CCTV cameras are often seen as an unnecessary expense but they are actually an effective deterrent to crime. Whether it’s dummy camera systems or full remote access installations, CCTV configurations can make the difference and help protect your business or home.
The technology now has made everything easier and more accessible, with minimal fuss in operation. Remote storage of your footage and mobile access means you have complete control 24/7 and peace of mind at the click of a button.
We’ve seen with the influx of CCTV across various industries that there is a wide take-up of installations now because of the effectiveness they have on security. There is a success story in the news on security almost every week. We take a look at these most recent incidents and how they’ve affected people. It does raise the question of whether CCTV can now be definitively seen as a force for good. Although it can be abused by some, the positive aspects are clear for all to see. As we’ll see below.
Longton House Burglary
Police often use CCTV to help identify suspects and to make it easier to make arrests and certainly, high definition footage can really help prosecution. The efficacy of CCTV is shown in no better way than recently with a raid on a home in Staffordshire. £2,000 of jewellery was stolen in Longton and the two responsible were captured in CCTV footage which police have released to the public in order to help identify them.
Vandalised Cars
In Willerby, Humberside police have shared still images taken from CCTV in a Tesco shop which showed three young men who they believe were responsible for damaging cars. The local neighbourhood policing team were keen to share images from CCTV footage in order to hopefully identify these people and bring a prosecution. Without those images, it is likely there would be no conviction simply due to the lack of evidence.
Missing Person
Sometimes, it isn’t just crime that CCTV can help with. In Norwich city centre recently, a mother-of-three is missing after previously being on shift at work and being captured on CCTV as leaving mid afternoon before her shift ended. It showed her rushing through the streets erratically and moving across the road carelessly. Although we know nothing about the circumstances of what could have happened to her at this point, the CCTV footage at least gives an insight into her state of mind or behavior and whereabouts up to the moment where she was last seen and her location. This can be invaluable with public announcements and asking for help. Unfortunately, her coat was found in the local river but in terms of identifying her location and what happened, the CCTV footage can definitely help.
These are just some instances which have happened recently, which shows the different ways CCTV can contribute to safety and provide help in prosecution cases. It’s a multi-pronged tool which can really provide peace of mind, security and a public service application for the greater good.
Is CCTV sometimes considered an invasion of privacy? Is it relied upon too much? Can it be doctored and manipulated or used to spy on staff? The answer is yes to all of those questions but the positives far outweigh the negatives and we’ve never been better off, with the advancement of technology and the quality we now have at our fingertips.
