Security
Cameras Security
Cameras
You’ve all seen them. Security cameras in major department stores, casinos (we’ll talk about that arena separately), party stores, hotels, grocery stores…almost anywhere you go it seems there are security cameras. Invasion of privacy? Heck no! Just a couple blocks away from the Blackdog House there’s a little pub where Blackdog hangs out on Saturday nights. They have security cameras covering the entire perimeter of the building, with a monitor that shows all four camera scenes at one time hanging over the center of the bar. Customers often check the monitor to ensure their vehicles are okay. Security cameras are there for your security, not to invade your privacy. The city of London has installed cameras on top of buildings to monitor any suspicious activity. Wouldn’t you feel better knowing that if anything happened to you, such as someone robbing you on the street, it likely would be caught on camera—enabling the police to catch the bad guy and return your belongings!
That all said, let’s talk about the various types of cameras. If you’re just a normal consumer, you won’t be buying these, most likely, but if you own a business, you might be. And it never hurts to learn something about an item you see almost every day.
Size
Cameras can range from the rather old-fashioned type that looked like a box with a big lens sticking out of it that sat on a rotating swivel hinge on the wall or side of a building to lenses and cameras that are so small you couldn’t see them if you were looking right at them. My pub has those old boxy cameras mounted at the top of the building all around. That’s intentional. They want people to know those cameras are there and that they are being watched. The cameras are mounted so high, no one can access them easily, and the area around the building is well lighted so the cameras can “see in the dark.” Most of those are inaccessible to the public and are only used indoors or for very well lighted areas outdoors. Size is truly unimportant in this area. Today’s newest cameras and lenses are astounding.
Color or B&W
In most instances black & white cameras are just fine, and are less expensive. Indoors, other than in special circumstances, black and white is perfectly fine. If you need outdoor cameras, you must be prepared to spend money on lighting if those cameras are going to be operational at night. The alternative is to purchase infrared cameras, which provide their own light source and enable you to see at night as though it were daylight. The choice of color depends entirely on what you are viewing. There is one simple question to answer: Do you need to know the color of what you are looking at? In a casino, you do. In a money-counting room, perhaps located in a bus company headquarters, you do. Think about what you need to observe, and then decide if you wish to spend the extra money for color cameras.
Functionality
The cameras in my pub are fixed. They do not rotate, but there are enough of them that there are no blind spots outside the building. You will find the same in a convenience store, for instance. But today, most situations call for cameras that do two things: rotate up to 360 degrees and are enclosed in domes so you cannot see them. And if you think they rotate slowly, think again. One of my first interviews at a major security installation had cameras inside domes (so you cannot see the camera) throughout the facility. I was unsure of their worthiness, remembering the old-time cameras. These little guys can turn a full circle in seconds. They can follow you through the facility. If you are a shoplifter, I strongly urge you to give up the occupation. I’ve seen security cameras detect a shoplifter and follow him through the entire store until security finally caught up to him. The cameras can move faster than you can! Don’t be stupid! You are on Candid Camera!
Blackdog
