Monday, January 19, 2009

What are CCTV cameras used for?

By James Erwin

CCTV is a fast growing modern technology. But what is it commonly used for? Here are the five most popular uses of CCTV camera systems.

Surveillance of public areas. CCTVs are commonly found in most public places such as banks, airports, subways, stores and malls, and even in the streets. Having a CCTV system can provide a sense of peace and safety to the everyday citizen. The knowledge that criminals and terrorists are less likely to commit violent acts when there are cameras around brings comfort to people.

Surveillance against crimes. A number of case studies had proven that the presence of CCTV, whether visible or hidden, minimizes crimes against people, as well as incidents of violence. The fact that the suspect's appearance can be recorded in the cameras and can be used to catch him later on can greatly put off someone from committing a crime. Other than watching out for criminal acts, the surveillance systems are also being used to fight anti-social behaviours which consist of minor offenses such as littering, urinating in public, drunkenness, traffic violations and other public order offenses.

Security for commercial premises. Many businesses today have CCTVs installed in their establishments, not only to prevent theft and vandalism and to have a 24-hour surveillance capacity, but can also provide video footage to the police in case something did occur. Some businesses have also found other uses for the CCTV besides security purposes, in which they allow their customers to view their services through the use of the internet. That way, customers can see their items, and it provides a great personal touch, as well as helps catch any errors before the customer even receives their package.

Home security. What used to be very expensive, and hard to configure systems are now very reasonable, easy to configure, and easy to maintain, and they provide much more versatility and usefulness than just a few years ago. It has become increasingly affordable for private individuals, as they can now install CCTV on their homes and property to provide security to their family and homes. This is especially useful when everyone would be leaving the house.

Traffic maintenance. With cameras watching the roads, it has become easier for many traffic and transport groups to observe the roads. It enables them to spot accidents, obstructions and any other road problems, allowing them to identify the location and fix it right away. This would prevent any other traffic problems that could arise if such incidents are not immediately noted. - 16492

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