Why "Dummy" Surveillance Cameras might not be a smart investment

There are many sites on the web and many people who will tell the average consumer, why spend money on a "real" surveillance camera system when you can run down to your local consumer electronics store to pick up a $39.99 dummy camera and a sign for the front yard that will give the appearance that you have a legitimate high tech security system in place.

Sure, spending $40 versus say $2,000 is ideal for anyone, especially with the current state of our financial markets, but remembering the old adage "you get what you pay for" should be on your mind when thinking about the results you are looking to achieve.

When you first install your dummy camera, people will initially sit-up, take notice and behave for fear of retribution from being caught on a surveillance camera. This is where the effectiveness of a dummy camera versus real surveillance camera can be blurred, but eventually someone is going to gamble on the fact that the camera might be fake and test it. If your system is real, they gambled, they lost and were then caught on tape. If your "dummy surveillance system" is discovered for what it really is, all bets are off and you will be very surprised at how quickly word spreads.

With the current state of our economy in flux and an anticipated rise in crime to compensate, investing in a higher quality, real surveillance system is recommended. Yes, spending $1, 000 - $2,000 now might sting a little in the pocketbook, but if/when something happens, that investment can protect you, your family, your property and others while paying for itself ten fold (depending on the situation).

A story out of Corpus Christie, Texas yesterday is a perfect example of what happens if you have "dummy" cameras in place. When I say "dummy" I mean either a camera that serves no other function but to appear to work, or a camera that is supposed to work but doesn't.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 1, 2008

CORPUS CHRISTI - If you have been down to Cole Park lately, you may have noticed that graffiti vandals have struck once again.

You may also remember a security camera was installed at the park at the beginning of the year that was supposed to help deter crimes such as this.

However, as it turns out, the camera is not in use, and has not been in use for some time. City officials KRIS 6 News spoke with on Wednesday say they hope to change that soon.

Police say taggers started avoiding the park when the camera was first installed.

City of Corpus Christi's Chris Semtner confirmed, "Just the presence of a camera will deter some crime."

There were some software issues when the city repurchased the Wi-Fi system from Earthlink last April. The changeover required some reprogramming in order to get a signal from the camera and that has not been done yet.

However, those in charge of the camera at the Municipal Information Systems department are aware of the situation and are trying to evaluate what they want the system to do before they reestablish contact.

Semtner added, "We'd like to survey not only the skate park but also Kids Place a little bit closer."

The assessment will include the evaluation of roughly 1,250 devices, including the park camera, to determine the best way to support this camera. The MIS department is also considering making the skate park camera a part of a ten-camera video project that will be installed throughout the city.

"We're going to be working with our Municipal Information Systems department and the police department and see if we can get some of these troubled areas under surveillance."

So, for now, the camera does not work, but it should be up and running when the network assessment is finished in three to four months. Additional cameras could be installed to help improve security.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are many different cameras to choose from depending on where cameras need to be placed and the look they need to achieve. Are you interested in the "eye in the sky" mini-dome PTZ cameras that have a more aesthetically pleasing, unobtrusive look? Or are you more interested in the "in your face", fixed, boxed housing look you tend to see in parking lots?

Either way, there are cameras available that fit the needs of any application at many different price levels. Contacting a professional about qualifying your needs would be my first suggestion so that you don't spend hours on the Internet spinning your wheels only to find out the system you want is not in your budget.

Another reason to start with a professional is because chances are, they may have everything you need for your system in one package. They can tell you what camera will best fit your requirements and the accessories to go with them, whereas, trying to put together a system on your own can become tedious. Trying to figure out what cables, controllers, lenses, recording systems, monitors, etc. are compatible with the camera you want, in addition to whether you can easily work with the camera technology (USB 2.0, FireWire, GigE, etc) is a hurdle most people find frustrating when trying to get their system up and running.

So, before you run out to set-up a "dummy" security system, it might behoove you to at least consider some of the more less expensive industrial surveillance cameras available as an option. Industrial grade cameras have a longer life span then consumer grade cameras in addition to the fact that these cameras have housings available that are built to be "more ruggedized" to withstand more extreme weather conditions.

(2008, October 1) Fraser, D. Cole Park Tagged Again, Securiy Camera Not in Use. KRISTV.com. Retrieved on October 2, 2008 from http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9109044&nav=Bsmh