Surveillance Cameras
I was watching a documentary about security and privacy in America the other day. I had never realized how many surveillance cameras were already out there! They are practically everywhere. In your typical city street, there will be a surveillance camera on every block and more likely three or four of them! Cameras in ATM machines – those are quite standard now – or on top of public buildings, at stoplights and in a variety of other places as well. Not every surveillance camera that you see is operational of course but many of them are. It is safe to assume that, no matter where you are in a city, you aren't alone. Don’t forget George Orwell said it in his book “1984“: “Big Brother is watching you!”
It let me think about CCTV surveillance cameras. I was curious about how necessary and how affordable they were. I had been playing with the thought to upgrade my home security system for quite a while and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so. I wasn't a hundred percent sure whether or not a surveillance video camera was just a bit over the top but I thought that if it didn't cost much money checking it out might be worthwhile.
There are plenty of simple surveillance cameras available for people who are interested in home security at a reasonable price. The cheapest option – obviously – is fake surveillance cameras. One of the key principles of home security – or any security for that matter – is that if you can scare them away, you don't have to worry about catching them. Just having “Keep out!” signs, a large and menacing looking dog and a surveillance system can be enough to keep out any but the most hardened criminals. Most of the time, someone breaks into your house because he thinks it’s an easy target. The criminals will refuse to try if you make them think that they might get caught.
Nevertheless, I wanted to bring more power to my security system, so I decided to go one step up. I acquired some used, black and white security cameras from a second-hand shop. They weren't the cutting-edge surveillance cameras that you see on government buildings. They were old, clunky, and did not have a very good resolution. In spite of that, they were good enough and I installed them in every room. Since they were quite old, they were also somewhat oversized and therefore very visible. It does bring peace to the mind if you know that if someone does break into your house you have got a system in place.