Tis the season for package delivery, Christmas decorations, and holiday joy. That is until your packages are stolen and your decorations are vandalized. Yes, every year I get calls from frustrated families because they have been Scrooged by the grinch and his not so merry band of trolls. It can be a downer dealing with the unpleasant side of the holidays, but cameras can help. Now that the ring and other doorbell cameras have become very popular, many people see that as a great solution. I would not personally say that the doorbell option is bad. I think they are great. I just feel there are a few limitations that need to be considered.
Although smaller and less conspicuous cameras may seem inviting, they are not as effective. One of the most important factors of having cameras is the deterrent factor. It may seem sexy to get a picture of the thief in the act and post it on Facebook but let’s face it, nobody WANTS to waste precious holladay time dealing with more stuff. Having cameras on your home that can be seen and even having signs that draw attention to them can get would be package thieves to keep driving down the road. That is a win in my book. Let them go and steal something off someone else’s porch that didn’t plan ahead.
Another thing that is often overlooked with the doorbell solution is the advantage of multiple angles. When we watch a movie, we are often treated to many different angles and vantage points. This has been used to make the watching of live sports and events more exciting as well. The different views tell the story. It is no different with security cameras. When a package thief approaches your door, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to cover their face as they get close to go and pick up the package. However, if they are on camera from multiple angles from the time they get to your property all of the way to your porch and back to their car again, you will have a much better chance of getting identifying information of them, their vehicle, and perhaps even an accomplice. This can be very valuable WHEN they finally get caught because they can easily be charged with the crimes against you as well.
With multiple HD cameras showing your front yard, driveway, and porch, you are better equipped to get that vehicle description that will most likely lead to the capture of the thieves. Usually, this type of crime is addicting. It is so easy that the thieves practically follow the UPS truck from house to house. If police have been notified of a suspicious vehicle in the neighborhood, a simple traffic stop will usually turn up a back seat of packages with different names and addresses on them. I have had multiple clients provide video that has lead to the local thieves being captured within days. The vehicle description is key. Sometimes the perpetrators even pull into the driveway which almost always gets us a license plate. Then it is a slam dunk for sure.
Happy Holidays and remember that Santa isn’t the only one lurking outside your door.
At Dixon Security we are security camera experts! Call us at 801-455-0413 for a FREE on-site evaluation of your security camera needs.
