It probably depends on where you're at.
We live at the end of a 3/4 mile driveway in the middle of nowhere. We
have a security camera above the driveway about 1100-1200 feet from the
house (as the driveway drives).
Because of where we're at, if someone saw the camera, they would
probably shoot it, so we have it painted in camo, and it's hidden up
high where people would be unlikely to see it. Bottom line is that
anyone out here is lost, or up to no good. The entrance to the driveway
has a gate with coded access, so people don't show up here by accident.
If we called the cops, it typically takes at least an hour unless
they're coming code 3. So for all intents and purposes, we are on our
own; we treat the security camera as a very expensive doorbell.
If we were in town somewhere, I'd probably want it to be visible and
maybe somewhat conspicuous.
bp
<part15sbs{at}gmail{dot}com>
On 12/1/2024 11:03 AM, Ken Hohhof wrote:
People in our rural areas are saying they need cameras because there
have been break-ins, typically shop buildings to steal tools. In some
cases $50K or $100K worth. This also gets people thinking their houses
will get broken into. Especially if they go south for the winter.
So I often wonder, what is the intended purpose of the security
cameras? To deter theft, or to catch the perpetrators?
If it’s a deterrent, you’d want the cameras to be visible, maybe some
warning signs, maybe a motion activated floodlight, maybe even some
fake cameras.
If the idea is to catch the criminals, maybe you want to hide at least
some of the cameras, but you want to make sure the resolution is good
enough to identify faces and license plates, even by IR light at night
(when I assume most burglaries take place).
What if burglars obscure their license plates and wear masks? What if
they cut the cables to the security cameras or use a WiFi jammer? Is
it best to use cloud storage, a local NVR, or SDR cards in the cameras?
And is there any worth in hiring a company like ADT? I’ve seen them
put in the same consumer grade cameras you’d buy at Walmart, but you
can get a whole system with door and window detectors and a monitoring
service. Is it key to have a 24x7 monitoring service that will call
police if they detect a breaking and see people on the cameras?
I guess you could get a dog. I do have anecdotal evidence that cats
are no use. (against mice yes, burglars no)
Does anyone here have real world experience in what works and what
just makes you feel good?
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