More Cameras Now Guarding Homes
- By Ralph C. Jensen
- Apr 30, 2007
LAST week, I was able to check out a security installation in Delray Beach, Fla. It was an impressive residential security system installed and monitored by ADT. Nine cameras were placed strategically around and in the home to provide the family as much comfort and protection as possible.
Stealing security cameras, however, is becoming quite the popular activity for thieves.
Recently, in Tracy, Calif., thieves struck three times. Once at a home on Cherry Blossom Lane and twice at the Tracy Express Cash Wash on Tracy Blvd.
The cameras are supposed to deter thieves from their business of theft, but it also has become quite popular to steal the very video surveillance systems installed to protect homes and businesses.
Thieves will steal anything not nailed down, and even that is suspect these days. But the use of video surveillance systems in residential neighborhoods is becoming more popular. Industry experts say prices on video surveillance systems have dropped significantly and lower-end models can be bought off the shelf at big-box stores.
Back in Delray Beach, the installation I saw was outfitted with professional-grade products, and cameras were placed at heights and angles that thieves would have a difficult time getting too. ADT experts and home automation professionals were involved in the entire process, so the images of the outside of the home could be viewed on any TV screen inside the residence.
In Tracy, Calif., licensed security system installers say they are busy with installations aimed at protecting families, many of whom commute to the Bay Area for work. Four-camera setups can watch portions of their homes 24-hours a day, and this includes remote Internet accessibility. Used effectively, surveillance systems can be useful in catching criminals in the act.
In Manteca, Calif., Travis Andrew Repko, 19, was caught via a clean, nighttime vision surveillance system slashing tires last December. The videotape of the crime was used to force a guilty plea. Repko spent 39 days of a 150-day sentence in the San Joaquin County Jail. He will perform supervised work to cover the rest of his time and is expected to pay back about $20,000 in restitution for the crime spree.
Homeowners are becoming more comfortable with surveillance systems as safety and security are paramount not only while at home, but also while in the office.
About the Author
Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher of Security Today magazine.