Dummy security cameras: think twice
Dummy security cameras are widely used in small shops and retail businesses. I admit that it is difficult to find a seasoned professional in the security industry who recommends fake security cameras as a good answer to theft or crime. However, they do have their place in the world of security, albeit modest at best.
Dummy cameras are normal security camera housings without the electronics inside. They are simply the housing of a camera, which keeps its cost as low as possible, and is in some situation the cheapest answer to a theft problem. Some dummy cameras go the extra mile and display a red LED light on the front of the housing that glows bright red or flashes in an attempt to convince a person that the camera is real and working. The funny part about this is that real security cameras never have a flashing red LED to indicate that they are working. In fact, it is safe to assume that a camera is fake if it has a flashing red light.
So when is a dummy camera a good idea? Fake cameras can be a cost-effective and inexpensive solution to help reduce shoplifting, with a few exceptions. Fake cameras placed to view customers and potential shoplifting areas help deter a customer from stealing. But its effect may be limited in time by the situation. If you suspect that employees are committing theft, fake cameras are a bad idea! Sooner or later they will realize that they are false. Day after day they will look at the camera and wonder where the recording device is. When they’re safe, they’ll search the ceiling for cables and sooner or later take a quick look at all the offices and storage areas on the premises where a video recorder and monitor could be hidden. Once they are convinced that the camera is fake, the theft will start again.
While dummy cameras can be a cheap and quick answer to a problem, it is important to understand that there is a potential liability that you can unknowingly expose yourself to if you use dummy cameras in the wrong situation. For example, suppose you place a dummy camera in a parking lot to view an area where vandalism has occurred. Yes, it can deter vandalism, but you could end up in the poorhouse. Why? Let’s say it’s late one night and a girl has parked in the dummy camera area. He sees some questionable people in the parking lot, but because there is a security camera, he assumes that someone is watching and that it should be safe, he heads for the car. By placing the camera in the parking lot you have implied a level of security that is not real and does not exist. If the girl is attacked, robbed or worse, you could be held liable for damages, injuries and restitution.
The injury to learn … be smart about using mock cameras! A real surveillance camera system may be just what you need.