Everyday more business owners are installing personal security cameras on their property and in their stores. The advent of private cameras is helping police officers and investigators gather more data and evidence for criminal cases. Furthermore, the blatant exposure of these security cameras, usually noted by a flashing light, is making would-be robbers wary of committing crimes. The installation of fake cameras or low-cost closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) in a bank may have certain benefits but is overall detrimental to the bank's safety.
- Banks are notorious for being common targets for burglaries. As a result, they usually exhibit armed security, have heavily guarded premises and depository insurance from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC). The FDIC protects depositors' accounts in banks and saving associations; it is completely endorsed with full-faith by the U.S. government. FDIC insurance encompasses checking and savings accounts, money-market accounts and certificates of deposit.
- Security cameras have four main purposes: deterrence, prosecution, fear reduction and intervention. Potential thieves may determine a target to be not worth the risk because of security cameras. Furthermore, even if a burglary were to occur, the bank could use the security footage as evidence to prosecute criminals. As a result, bank employees and account holders will feel safer around the bank and this will improve business. Lastly, in banks with guards actively monitoring security recordings, they may be able to intervene prior to a burglary.
- Many businesses use fake cameras or low-cost CCTVs, which are inexpensive systems that have poor resolution and take still-shots every few minutes. The function of fake cameras and cheap CCTVs is to produce the same results as those of a real security system. These cameras are intended to deter potential criminals and exhibit a sense of calm among people conducting business in or around the area. Cheap CCTVs are generally low-maintenance and therefore are not compatible with high-end systems that alert police officers of a crime.
- Many people observe the misconception that cheap CCTVs can be used to prosecute criminals. According to securityworldnews.com, the problem with CCTVs is that not all systems record live footage; instead, they take still-photos every few minutes. In the case of a burglary, an individual may be able to depart from the crime scene between two still-shots. For those systems which do administer continuous recording, the resolution is usually very poor and grainy, making it sometimes impossible for authorities to determine the identity of the suspect. In these situations, uninsured or charter-insured banks, may not have enough evidence for reimbursement claims from the parent company and account holders could lose their money.
- As the market experiences technological advancement, decent security systems with relatively dependable specification are becoming cheaper. High-end systems usually cost above $1,000; however, a practical system can easily be found between $100 and $200. The benefits of such a system is that they provide most of the same functions as expensive systems at the same price as fake cameras or cheap CCTVs.
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