Installing surveillance video cameras on your property is perhaps the most important security decision you can make. This is because the safety of your family, friends, property, and employees is critical. To keep the people closest to you safe, you will need to invest in a good video surveillance camera.
However, purchasing a surveillance system is not the last word. It needs to be installed correctly. Below are a few guidelines on how to properly install a video surveillance system on your property.
1. Decide Where Exactly to Place the Video Camera
In deciding where to place your video surveillance camera, consider areas that, in your estimation, are the most vulnerable. Consider installing the camera in obscured or hidden areas that may be used by intruders. If your property has had a previous incidence of burglary, consider installing the surveillance camera in the area that the intruders entered your property from.
You may also have to decide whether or not you want to announce to would-be intruders whether you have surveillance cameras installed on your property. If you want them to know you have camera surveillance, consider placing fake cameras in conspicuous places but install the real cameras in hidden places. In this case, if the intruder deactivates the fake cameras, the real ones should be able to catch them in the act.
2. Install Your Video Surveillance Cameras at the Front
Most property intruders enter through the front door. You, therefore, need to have a video surveillance camera installed there. If you can, place it high enough to keep burglars from knocking it out. However, if your property is not high enough, cover your front door surveillance camera in a mesh wiring to keep burglars from tampering with it.
3. Have a Home Video Security Surveillance Camera at the Back of Your House
After intruders enter your property through the front door, they may leave your house from the back door. As a general rule, each entry to your house should have a surveillance camera. However, make sure the cameras are out of the reach.
4. Place Interior Video Surveillance Cameras in High-Traffic Areas
Place your indoor surveillance cameras near the entry and exit points, hallways, staircase, next to windows, and where you have expensive items such as jewellery.
5. Position the Camera for Best-Quality Capture
The purpose of having a video surveillance camera is to be able to capture intruders on video. However, if the video quality is hazy, the recording will be of no use. To ensure best-quality video capture, avoid pointing a video surveillance camera to a light source. Also, don’t point a camera towards a window or place it in a shaded area overlooking a well-lit area as this will result in a poor output.
6. Have Close-Up Views of all Ground Floor Entry Points
The most vulnerable areas of your property are on the ground floor. Every possible entry on the ground floor should be covered by video surveillance cameras. While it is tempting to attempt to cover a wide area with one camera, the captured images may be too blurred to be of any use. Install multiple cameras to provide close-up views of all possible entrances.
7. Leave the Task to Professional Installers
Unless you are 100% confident you can install the cameras correctly, it’s advisable to hire a professional to install them for you. Better still, ask the vendor where you bought your cameras if they provide installation as well. You might even get free installation from some vendors.
8. Read the Surveillance Laws for Your Region
What is the applicable legislation governing video surveillance installation in your region? You need to establish what is restricted or illegal. For instance, it’s possible to be hit with a lawsuit by a neighbour who feels that your surveillance cameras are intruding on their privacy. Take extra care to ensure that your video surveillance cameras point only towards your property.