5 Reasons why dummy CCTV cameras are bad for your business
Example of two dummy CCTV cameras.
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.
Example of a fake power LED.
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.
Mast of remote operated CCTV Camera
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.
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.
The Role of Private Security Firms in the eyes of the Police
With police cuts being made country wide, it is as important as ever for companies and home owners to be on their A-game with security.
It’s no secret that Southampton, and the country at large, is under constant surveillance. In fact, we have the most CCTV systems per capita of any country in the world. So, what effect is our heavy surveillance having on crime statistics throughout the UK and specifically Southampton? We’ve taken a look at some statistics to understand better how our surveillance is impacting crime. We’ve also put some thought into how CCTV systems can be used in conjunction with other security systems. Will the use of other security measures help to reduce the amount of crime on Southampton’s streets?
Issues with CCTV systems
Naturally, we’re proud supporters of CCTV systems and are proud of how our systems work to reduce crime, however, there are some limitations. CCTV is impacted by the following:
Location
Primarily, location is the most important aspect of CCTV systems. Placing CCTV in places where there are ‘blind spots’ will allow criminals to take advantage of the fact that they aren’t being watched.
Crime Type
CCTV is more effective in the prevention of some crimes than others. Vehicular crime is often deterred completely by the presence of CCTV. It also has a positive effect on theft. CCTV’s effect on violent crime is more limited due to its often ‘heat of the moment’ nature.
Other Methods in Partnership
Finally, CCTV works best when it’s used in tandem with other crime prevention methods. Whether these are methods implemented by the police in Southampton or a security company, it can’t be argued that increased security methods improve the effectiveness of CCTV. An increase in physical police presence or using a security company for manned guarding or access control will make the use of CCTV as a deterrent more effective.
Find out more about manned guarding!
With these limitations in mind, let’s take a look at the crime statistics for Southampton as a whole.
Southampton: Crime Statistics
According to Police.uk, Southampton has the second highest crime rate of any city in Hampshire other than Portsmouth and is significantly higher than the county average. This makes sense, however, as Southampton is the second most populous city in Hampshire. What’s more alarming is Southampton’s status within the rest of the UK. Southampton rests comfortably above Derby, Reading, Luton, Gloucester, Slough, Hounslow, Cardiff, Eastbourne, Plymouth, Northampton, Bristol, Leeds and Newcastle upon Tyne. The data bounds for these crime statistics list the upper bound at 36.29. Southampton clocks in at 44.18. Clearly, Southampton’s crime statistics are worrying for such a relatively small city. So, how can CCTV be used to drop these damning statistics?
CCTV systems and the effect on crime statistics
According to the College of Policing, a higher level of focus needs to be paid to the location of CCTV. The College of Policing summarises a longer report that yielded the following results.
Car Parks
Six separate UK studies showed a statistically significant decrease in vehicular theft and other vehicle-related crime when CCTV systems were operating in car parks. The number of crimes dropped by an astonishing 51%.
City and Town Centres
The results of the study on city and town centres found a small, not statistically significant reduction in crime. As the reduction was not statistically significant it’s impossible to draw concrete conclusions about its effectiveness. When 15 UK city centres were analysed there was a decrease of 10% in crime.
Public Housing Estates
CCTV in public housing estates yielded a small drop in crime statistics. However, while some estates benefited from the CCTV, the results for other estates stayed the same or yielded ambiguous results.
Public Transport
4 studies on the effectiveness of CCTV on public transport combined showed that on the London underground there was a 23% reduction in crime. However, the CCTV systems were particularly effective in the London boroughs. For the rest of the UK, the findings are more ambiguous.
Recommended Reading: Crime Statistics You Need To Know About
How to make CCTV systems have more of an impact in Southampton?
In order to make CCTV systems have more of an impact on Southampton’s crime statistics, we must take steps to combine the cameras with other security measures. All of the studies looked at by the College of Policing noted that all of the most effective uses of CCTV systems had coupled the cameras with other safety measures. These include better lighting and increased physical presence around the area. CCTV is designed to work as part of a larger strategic approach.
