Smile! You're On Camera: Tips for Maximising the Effectiveness of Your CCTV

It's common knowledge that CCTV is an excellent staple in any home security system.  Not only does it act as a deterrent for would-be criminals and give you the peace of mind of knowing exactly what's going on outside your home at any given time, but it also records footage of any that do make an attempt to intrude on your property.  However, if you want to get the best possible results, it's not as simple as putting up a camera outside your home and leaving it there.  Here are a couple of tips to help you really make the most of your CCTV system.

Garden Design

Keeping security in mind when designing and tending to your garden can be a real boost to your security.  For example, crime prevention agencies often cite high fences and bushes as the perfect cover for potential criminals, who can crouch down behind them unseen to passersby.  Equally, though, there's a chance that high fences and bushes could obscure your camera's view.  Whenever you install new elements into your garden, think about how they might compromise the security of your home – and move your camera to a better position if necessary.

Wall Signs

As mentioned previously, a good portion of a CCTV camera's effectiveness is its use as a deterrent.  Therefore, it only makes sense to really broadcast to intruders that you do have CCTV in place and make sure they know about it.  Don't assume that they're bright enough to spot the camera!  Adding something like a sign for your exterior wall which declares the camera's presence, as you might see on businesses, will serve this purpose nicely.

Outdoor Lighting

Combining the last two elements is the necessity for good lighting outside your home.  If you're lucky enough to have street lighting illuminating your home, then that should do the job nicely – but if not, the darkness outside your house is providing excellent cover for thieves and vandals who may approach your home.  Plus, that darkness may prevent them from seeing your camera on the wall at all.  Finally, even if your camera has night vision enabled, it is likely to record better and clearer footage in the light.  Installing a motion-sensor light, triggered to go off whenever it catches movement outside your home, will solve all of these issues.

In short, while the camera is a great start, the ideal security system doesn't begin and end the product itself.  You should also ensure that you're doing everything you can to support that camera, and then you'll get the best possible results out of it.  Good luck!