Why You Need a Home Security Camera

By Artur Knowles

No less than numbers and statistics have shown that robberies are increasing and getting uncontrollable these days. In a report given by the Federal Bureau of Investigation alone, an increase in of eighteen percent in robberies from the years 1999 to 2003 has been recorded.

From the year 1999 to 2003, the increase in robberies went as high as eighteen percent, fourteen percent of which were robberies that took place in residential areas, in the suburbs. With crimes and robberies taking to places that are supposed to be kept safest for our families, the need for some degree of security measures could not be stressed highly enough.

A Home Security Camera

When it comes to home safety and security measures, the home security camera is one of the most popular gadgets that you can equip your home with. A home security camera gives you a certain amount of peace and security knowing that everything that happens within your residence and within its premises can be captured on tape. Albeit it cannot stop anyone from burglarizing your home, a home security camera can easily transmit live feeds to local receivers or to remote home security stations, alarming them of any suspicious occurrences and allowing them to respond immediately and appropriately to the situation. Furthermore, home security camera recordings can also be used in court. Thus, robbers may be discouraged and deterred from further burglarizing your home.

Installation

Home security cameras come in many different types and shapes. Depending on what the homeowner needs, there are several home security camera models. These security cameras can be either wired or wireless. Of course, many homeowners opt for the wireless as it is hassle-free compared wired home security cameras where you have cords snaking along every corner. Most of these home security cameras are also easy to install so homeowners can even do it themselves.

As mentioned, there are those homeowners who purposely set their security cameras up in plain view of people to discourage any robberies and break-ins. There are also others who - for the purpose of discreetly monitoring guests' and house help's actions without offending them - choose to keep their home security cameras hidden.

How Many Cameras Do I Need?

Ideally, the specific number of home security cameras will depend on many factors:

- the size of your grounds - the size of your home - the number of rooms - the number of entrances and exits - how intensively and extensively you want every corner monitored

The number of cameras that you have covering your home should not be your one and only consideration. Your home's and family's security does not stop there. Keep in mind that as many as three home security cameras per room would still be useless if these cameras are not backed up by a solid home security system with people who can monitor and respond appropriately to untoward incidents should the need arise.

About the Author:

Protect your home and family with a wireless home security system. Get only the top home security camera.

CCTV history and usage examined

By Giles May

Close-circuit television or CCTV is the technology which transmits videos from mounted cameras to remote monitors, commonly for security and safety reasons. The transmission can take place either through cables connecting the video camera to the monitors or through wireless connection.

Developed first in Germany in 1942 to record the V2 rocket launch by German engineer Walter Bruch, the CCTV system was installed in main city streets in an effort to prevent crimes. Banks and stores followed suit, monitoring and recording the activities within the establishment. CCTV systems are now available for private individuals for the security of their homes and properties.

The CCTV system works by installing video cameras in strategic places that can give a wide view of the location. These cameras transmit and record these video footages to a remote monitor or monitors usually watched by security personnel.

CCTV video cameras are installed in many public locations. In banks, airports, subways, stores and malls, police and military facilities and even in the streets. These highly-crowded locations are hotspots for crimes like theft, terrorism and other acts of violence. Studies reveal that a criminal is less likely to commit personal crimes such as physical assault within the view or proximity of a camera. The fact that the suspect's details can be recorded in the cameras and can be used to warrant his arrest can greatly deter someone from committing an offense.

Whether the CCTV can actually reduce crimes is still being debated upon, but it has provided help in criminal identification. Recordings of the CCTV installed in shops can provide recognition to shop-lifters and burglars or clues to crimes done within the vicinity. Other than monitoring criminal acts, the surveillance systems are also being used to combat anti-social behaviours which include minor offenses such as littering, urinating in public, traffic violations, drunkenness and other public order offenses.

Although most linked with surveillance and security, there are other uses of CCTV. Electron microscopy, medical imaging and robotics are few other applications of this technology. Live on-site video footages for conferences, concerts and sporting events such as boxing and wrestling are also an application of the CCTV system, as these transmissions are broadcasted to small and specific areas.

The CCTV systems have many types. Some cameras capture images alone, while some can record sounds as well. The type of CCTV camera depends on its main usage. If the main purpose is for surveillance or traffic control, it is not required to have coloured cameras; black and white images actually have a better resolution. However, if the main purpose of the CCTV system is criminal deterrence and identification, a coloured system is essential.

CCTV can offer a sense of peace and safety to the everyday citizen; the knowledge that criminals and terrorists are unlikely to commit offenses when there are cameras around help calm people's minds.

Reducing crime rates and bringing peace of mind to citizens only shows how useful CCTV systems are to the modern world.

About the Author:

Amiga supply and install security camera systems in the United Kingdom.