Should you have an alarm system or a CCTV system? This is often a question that both homeowners and business owners face. What is best for protecting my property? If money is no problem then the clear answer is that you should have both. For most people, however, money is not unlimited and so a choice must be made. CCTV now appears to be the current "in thing." Many people, when thinking about property protection, apparently believe that they must get a CCTV system.It seems thinking is being driven by hearing about the CCTV network in London and watching television shows such as CSI and by a misunderstanding about the criminal mind, believing that they think like the average person. People believe that criminals will form the view that, "this place has cameras and so they will be able to catch me and therefore I will go elsewhere."
As a result, there is the view that CCTV is a deterrent–and it can be, but it is not a complete deterrent. Thieves quickly learn to spot where CCTV is used and wear masks. Even with masks CCTV can sometimes aid in identifying thieves through showing their other physical characteristics, but that is not always guaranteed.CCTV's biggest benefit comes after an event has occurred in the provision of evidence. The recorded images allow one to see what happened and hopefully identify the perpetrators. However, the robbery or burglary or theft has already occurred.Alarm systems provide the benefit of notification of an intrusion event and do not require any physical presence on the property to determine that an intrusion is taking place. With a properly-designed alarm system you know that a burglary or robbery is taking place and can immediately react to try and stop the intrusion and apprehend the perpetrators rather than learning about it after it has taken place and then seeking to identify the intruders.
If, therefore, a decision has to be made between installing a CCTV or an alarm system, the decision should always be to install the alarm, first as the alarm system is structured to help you stop the burglary or robbery, stop the loss from taking place, stop the damage from occurring.If the decision is made to install an alarm system, then that alarm should be connected to a central monitoring station and have guard response to alarm signals. One can no longer depend upon the noise of the alarm howler to scare off an intruder or for a neighbour to hear the alarm and call the police.
The connection to the central monitoring station allows an external party to know of the robbery or burglary that is taking place and to summon the police or guard response to the scene.There is the fallacy in the thoughts of many individuals that all alarm systems are the same and that they will all detect thieves, all the time. While some of the components may be the same irrespective of who installs the system, the critical element is the design of the electronic security system and when that system will detect the thief.
Some systems are designed with the principal detection device being beams placed inside the room that is to be protected. Undoubtedly once appropriately placed, so that there are no obstructions to prevent the beam(s) from covering the entire area, the beam will detect the intruder.The problem, however is that the intruder has been detected while inside the room. An intruder detected inside a building still has the opportunity to grab a computer or flatscreen and run before the response unit or police arrive. The loss may have been minimised but still a loss is suffered.The systems must therefore be designed to detect at all possible entry points (doors, windows, walls and roof.) The alarm system must be designed to detect when intruders are outside, attempting to break in. Thus notification will be received before they have broken in and the response can be dispatched.
If after one has installed an alarm system, one decides to invest in a CCTV system, the decision has to be made: what do I want to do with the system? Do I want to simply see what is happening, do I want to be able to identify people in the picture, how far do I want to see, do I want to be able to see in both the day and the night?Many assume every CCTV system can these things equally well, but then discover while a system shows what is happening it does not provide clear identification of faces, or that it shows very well in the day but does not give clear images at night.
A key element in how well a CCTV system operates is the camera lens–but that is often the device where suppliers cut corners to give the system a lower price and then the customer finds the CCTV does not do what they want.
The camera's lens determines how much area the camera covers, how clearly you can see details (especially in the distance), and how much light enters the camera. The type of lens also determines if the camera can quickly and easily adjust to changing light conditions. Before installing a CCTV system, a customer should always decide what exactly they want the system to do and then ensure that the system has the correct lens for that application.
The Caribbean Institute for Security and Public Safety offers professional development training in many technological areas of security, law enforcement and public safety.
Brian Ramsey
Chairman, CISPS