Saturday, July 4, 2009

Outdoor Security Camera and Vandalism

By John Wolfe

We can use an outdoor security camera to catch vandals in the act if they are defacing private property. But how do you protect the camera itself from vandalism? While there are no 100% vandal proof solutions, we can reduce the risk greatly by considering these four key factors when installing our outdoor security camera.

We must take into consideration the design of the camera or the housing the camera will be encased in. Then how the camera is mounted, where it is mounted, and the very placement of the camera are factors that will determine the amount of risk the camera is in. We can also use intelligent video alarms to deter vandals.

When it comes to the physical toughness of the camera or housing, something made of metal can offer much stronger protection than something made of plastic. Also, a traditional fixed camera that sticks out of a wall or ceiling is more prone to physical destruction than a dome PTZ camera or a dome shaped housing. Also, how it is hidden amongst its environment has a lot to do with whether it is a target for vandalism.

A housing or camera that is mounted flush with the wall is much safer than something mounted on the surface of a wall or ceiling. When flush in the wall, the only part left sticking out is the transparent covering. It is also important that the cables are protected and that depends on the mounting. Ideally we want to pull the cables through the wall or ceiling directly behind the camera. If that is not possible, use a metal conduit tube to protect cables from attack.

Camera placement is also an important factor in deterring vandalism. By placing a camera out of reach on high walls or in the ceiling, many spur-of-the-moment attacks can be prevented. The downside may be the angle of view, which to some extent can be compensated by selecting a different lens.

Installing alarms is a more costly but very effective measure. It can alert operators if there is some level of tampering on the camera. This prevents redirection or obscured viewing from going unnoticed. Active tampering alarm features are very useful in a large installation with many cameras and keeping track to make sure all the cameras are working properly can get complicated. This way someone will be alerted if one of your outdoor security cameras aren't working as it should.

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