Closed Circuit Television is recognised as being one of the most useful crime reduction and detection products available. A CCTV recording should remain as clear and visibly usable as the day it was recorded, meaning they are very useful when it comes to the police investigating any incidents.
In the main, the popular impression of a CCTV System is a camera a monitor and a recorder. This is the basis for a CCTV System, but there are many other factors that must be considered when the use of CCTV is proposed.
What is it that you wish the system to do?
Are you installing CCTV just for monitoring persons within your premises to determine how many people are in the building at any one time, or is it for Crime Prevention and Detection. If you require CCTV to assist detection, then you should be making sure the images captured on screen make the people identifiable. That is, a person's upper torso and face should fill your monitor screen to provide an identifiable image. This can be achieved by positioning a camera where people are channelled and cannot avoid being 'captured' on screen, usually situated at a main entrance. You should install a suitable recording device, such as a VCR or more recently DVD.
Does the system provide you with the images you require?
Have you looked at the images being received after installation? Are they what you expected? If not, call your installer back and explain what you require for example if there is a certain camera that isn’t placed correctly. If you have given the installer your operational requirement, they should ensure that what you have asked for is achievable with the equipment they are providing. Ensure that the equipment is serviced and maintained regularly to keep it at its best performance. Camera housings should be completely water proof where used outdoors, and in some instances indoors. Video recorders must be serviced regularly, and recorded images should be checked for quality of image.
Are you looking after your recordings?
In most cases CCTV is used to prevent crime or help identify any perpetrators after a crime has been committed. This prevention deterrent relies on the continuing success of detection of Crime. To ensure detection all of the above points must be adhered to and proper and adequate management of your recordings is a must. In terms of the Data Protection Act, you should make sure you are keeping taped recordings for no less than 28 days. When not being used, they should be stored in a secure location with restricted access. Each tape used should be audited; a record of when it has been used should be kept. Recommendations by the Home Office suggest that VCR tapes should have no more than 12 plays as it can impair the quality of the tape and the image it produces.