Another thing to consider is that CCTV, while it is a valuable deterrent is not JUST a deterrent. The studies looked at did not consider CCTV’s role in catching and bringing criminals to prosecution. While CCTV may not have prevented the crime from happening, it makes it far more likely that those responsible face justice for their crimes.
Contact us for CCTV systems and other security solutions
If you’re interested in investing in CCTV systems for your place of business, or other security solutions to ensure that you and your staff feel safe at your place of work, get in touch today! We offer a free site survey to ensure that your CCTV is being used to its potential and to let you know of any areas that are in need of extra security measures.
On the face of it, giving someone else your keys seems counter-intuitive to keeping your property safe. However, a security company’s keyholding service involves doing just that and is an ideal way to keep your business’ building safe. There are a number of benefits to opting for a keyholding service; some are obvious, some are less so.
Decreased Personal Risk
If the alarm goes off at your property during the hours you’re not at work (i.e. the middle of the night), investigating the problem yourself puts you at risk of harm. You will be walking into a potentially dangerous situation without any training. Veritech Systems security company takes the risk away from you; our trained professionals will enter the property using the keys and deal with the situation. Our staff are highly trained in de-escalating situations.
24/7 Service, 365 Days a Year
When you opt for keyholding from a security company, we won’t just work 9-5 Monday to Friday. Rather, when an incident triggers the alarm, it’s far more likely to not be during office hours. Criminals don’t take breaks, so neither do we – we’ll enter your property any time there’s an emergency, regardless of the time or day.
Find out more about keyholding services!
Protection When It Matters
One of the key worries for business owners is the possibility that an alarm will go off for hours before anyone has a chance to get to the building. Intruders could have been on your property for hours, causing untold amounts of damage. Your security company will get to your building as soon as the alarm is triggered; our control room is always manned, so we will be aware as soon as an incident occurs. If the problem’s dealt with quickly, there’s less potential for costly damages.
Take a Break!
You and your staff are only human and need to take breaks. If you’re on a vacation, keyholding services provide you with peace of mind. You can enjoy your break with the knowledge that a security company has your building covered.
Additionally, if your alarm goes off on a Friday night, there’s a possibility that you’ll have had a few drinks. Driving over the limit is never acceptable, and with keyholding services, there’s not an excuse! Finally, keyholding services also take the pressure off of your staff; staff work better in an environment where they feel safe. Keyholding services stop your staff being at risk and allow them to get on with their tasks in peace.
For more information about keyholding services, get in touch today! Veritech is a security company with solutions that work for you and your business; contact us today and we’ll provide you with a free site check.
There are a number of benefits that come with using a CCTV system at your business, or even your home. CCTV systems have a broad variety of uses that go beyond simply being used to monitor the exterior or interior of a property. Veritech, a Southampton security company, details the main benefits of using CCTV.
Deter Criminals
One of the most recognised benefits of CCTV is its ability to deter criminals. A criminal that spots a CCTV camera is less likely to take the risk and burgle your premises. One security company has noted that criminals are typically disorganised and will consider CCTV to be an indication that a property is not fit to intrude.
Peace of Mind
One of the most important, but often overlooked advantages of CCTV is its potential for peace of mind. As so many modern cameras turn to wireless, you can check in on your property from your mobile phone. This allows you to get on with your life, knowing that you can check in at a moment’s notice and that your property is safe in the hands of your security company.
Insurance Rates
Insurance companies are more likely to reduce property insurance costs for owners that take proper steps in protecting their property. Your insurance company will note that you’ve installed CCTV and may reduce your premiums as a result. Additionally, if your property is broken into, CCTV gives you that all important evidence you need to support your insurance claim. This makes your insurance company far more likely to reimburse you for any losses.
Contact your security company for more information about CCTV
If you’re worried about the security of your business premises, contact your security company today. At Veritech, we’re always happy to hear from you and will conduct a full site survey to ensure that your place of operations is adequately secure.
There are a number of challenges for a business owner in Southampton. One of the foremost of these is security. An access control system is vital for keeping unwanted visitors out of your premises but how do you let your security company know which access control system is right for you? Access control is important for the safety of your employees and for the assets you keep in your workplace.
As such, at Veritech, we’re here to help you do your research before you make a decision. Here are the key things you need to think about when deciding on an access control system.
