Security lights provide an effective deterrent to would-be burglars. One may approach the darkened rear of a house, only to find themselves caught in a floodlight that makes it impossible to progress unseen. It’s no wonder 20% of the former burglars questioned in a Which? survey said they wouldn’t bother trying to burgle a house with security lighting installed.
But what about CCTV? The idea of being caught on camera wouldn’t appeal to many burglars, surely? But would it be less popular than security lighting?
The same survey found nearly half of the former burglars questioned (46%) would think twice about trying to gain access to a property if they saw it had CCTV cameras installed. Presumably, going for both gives you even more protection against anyone who might be thinking about breaking in.
Another survey – albeit one conducted by an alarm company with a vested interest in the result – reckoned 94% of burglars would not bother trying to break into a property with a monitored alarm. Another source reckoned most burglars could tell whether an alarm was real or not.
You can get dummy CCTV cameras just as you can get dummy alarms, but most sources say these are not worth the bother. There are telltale signs that will call out a dummy CCTV camera as opposed to a real one. If a burglar spots a cheap fake CCTV camera, he could be more likely to go ahead and try to burgle your property. If a camera is identified as a fake, it means you have announced you do not have proper CCTV. If there are no fake cameras around, there is always the uncertainty of whether there are cameras elsewhere that could be harder to spot.
All this proves it is a smart idea to get the best CCTV kit you can, and ideally to get a professional in to install it for you. It may cost a little more than going down the DIY route, but the latter can be fraught with problems unless you have some experience with these cameras. Just as burglars can often tell whether a camera is real or not, so they can also tell whether it has been installed and is working as it should be.
Between CCTV and security lighting, the former is the better option – and getting both is the ideal solution.
