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Does CCTV really pay off?
It depends on the kind of problem you have and type of system you are thinking of installing.
CCTV has been reported to decrease the number of robberies or burglaries in cities, but there is not much evidence about other types of crimes. You have to think first whether your business is likely to be burglarized in the first place, and whether the cost of installing a complicated CCTV system is worth it.
Example:
You have problems with shoplifting, losing about $50 every day. This means $1,200 or so a month, or about $14,500 a year. This is a lot of money!
However, if you decide to install a system with a monitor and you hire a security guard to watch the monitor, you will end up spending far more than $14,000 for the cost and maintenance of the CCTV system, and the pay for the guard. In addition, shoplifting takes only few seconds, and the guard is unlikely to stare at the screen without blinking all day, so some incidents won't be detected. CCTV is also not practical for detecting and prosecuting shoplifting after it has happened. Not only would you have to pay someone to sit and watch the tapes, you will have to hope the tapes have recorded enough information to make a good case for shoplifting. Even then, how will you figure out who the person on the tape is? |
Example:
You are afraid that your store may be burglarized, and you decide to get a CCTV system. You can not afford to purchase the camera with night vision (infra red) so you get a camera that works with low light levels, and you put some extra light on the front of your store. After a few months, your business does get burglarized, but the video gave no clues. The burglar made sure to break the lights because he was afraid of being seen, and the camera was useless.
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