Your budget
There is a wide range of access control solutions available, which means that you can expect to see differences in pricing. In order to cater to small and large businesses alike, a security company will likely offer a number of access control systems that will drastically vary in price. As such, you will need to decide how much of a budget you want to allow for your access control system.
The size of your business
The size of your business will determine the scope of the access control system you require from your security company. You need to narrow down your search to suit the number of employees you have at your business. If your business only has 10 employees, it would be a waste of your funds to buy an extremely robust access control system.
Find out more about access control!
How many doors need to be protected?
It’s important that your access control system is designed to protect your entire building. This means that you need to select a system that will cover all of the doors to your premises. If you have unprotected doors, it means that there’s essentially no point to the rest of your access control system. You can also decide if certain doors are for employees only, and some are for contractors and vendors. It’s important to decide how your business’ access privileges should work.
Different types of access control systems
With so many access control systems on the market, businesses have a lot of choices. You can choose the level of technology you want to install. For example, do you want a system that works by security cards, biometrics or key-fobs? All of these are great, secure choices, but some are much more high-tech than others. Other things to consider include:
- How many layers of security needed?
- What backup processes need to be in place?
- Do you need remote access?
- Should your systems accommodate regular visitors?
A security company for access control
Choosing the right access control for you can be tricky; as we’ve explored, there are a lot of variables to take into account. For help choosing the right access control system for your business, get in touch today. We offer a free survey of your business space so that we can tell you precisely the security solutions you need.
Contact us for access control solutions!
As a security company in Southampton, we’re always keeping an eye on the statistics available when it comes to our security solutions. So this week, we decided to take a look at the statistics surrounding CCTV systems and the ways that they’re used in Southampton and across the UK in general.
The UK is the most surveilled country in the world
Beginning in the 1980s, the British government launched an initiative to increase the amount of CCTV surveillance across the country. The result is that now there are 1.85 million CCTV cameras operating across the UK (this figure takes into account privately operated cameras owned by a security company, as well as those owned by the government). Naturally, London is one of the places with the highest levels of surveillance (in the UK and world in general!), and the average Londoner is caught on CCTV more than 300 times a day.
The number of privately owned (security company) CCTV cameras surpasses those owned by the police
The number of CCTV cameras owned either by citizens or by a private security company outweighs the number of cameras owned by the police by a ratio of around 7:1. CCTV from a private security company is largely rented or bought by a private citizen to deter criminals from trespassing on private property. Private property includes homes and businesses.
Find out more about CCTV in Southampton!
Public spending on CCTV has decreased
Due to government cuts, we are currently seeing a decrease in public spending on CCTV cameras in the UK. Between 1999 and 2012, the number of cameras installed in public places by local authorities increased from 21,000 to over 51,000. More recently, much less public money has been spent on maintaining and installing security cameras. This doesn’t mean that CCTV is falling out of favour; rather it means that cameras from a private security company are more commonly being bought or rented by members of the public.
CCTV technology is always improving
In 2018, we’re seeing huge technological leaps on a nearly day-to-day basis. If people in the 1980s could see the work that’s being done with CCTV cameras now, it would be mind-blowing. Newer technology such as HD cameras and wireless cameras are continuing to change the ways in which we use CCTV. We’re now making much more use of technology such as cloud storage to collect big data and provide real-time footage. There’s no doubt that we’re on the cusp of the next exciting technical innovation for CCTV.
CCTV does prevent crime
CCTV isn’t just used as a way to catch criminals in the act. Rather, it’s used by both the police and by a security company to deter criminals from entering a property altogether. Criminals, naturally, are less likely to commit a crime if they believe that there’s a high risk of them getting caught. Adding CCTV to a property means that most criminals will be far less likely to take the risk.
If you’re worried about the security of your property, get in touch today. At Veritech, we’re dedicated to providing top of the range security solutions to keep your business safe from criminal activity.
Whether you’re a private or commercial company with maritime assets, you will need a security company that can keep an eye on your vessels for you. Maritime vessels are notoriously expensive, and as such are a prime target for thieves and other criminals. Let’s take a look at the ways in which Veritech can protect your assets.
