Purchasing a CCTV system can be a great way of protecting your home or business, not only capturing footage of any criminal behaviour but also acting as an effective deterrent to potential criminals put off by the sight of a camera. However, in order for a CCTV camera set up to work as effectively as possible, it is vital that the positioning of said cameras are well thought out.
In this blog, we are going to talk about how to get the very best out of your CCTV system. CCTV cameras are always helpful in increasing the security of your home or business, but there are some factors that need to be considered to optimise their effectiveness. Some of these considerations are very simple but can drastically improve how well they operate.
Entrances and Exits
You will be wanting to set up your CCTV camera in areas that you are most likely to capture trespassers trying to enter your property without permission. In order to achieve this, it is recommended that the cameras cover all of the entrances and exits. This is especially important if you are setting up your security cameras around your business whether it is a warehouse or an office building. This is because places of business are most likely to have more possible points of access.
It is advised that you seek the help of a professional team such as Matrix Fire and Security in order to make sure that the specific positioning of the camera is set up so the image will not be hindered. For example, it is important that the cameras are set up so that they are away from a light source, and similarly, outside of dimly lit areas. You will want the clearest possible image of any potential trespassers or criminals, and employing the skills of professionals is the best way of ensuring this.
Visibility
As much as CCTV cameras are useful as ways of capturing footage of criminals, they are also extremely reliable as a visual deterrent. Because of this, you will want to make a decision about how visible you will want your security cameras to be. You may wish to keep your cameras in a relatively discrete location, being out of sight of intruders. This would mean that if someone were to try and enter your property, that would be less likely to spot the cameras, and therefore reveal themselves.
The other school of thought is to make the cameras highly visible to outsiders, under the thought that the very sight of the cameras will be enough to convince potential criminals not to attempt a burglary. This has been proven to be an effective method in preventing trespassers. The downside to making the CCTV cameras highly visible is that it can make them susceptible to being vandalised. Bearing this in mind, it is worth taking the time to carefully consider how you would like your cameras to be positioned.
Line of Sight
In addition to making sure that your CCTV cameras are located in optimised positioned around your home or business, it is also very important that you point your cameras towards the area where they have a clear line of sight. What you don’t want to happen is that someone breaks into your property but the footage from the CCTV is not conclusive but there was something blocking the camera.
It is always a good idea to check what your cameras can see as soon as they are fitted. Depending on the type of system you purchase there are different ways in which you can check what your cameras can see, whether it is simply looking at the saved footage or from looking at the screen set up linked to the CCTV. When setting up the positioning of the cameras, you should make sure that there is nothing in the way such as tree branches, and that the light exposure won’t cause any issues with glare.
Back Garden Positioning
This one is more applicable to home CCTV systems. We have covered the fact that your cameras should be positioned to monitor, however what some homeowners forget about is that your back garden can be just as at risk of entry as anywhere else leading towards your property. This is especially the case if there is a relatively small fence or gate leading into your garden that can easily be climbed by a trespasser.
As these cameras will be placed in your garden they will be away from any street lights that may be outside of the front of your home. If your garden does not get enough light, it will be difficult for the cameras to be able to work to their full potential. An easy solution to this is to buy some garden lights that will help the cameras out. Alternatively, you can buy special CCTV cameras that work efficiently in the dark.
Contact Matrix Fire and Security
If you are interested in purchasing a CCTV system for your home or business, then get in touch with Matrix Fire and Security today. We offer our services across a wide area including Aylesbury, Milton Keynes, Oxford and many more places across Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire.
If you would like to get in touch with our team, you can fill out our online contact form. Or if you would prefer to speak with someone directly, you can call 01296 614440.
