As a business owner, security is a continuing concern. You want to keep your customers, employees and assets safe. Video surveillance is a great way to both prevent incidents and catch the perpetrator if a crime is committed.
To avoid blind spots in important areas you want covered, we will walk through your floor plan and discuss the best places to install cameras based on your specific needs.
The top seven places to install video surveillance cameras on your commercial property include:
- Entrances & Exits
- Restricted Access Areas
- Places Where Assets are Stored
- Points of Monetary Transaction
- Work Areas
- Loading Docks
- Secluded Outdoor Areas
Entrances and Exits
Security cameras at the front entrance as well as any side or back doors allow you to keep an eye on who enters your business, when they enter and whether or not they have authorized access.
Aim cameras mounted indoors toward the inside rather than toward the door. If opening the door causes light to flood inside, the high contrast and bright light behind a perpetrator entering your building could darken his appearance and make him hard to see. An alternative vantage point gives you a better image of the people coming and going.
If security is a major concern for your business, you can also install monitors at the entrance of your business that display a live feed on the screen to let visitors know they are being monitored.
Restricted Access Areas
If you have a door that requires a key card or entrance code, be sure to install a surveillance camera right outside. This helps you monitor the comings and goings of your employees and reveals any attempts by unauthorized personnel to enter the room.
Places Where Assets Are Stored
Whether you have a warehouse for storing merchandise or a tech room with expensive equipment, make sure you capture activity with security cameras. Install multiple cameras in each room to cover every square foot.
Installing cameras in places where you store assets, documents and even office supplies could reveal cases of employee theft that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Points of Monetary Transaction
Any location where money regularly changes hands is a good place to install a security camera. These include cash registers at retail locations, teller stations at banks and any other transaction point you have in your building. Be sure to mount cameras low enough that you can see the person’s face. You might even consider mounting a small camera at counter level so even someone wearing a hat or hooded jacket can’t avoid having their face seen.
Work Areas
Even if you don’t deal with customers coming to your location, it’s still wise to keep an eye on your employees. Make sure you let your employees know about the cameras so they know someone is watching. This will deter slacking off, harassing one another or misbehaving in other ways.
Loading Docks
If you have shipments delivered or sent out by trucks, you have a staging area. This docking area is a prime target for thieves, so make sure surveillance cameras are in place to watch your back.
Capturing footage here can even help prevent losses associated with false worker’s compensation claims related to injuries while loading or unloading. To make your cameras in this location more effective, be sure flood lights illuminate the area brightly so you can capture clear footage.
Secluded Outdoor Areas
Parking lots, alleyways and dumpster pads are all potential areas for harassment and assaults to take place. Keep your eyes peeled for suspicious behavior by installing cameras that deliver a live feed to your security office.
Choosing the Right Video Surveillance Equipment
Selecting the right locations to install security cameras is important, but installing the right type of camera is equally important. Image quality, motion sensors, sound capture and night recording capabilities are all considerations to make. Working closely with a professional is the best way to ensure you make the right selection for your needs and budget.
For help choosing the right locations and types of cameras, please contact State Systems today! We offer video surveillance installation and maintenance for businesses throughout the our service area.
