7 Mistakes To Avoid When Installing CCTV In Your Home

Singapore’s population expands by the day. It accelerates at a faster pace than ever. These are clearly reflected by the national statistics as at June 2014. The population was standing at 5.47 million (according to a government website dedicated to human population statistics in Singapore). What this means is that with an increased number of people, security becomes a concern. It becomes a necessity than merely a comfort. Irrespective of where you live in Singapore, CCTV equipments are now a major requirement if you want to reduce the cost of premiums paid to your insurer (if they cover your safety). Densely populated areas around the City already have these equipments in place. However, as for the average homeowner, they may not know the correct way of installing these gadgets if not guided by a professional. You could use these equipments to monitor traffic or unusual activities in the event that you are away from home and you want to ensure things are running well. So to avoid burglary, kidnappings, physical abuse or any other forms of crime, you need to be strategic with your CCTV home installation efforts.

Here are 7 mistakes to avoid when installing CCTV in your home

1 Skipping security assessment and audit phase
The purpose for conducting a security survey is to enable you establish the problem you want to solve. A good security survey will help you identify key assets to be protected, and also the likely danger they could be facing at the time. Basically, what you’re doing is to identify vulnerabilities, threats or exposures that could result in huge losses if something unusual happened. You must know what you should be protecting before coming up with a targeted solution for the same.

You are essentially coming up with the course of action, and consequently the cost of implementing these actions. At the end of the day, you have a feasible security plan that will help you get the most out of your investment. Now the problem is that some homeowners think this step is so costly and wouldn’t be necessary for their situation. So they buy the equipments and install them without seeking the help of a professional to carry out this audit.

2 Wrong plan implementation
It is common for some homeowners to implement their security plans without really conducting a comprehensive security survey. Consequently, they end up implementing the wrong plan. And when they miss this step, it means that they won’t be able to take an abrupt security measure in case a crime happened or is in the process of happening. Their measures simply don’t solve the problem at hand.

You see, taking care of security matters by installing a CCTV system or hiring a security guard is the most obvious thing one can do. But these approaches are like a double-edge sword. They are useful, obvious, yet they can go wrong if not implemented well. Another obvious point to note is that the guard should provide security where they are standing. Beyond that point, their efforts won’t be effective. But on the other hand, a CCTV system is needed to solve security issues where physical efforts won’t be needed to solve a security threat.

3 Disregarding liability laws
Today, security in Singapore is not considered an amenity. Instead, it is considered a legal requirement. Typically, the law states that all accidents or injuries that occur in a home or a premise are the responsibility of the owner. This is in accordance with premise liability act. As a homeowner or premise owner, you shall be liable for allowing dangerous conditions in and around those areas. You will be held liable if you are negligent or in the event that you don’t provide enough security to prevent crime from happening. This law is generally applied to commercial premises owners, though it also applies to homeowners in many contexts.


4 Implementing ineffective security measures
These are security measures that can also be referred to as dumb security measures. They can easily be bypassed by people, friends or foes. You see, it is very wrong to implement dumb security measures that represent a perception as opposed to a solid foundation where security matters are concerned.

This will obviously lead to a false sense of security in one’s home.
If you install dummy cameras to deter criminals, you qualify under this point, and a threat could quickly become a real security nightmare if the intruder finds out that indeed the cameras are dummy. CCTV cameras will aid the police when conducting their forensics. They don’t delay, deny or deter a crime from happening if the intruder is so determined. The police will later analyze the situation for action.

5 Depending on CCTV cameras alone
A CCTV camera alone in your home won’t solve the problem of insecurity in your home. A single or standalone security measure is never enough to offer comprehensive protection against crime. The best way to deter criminals from having their way is to make use of the multiplier effect, which takes advantage of various security measures aptly integrated into the system.
An access door could deter criminal activities from taking place. But it is only as effective when monitored by a CCTV camera. When these items are combined effectively, a less serious intruder won’t have their way in because the alarms will have been sounded.

6 Hiring a cheap CCTV installer
You may want to save money. However, hiring the cheapest installer in town will cost you a fortune in the end. Most of these people are not real professionals, which is why they are super cheap. And when they install a security system for you, it is likely to encounter some faults later. They are even more likely to confuse the model of operation and mix everything up. You won’t realize it until something unusual happens.

7 Using outdated CCTV technology
Again, individuals think they are saving by getting the cheapest CCTV systems with outdated technology. This is a very common problem with homeowners in Singapore. However, what they might not know is that, whether it’s in form of hardware or software, the device will be outshined by the intruder if they are aware of this fact. These are security mistakes you must avoid at all cost if you want good quality service fulfilment. If you can protect, you can save a fortune. And most importantly, you can avoid the worries that come with keeping a home that isn’t secured.