Home Surveillance – Is It Worth It?

While studies show that burglary rates have declined in past years, many people may wonder if we still need to consider home surveillance in this day and age. However, it’s worth considering the fact that home surveillance can prevent many things, from petty theft to full-on home robberies. Whether you’re looking into getting a home surveillance system or are wondering if yours is doing you any good today, it’s worth knowing about the relation between the rise of modern technology and home security.

Online shopping and home security

With modern technology taking the world by storm, online shopping is quite popular, in fact, there were 1.66 billion global digital buyers in 2016 alone. From pricey electronics, home goods, and even groceries, it seems that just about anything can be delivered straight to your door nowadays. This can be super convenient – though as a result, many people take advantage of it and partake in a different kind of burglary – porch pirating.

As it turns out, porch pirates have been around for some time, and with an estimated 23 million Americans having their packages stolen from their porches, it’s no secret that it’s a nationwide problem. Whether it’s an act of desperation or just for the thrill of stealing something unknown to sell it later, porch pirates are just one of the many reasons people might consider installing home surveillance, as not only can the mere sight of a camera deter potential thieves, but you will also have solid evidence to present to the police should the porch pirate follow through.

The pros of high tech cameras

While there are many reasons why one might need home surveillance, there are many overall pros and benefits of having the cameras that many people may not think about. Not only can they be used to identify thieves and other wrongdoers, but having a high tech camera system can help to ease any stress you may experience when it comes to leaving your house unattended. Not to mention you can keep an eye on your place anytime and anywhere – no matter where you may be. And, with high tech now being incorporated into home surveillance, there’s no doubt that even more benefits are involved.

High tech cameras are quickly becoming the prime choice for home surveillance, as they are Wi-Fi enabled and allow the homeowner access to live/recorded footage through their smartphones, TV’s, and tablets. Other more advanced home surveillance allows you to use your voice to see and speak to a visitor through the doorbell – even if you’re miles away. One such doorbell gadget, Ring, has become quite popular and successful. In fact, a study done on two neighborhoods by the LAPD showed a 50% drop in burglaries when the product was used in one neighborhood, whereas the other (without Ring) remained the same. While there is a multitude of benefits with high tech home surveillance products, there are concerns worth mentioning – especially in the digital day and age we live in.

Home surveillance concerns

Due to the rise in technology, especially when it comes to indoor cameras, it’s not uncommon for people to have concerns with home surveillance. One of the most major concerns being hacking – which is possibly one of the biggest concerns when it comes to living in such a digital age. While indoor and outdoor cameras can give you peace of mind when you have valuables or pets alone at home, it can often concern people that they’re being watched – literally.

It’s been known to happen through laptop cameras and even baby monitors, so it isn’t illogical to think it could happen via your home surveillance system as well. While hacking may be a concern for many when looking into home surveillance, you don’t have to worry as there are many ways to prevent this from happening. Taking simple measures, like securing your home’s wifi, creating strong passwords, and disconnecting the cameras when not in use can all decrease your odds of being hacked.

While many people choose to get home surveillance for the peace of mind it brings, many are pleasantly surprised and wonder if they should continue keeping it around when “nothing bad happens”. However, in the age of rapidly evolving technology among other factors, getting home surveillance can be a major plus if anything ever were to happen.

Home Surveillance – Is It Worth It?

By: Alicia Nicholson

The Conscientious Bodyguard

Given the nature of close protection and the conditions under which operators are expected to perform, it is imperative for those providing protective services to be highly developed, multi-disciplined individuals. However, beyond the obvious technical skills reqauired to execute well-drilled procedures, modern operators are expected to display more nuanced skills such as emotional intelligence, candour, judgement and resourcefulness to list but a few. So, how can understanding our personality type help us become better in our roles as close protection operatives? To answer this, we need to have a basic understanding of the factors influencing the various personality traits.

Stress and Self Care

Research by the American Psychological Association indicates that as many as 75-80 percent of Americans self-report their stress to be at moderate to high levels. Stress can come in many forms, and sometimes we may not even notice or seem bothered by it. So what constitutes stress? The normal daily routine of work or home responsibilities can cause stress, as can experiencing a sudden major life-altering event, such as losing a job, dealing with sudden loss, or a prolonged illness.

Church Security the New Frontier Part 3

I have many happy memories as a child going to church regularly being with my friends and family. One day however sticks out in my mind above all others. On this day, a man keeled over in the pew in front of me and the havoc that ensued is still clear in my memory… Emergency.

Since there are no guarantees that you will never be involved in an emergency, this article will help you to understand some of the things necessary to properly handle, or ideally help prevent, a crisis situation in a house of worship.

Countering Snipers Part 2

The first step in countering snipers is for everyone to be aware of the threat. This is where a threat assessment needs to be compiled and the realist threats need to be identified, if potential snipers are a threat then procedures need to be put in place.

In general, operational planning for a sniper threat should always be considered to some extent. Not only should counter sniper procedures be planned for but they need to be practiced, your people need to be trained at least in the basic reactions to fire and the use of cover, preferably before they are exposed to the sniper threat.

Insider Threat

The insider threat of crime to organisations is always present and can manifest itself in many ways. This has become more apparent because of the recent social-economic climate change within the UK.

Protecting Politicians

As recently as January of this year a man was jailed for a string of threating abuses against Mark Prisk, the MP for Hertford and Stortford. Perhaps the most worrying aspect of the story around this attack is that Prisk was so fearful that he failed to attending a hustings. He is not the only MP who has had to change his course of action due to threats. In February last year Diane Abbott, who was suffering cyber-attacks claimed she was fearful of walking the streets of her own constituency.

Home Surveillance – Is It Worth It?

Online shopping and home security

The pros of high tech cameras

Home surveillance concerns

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