The Benefits of Surveillance Equipment

Law enforcement and military personnel have long understood the benefits of using surveillance cameras for deterring and catching criminals. However now businesses and individuals are recognizing their potential for private use as well. Surveillance equipment can be expensive which keeps many companies from investing in them. Ten cameras and a DVR can cost as much as five thousand dollars, but as the quality of technology gets better the price decreases while the quality increases. Surveillance cameras are proven not only to deter potential thieves, but also to help law enforcement and even private individuals solve crimes and catch criminals.

Businesses that own and use surveillance equipment can aid police in solving cases by providing images that can be pivotal to the outcome of the case. Gas stations & convenience stores are good examples of robberies that are usually solved with surveillance cameras. Because they are an easier target for theft and vandalism, many gas station and convenience store owners have opted to install surveillance equipment and can pass the images of a robbery or vandalism on to the police and local media to help catch the thieves.

In 2004, a car wash surveillance camera in Sarasota, Florida caught the kidnapping of an eleven year old girl on tape. The tape was used to help find the criminal after the girl was found dead four days later. Surveillance cameras were also instrumental in identifying four terrorists in London 2005. After a botched bombing attempt in the London subway system, the police released photos taken from surveillance equipment of the suspects on Friday. By Monday, two of the men had been identified and all four were caught within a week.

Even if a surveillance camera does not get a shot of a criminal’s face, it can show other details that can aid police, such as "where robbers touched the floor or counter, leaving shoe prints; whether they wore gloves or are right- or left-handed; whether they have tattoos; and what type of weapon if any was used." Oftentimes, internal theft can hurt a company the most, so surveillance equipment can help keep employees accountable as well as solving the case if a burglary is committed. The variety of uses for surveillance cameras, both as a deterrent and as an aid in catching criminals make it imperative for many businesses to install and use some kind of surveillance equipment to protect their business and their customers.

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