CCTV Systems

There are many benefits to installing CCTV security cameras at your home or business premises, but is it the right solution?

The first question to ask when considering CCTV installation is whether, in fact, this is the best method of improving security of your property.

Costs V Benefits

Benefits to installing CCTV cameras include:

• Deterrent for burglars
• Instant alerts when trouble arises
• Recordings of incidents can provide valuable evidence in a court of law
• CCTV systems can be highly effective deterrent, assisting in crime prevention
• Many insurance companies take the use of Closed Circuit TV into consideration when setting their rates
• Peace of Mind

Costs

• Cost of safe and effective installation
• Costs of regular maintenance
• Costs of ensuring data protection compliance

Which properties are most likely to benefit from installing a CCTV unit, and when might it be better to opt for other security measures such as good quality locks, alarms and lighting?

Companies with assets which can be of high value to criminals therefore, can obviously benefit from a CCTV camera preventing your property from being targeted. Tradesmen with valuable tools or equipment, construction yards with valuable goods stored on site or producers or high value luxury items are examples of clients who could benefit from having a visible CCTV system in place.

A dummy CCTV camera may help to prevent inexperienced or opportunist thieves – but experienced criminals who plan crimes in advance are less likely to be fooled.

CCTV systems can also be helpful in helping police to catch and stop offenders who are committing crimes such as ongoing vandalism or anti-social behaviour on or around your property.

If your main goal is to safeguard you and your property against crime, feel free to call us or your local police for honest advice about crime prevention in your particular circumstances before investing in CCTV security systems.

Different options for CCTV products

Standard Closed Circuit TV Systems come in a range of choices and involve one or more security cameras recording live images sent directly to a recorder and monitor through cabling or more recently wirelessly over a wifi network.

Stand-alone CCTV systems are designed to be used in remote locations that have no access to power supplies. They can be used equally effectively inside or outside. Images can be recorded onto a SD memory card within the unit or even sent to your PC or mobile device.

See an example of one of our CCTV system installations at Riverwalk Apartments, London

For a guide to selecting the right CCTV security system for you read our blog: A Guide to CCTV for Businesses.

All of these CCTV systems can be installed at a relatively low price nowadays, but it is worth bearing in mind that low cost CCTV can produce unclear, blurry footage and it can be unreliable.

Or for advice that is tailored to your circumstances, give one of our helpful customer service team a call to discuss your needs and we will happily advise you on which system is best suited to you.

Getting a properly accredited and experienced CCTV installer to advise you on the system means you can get the best system to suit your needs and budget and also get good advice on where to place the cameras.

There are a number of assessing bodies in the security industry. At Waldon Security, we are accredited by the SSAIB – a leading independent certification body for organisations providing security systems and services.

Data Protection

You can use an outdoor surveillance system to protect your property but unless you set up your system so it captures only images within the boundary of your private domestic property (including your garden) must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA18).

In order to comply with GDPR you must:

• put up a sign to let people know CCTV is being used and why
• be able to provide images within 40 days to anyone you’ve recorded (you can charge up to £10 for this)
• share images with the authorities, such as the police, if they ask for them
• only keep the footage for as long as you need it – delete it regularly, and when it is no longer needed.
• ensure the security of the footage you capture – in other words, holding it securely and making sure nobody can watch it without good reason. This also means that the CCTV system is only operated in ways you intend and can’t be misused for other reasons. Anyone you share your property with, such as family members who could use the equipment, need to know the importance of not misusing it
• delete footage of people if they ask you to do so. You should do this within one month. You can refuse to delete it if you specifically need to keep it for a genuine legal dispute – in which case you need to tell them this, and also tell them they can challenge this in court or complain to the ICO
• consider any objection you get now from particular people about capturing their image in the future. Given the nature of outdoor CCTV surveillance systems, this may be very difficult to do. However, you should again think whether you need to record images beyond your property boundary – particularly if your system is capturing images from a neighbour’s home or garden

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has more guidance on how to use CCTV cameras and storing images.

If you’re still unsure if CCTV is the best security measure for your property, or if you’d like more advice on costs and options, give one of our helpful customer service team a call to discuss your needs and we will happily advise you on which system is best suited to you.

Call us on 01726 65636 or email us at security@waldons.co.uk

Related services:

 Monitoring  

 Maintenance  

 Testing