Many people get upset about something that has happened and want to catch the person when and if they do it again. They want to put up “Hidden Cameras,” with the idea of catching a thief, vandal, etc. This is not usually the best idea for a couple of reasons.
1. One of the benefits of security cameras is they deter unwanted behavior. That doesn’t happen with a hidden camera. One of the biggest benefits to security cameras is that they not only catch crime but that they help prevent it. People aren’t completely stupid when they commit crime, if they see security cameras pointing right at them, the chances of them committing the crime go down.
2.The next problem is the time and energy spent trying to play detective. This energy could be spent on more productive things that could bring in money. The goal should be to make sure it doesn’t happen again and move on from the event. If someone used a hidden camera, after the crime is committed they now have to spend more time, energy, and money to catch the person the caught with the hidden camera.
3. Although the cameras will document what happens, you have no control of what the police might do even if there is evidence. The safest route is to encourage poor behavior to go elsewhere. Security cameras are quickly forgotten about. When was the last time you looked at the smoke detector on your ceiling? I have dealt with many situations over the years when a client put up visible cameras instead of hidden cameras, and then their employee does something stupid right in front of the cameras within weeks of the installation. I once had an insurance agent that put up regular cameras in his office because he suspected one of his employees of working on another business when he wasn’t around. Two weeks later, I learned that the employee in question had already been fired after being caught on camera. If employee theft is happening in your business and you put in visible cameras, a challenge has been thrown down. The guilty person can either take a pay cut by stopping the theft, or they risk everything by getting caught. This can also apply to employees that won’t follow safety procedures, ignore company policies, slack off, etc. Many companies have bad employees leave on their own after installing security cameras for just these reasons. No matter how many cameras are installed, this pattern seems to stay true.
There is a long list of benefits security cameras give businesses and a large chunk of those benefits come because of the actual presence of the cameras. Many people think that because crime keeps happening, they need a hidden camera to catch the crime the next time it happens. But in reality, installing a visible security camera might actually prevent the crime from happening again.
At Dixon Security we are experts in security cameras both hidden and other. Call us at 801-455-0413 for a FREE on-site evaluation of your video surveillance needs.