CCTV Surveillance from your security company
At Veritech, we offer CCTV systems that are built specifically to handle the, often severe, conditions on docks. These CCTV systems feature anti-corrosive housings to combat the damage caused by salt spray and cold air. They also feature pan, tilt and zoom, and sensor technology to counteract smoke, heat and water ingress.
Find out more about our CCTV systems!
Our CCTV system has been developed for use on commercial vessels, passenger ships and offshore platforms. As a security company, we promise 24-hour network-based recordings to ensure that camera footage can be saved digitally and in real time.
A Human Presence
In addition to CCTV, you may choose to invest in a human presence from your security company. Hourly manned patrols and security inspections act as a great deterrent for the majority of criminals. The unpredictable nature of manned guarding means that criminals cannot study the guards’ patterns to find out when your property is not being guarded.
For extra security for your assets, you can opt for dog handlers. Dog handlers are particularly useful for sites with high levels of potential criminal activity, such as the docks. Dogs are particularly good at sensing presences on the site that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Contact us for manned guarding!
Contact Us For A Maritime Security Company
If you’re concerned about criminal activity or theft of your maritime assets, get in touch today. We have a number of security solutions that can be tailored to meet your needs. For a free site survey, simply contact us today.
When you’re looking for a security company in Southampton, you might wonder what services you will be offered. At Veritech, we have a range of services to suit the needs of any business. In this blog, we’ll take a look at some of the range of security solutions our security company in Southampton has to offer.
Manned Guarding
Your security company will be able to offer manned guarding. At Veritech, we provide human guards and dog handlers to protect your construction site or business premises. These guards provide hourly security inspections and perimeter security inspections. The human presence means that criminals will be deterred from breaking into your property.
CCTV & Alarm Systems from your Security Company
CCTV security systems are an ideal way to deter criminals from entering your premises. Placing your CCTV cameras in plain sight means that most criminals are likely to avoid breaking into your property. More tenacious criminals that choose to break in or vandalise your property regardless, will be faced with concrete evidence in the form of video footage, should you choose to prosecute. CCTV works especially well when coupled with alarm systems. We offer silent alarms that, when triggered, do not alert the criminals, but do alert your security company and the police.
Access Control
A valuable resource that your security company should offer is access control. We install our high-tech access control systems, and maintain them regularly to ensure that they are working at their best. This ensures that only those that you want to access your property will be able to enter.
Your security company will take care of your Vacant Property
Vacant properties can act as a magnet for criminals of all kinds. This means that by the time that you wish to use the property again, it’s been vandalised or items have been taken. Vacant property security from Veritech includes the boarding of windows, nightly guards patrols and CCTV security to ensure that your property is in great condition when you need to use it again.
Why Choose Veritech for your Security Company?
At Veritech, we offer all of these security solutions, and more. We also offer key holding services, maritime security, mobile patrols and a free site survey. For more information about our security solutions, get in touch.
Contact Us For More Information!
There are numerous benefits to securing your business’ property with a CCTV system. Due to the rise in crime, CCTV is essential for keeping your business protected from thieves, vandals and intruders. So what are the benefits of a CCTV system?
Deter Crime with a CCTV Security System
The presence of a camera acts as a powerful deterrent against would-be criminals. This is because most criminals are cowardly and are not willing to face the consequences of their actions, so they do not want their face captured on camera. Placing warnings about CCTV surveillance and placing your cameras so that they’re in plain sight is a good way to deter criminals from entering your premises.
Reduce Insurance
A building with a CCTV security system is, naturally, more secure than a building without one. This means that insurance companies are likely to charge you less, as you are less likely to make a claim. In addition to a more secure business space, you will save money each month on your premiums.
Evidence from your CCTV Security System
But what if your building is broken into? A CCTV security system can help with that too. CCTV footage provides concrete evidence placing the intruders on your property and committing a crime. If your building falls victim to a crime, you can rest assured that the perpetrators will be prosecuted for their crimes.
Safety and Morale
Keeping your employees safe is important, and a CCTV security system can do just that. CCTV is an effective way of assuring that everyone on your property is safe at all times. Surveillance ensures that your staff are protected from hostility from criminals and even other employees.
Contact Veritech for a CCTV System
For more information about our CCTV systems or any of our other security solutions, get in touch today!