DOES CCTV SURVEILLANCE DETER TROUBLE ON BUILDING SITES?

DOES CCTV WORK ON OUTDOOR BUILDING SITES

(This article relates to new house builds and residential street builds only)

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The simple answer is YES!

Cameras are VERY effective at deterring trouble and capturing whatever they can see.
The question is .. what can they see? And what happens when they see something?

Site supervisors sometimes install single cameras on a build or a whole street of house builds, hoping it might stop the trouble and capture anything that moves! ..   Of course, this does not happen.

It's a budgetary thing! (We get it!)  And clearly this is important as well as the logistics.
Unfenced, outdoor site logistics and varying configurations, can be a nightmare for supervisors!

Any security camera installed in a new area or construction zone, will definitely help deter trouble and create good presence, but just like a single guard or security patrol, they generally work best in a given space.

It's quite rare to see something go wrong right in front of a site camera! Generally break-ins or theft happen behind a camera, or the rear of a property, thus reinforcing the camera is doing it's job! Especially if a siren  kicks in!   (Sirens up the anti by a significant amount - More on this later ) 

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As a (minimum) rule, we find that 2 cameras per build is a great place to start.

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Camera One: Out the front of a property, covering the front of the build, and where possible, the wall power box, the ground power box, skip bin and even a part of the street when possible. 

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Camera Two: Is importantly, positioned at the rear of a property, covering across the rear and down the opposite side to the front camera.  (Thieves rarely enter via the front door)

You will not believe the difference two cameras will make (compared to one). With a single unit, the rear of a property is wide open!   It's like fencing your home and leaving down the back fence, behind a large shed with a drivable track in!

If you put one CCTV camera in a street of 8 Homes, whilst still a good deterrent ( your coverage is poor.

Like... really poor!)   We will discuss PRESENCE Vs COVERAGE in future articles.
 

​TWO CAMERAS per build!?
(I can't afford that!)

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So consider budget vs effectiveness:

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If you put 2 cameras per property, at a cost of say $60 Per Week each, this is a total cost of $120 Per Week.
If the build time is say 18 Weeks, then the total cost is $2160 or $17 Per Day, Per house.

You'd only need one bad event, to easily cover this amount and I can assure you, we see senseless and terrible things happening to our clients everyday of the week, with significant loss or damage! And putting in a camera after an event, is a bit like pressing your brake after an accident.

Decoys can also form a great way to give "perceived" protection and in some areas this would lessen the cost further.

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​THE TROUBLE MAKER MATRIX
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1. Opportunists -  Some people just can't resist the temptation as they walk by (Even disgruntled staff!)

2. The Dumpsters -  Why go to the dump when there's a skip bin in your street!?

3. Saturday Night Legends - 6 Beers & they're up the scaffolds or in the yard, posing a potential liability nightmare for you!

4. Vandals -  This is trouble that can be relentless if they start on your site and it they get angry .. watch out!

5. The Economists -  Some people figure they'll just take what they can't afford (or can sell for profit)

6. The Pro's -  A smaller group of professional thieves that know their way around a site or dont care due to drugs.

In our experience, groups 1 - 4 are usually deterred from trouble before it starts, with well placed cameras,
as they don't really want to get caught or do anything wrong. There is some fear or respect there. 
Group 5-6 will at least think twice! (Note: Group 6 are more likely to take on a petrol station knowing there
are 10 cameras in a small lit shop, so ...)
 

Whilst you may think "catching" a person or crime in the act might be a good thing, it may be a lot more trouble than it's worth, as identifying, prosecuting and convicting a person can be traumatic and not as easy as it seems. It may also set up a relationship with someone you don't want.

Articles Coming Soon:
Red Flags (Is trouble coming?)

Outdoor Site Logistics

Does Monitoring Work?

Presence Vs Coverage

4G Versus WiFi

Signage & repercussion

Effective Sirens & Neighbours

Cameras and skip bins
How can I make cameras work harder?
Setting the camera up to capture more

Adding an alarm

Keep it moving

Covert Cameras

When does the trouble stop?

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"PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN PROSECUTION!"

Article written By David Hancock for book "Secure Yours"

Disclaimer: The information and views expressed here are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of any organization or
entity he may be associated with. The content provided is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. The Author is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information shared here. Please conduct your own research and consult with professionals if needed.