident occur. This response is what reduces potential damage caused to your business. A dummy CCTV camera not only fails to provide any evidence, but also the ability for damage control.
Â
5) Don’t be cheap
Real CCTV cameras really aren’t that expensive. You can protect your entire business premises with a CCTV camera system for as little as £69 a week. The cost spent protecting your business is always less than the potential damage which caused be caused, especially when insurance issues and company downtime are factored in.
Veritech have over two decades of experience and we like to consider ourselves the friendly, security professionals that care, protecting your business as if it was our own. If you have any more queries on the matter then please call us at our main office on 02380 000400 or locate our nearest office to you.