CCTV - Advice & Opinions welcome

Twopints

We have had several attemtped break-ins over the last 3-4 years and after the last one, about a month ago, we are considering installing CCTV. We have a bungalow and the break-ins have all been at the rear of the property which is partly overlooked but not entirely and not lit at night.

The last break-in, they apparently broke a double glazed window by throwing a brick through it, and possibly hitting it with a garden spade (not necessarily in that order). That was on the Wednesday night, then on the Friday night / Saturday morning they came back and tried to enter the house which set off the burglar alarm. We were away so were called by the alarm company but it appears the alarm scared them off.

So, given that they have tried once before, and broke a window immediately below the external Alarm, there's a good chance they'll try again.

So CCTV: is it the answer?

I am looking at a 4 camera system, recording to DVR and IP. It will need to have anti-vandal cameras and 20m range night and day. I have had a quote of approx £630 from a company I found using a well known search engine; that's just for the kit. They tell me it's easy to install, even for someone with virtually no DIY skills.

Does this seem a reasonable price?
Is this the "best" set-up?
What are the possible issues I will encounter (installation & ongoing operation)?

If anyone has done their own install I'd really like to hear from you!

:beer:

INT1

Have you not got a burglar alarm?
I would get one installed with a dialler to a call centre so you are called if it goes off.

CCTV is ok but if they really want to they will hide their face or even still steal the hard drive tape etc.

Clive_Woody

Twopints wrote: »

Saturday morning they came back and tried to enter the house which set off the burglar alarm. We were away so were called by the alarm company

:T

aldo wrote: »

Have you not got a burglar alarm?

I would get one installed with a dialler to a call centre so you are called if it goes off.

Happychappy

Hi, From visiting premises which have been subject of burglary, there are very few CCTV systems worth wasting your money on, the reason for this is the CCTV is not a deterrent, it may help identify the burglar, but this is very rare indeed, and the penalty for burglary handed down by the blue rinse brigade on the bench will only lead to you furring up your arteries in disbelief and anger.

You really want to spend whatever money you can on the deterrent factor, and that includes good lighting, a good locking system for doors and windows and above all a quality alarm system that is linked to somewhere or someone who will turn out, or linked to your mobile phone to inform you the alarm has activated, I would see what modifications you can make to your current alarm to have a second alarm box lower down at the rear, and just high enough not to be reached with a spade or similar, the burglar will be alert for sirens etc and people once the alarm activates, if the noise from the alarm is so deafening that they cannot think, not that they do a lot of thinking, but an alarm which deafens them, will soon have them going, unfortunately I can't recommend some of the excellent deterrents which have worked in the past, for fear of upsetting the pc brigade.


Also a good neighbourhood watch is a good deterrent if people at home during the day are encouraged to ring and record details, unfortunately this also is only as good as the police response which at best can often be described as patchy.

AdrianW2

I'll second a lot of what Happychappy says. CCTV is not a very good deterrent. Better of making access harder and removing tools that can be used to break in*.

...but you're well on the way to becoming a repeat victim, so I'm sure the Police have done this spiel already.

On the other hand a lot of crime is committed by the same individuals and so if you do manage to get a good picture then there's a reasonable chance of the burglar** being identified and convicted.

Have a look at Maplin's range of CCTV cameras for some indicative pricing.

(*) going equipped is something a smart criminal avoids, it's a easy and silly way to get arrested when neighbours report something suspicious.

(**) burglary seems to be something the CPS have a lot of trouble coming to terms with, since they need to prove intent and that involves risking a blemish on their conviction rate target.

Twopints

Happychappy wrote: »

Hi, From visiting premises which have been subject of burglary, there are very few CCTV systems worth wasting your money on, the reason for this is the CCTV is not a deterrent, it may help identify the burglar, but this is very rare indeed, and the penalty for burglary handed down by the blue rinse brigade on the bench will only lead to you furring up your arteries in disbelief and anger.

You really want to spend whatever money you can on the deterrent factor, and that includes good lighting, a good locking system for doors and windows and above all a quality alarm system that is linked to somewhere or someone who will turn out, or linked to your mobile phone to inform you the alarm has activated, I would see what modifications you can make to your current alarm to have a second alarm box lower down at the rear, and just high enough not to be reached with a spade or similar, the burglar will be alert for sirens etc and people once the alarm activates, if the noise from the alarm is so deafening that they cannot think, not that they do a lot of thinking, but an alarm which deafens them, will soon have them going, unfortunately I can't recommend some of the excellent deterrents which have worked in the past, for fear of upsetting the pc brigade.


Also a good neighbourhood watch is a good deterrent if people at home during the day are encouraged to ring and record details, unfortunately this also is only as good as the police response which at best can often be described as patchy.

Thanks for that - we are trying to find out about neighbourhood watch. The alarm is monitored (ADT) and they did call us but as there was only one activation i.e the PIR in the room they broke the window and entered, there was no immediate police response.

The original response was a bit poor - the window was smashed on the Wednesday night but discovered by our neighbour on the the Thursday. They called the police and covered the window with a black bin liner, thus probably destroying any possible fingerprints; not that they bothered checking. The neighbour couldn't find our phone number so we were not called. Then at 12.40 am on the Saturday we got a call from the alarm company saying there had been a single activation - unfortunately I was not aware of the original earlier attempt. Nothing was taken so the assumption is that the alarm scared them off.

I was surprised that the window was just left covered with a bin liner rather than boarded up!

We are also taking whatever other measures we can - I have been through the long thread on here, I like the ALARM MINES! - and the main (but expensive) ones left are CCTV and additions to the Burglar alarm system. Currently the Alarm system is purely activated by PIR's, so we are looking at other devices such as vibration sensors on the window - that would then mean 2 activations i.e. first from broken window, second from PIR sensor, leading to immediate police call out.

maggie111

I would have thought getting an action sensored floodlight would be a good bet as it is partly overlooked.

It sounds like the property is empty? Would you consider getting some grills on the downstairs back windows to act as a further deterrant?

AdrianW2

Twopints wrote: »

and covered the window with a black bin liner, thus probably destroying any possible fingerprints; not that they bothered checking.

I'm surprised by this. I thought Scenes of Crime always came out if there was a possibility of collecting evidence, they get especially excited if tools have been left behind. I'll ask them when I'm next passing.

BTW, you will get a police response to a domestic burglary in progress, nearly every copper has secret fantasies about catching a burglar in the act.

INT1

LOL-Sorry, didn't read first post proper

Agree with above, improve the lighting and maybe make it harder to get to your property with improved fencing etc?

You could also contact local police and speak with the crime prevention officer for any tips...

Twopints

maggie111 wrote: »

I would have thought getting an action sensored floodlight would be a good bet as it is partly overlooked.

Agreed - we are doing this

maggie111 wrote: »

It sounds like the property is empty? Would you consider getting some grills on the downstairs back windows to act as a further deterrant?

No, we were on holiday for a week.

AdrianW2 wrote: »

I'm surprised by this. I thought Scenes of Crime always came out if there was a possibility of collecting evidence, they get especially excited if tools have been left behind. I'll ask them when I'm next passing.

BTW, you will get a police response to a domestic burglary in progress, nearly every copper has secret fantasies about catching a burglar in the act.

Scenes of crime were not called to the first attempt. When we came back on the Saturday after the alarm activation, I called the police as we were driving back and they met us on arrival. Unfortunately, the stuff that had been used to break the window originally (garden spade, taken from shed) had been left out in the rain since the Wednesday so was no good. The brick that was in the middle of our living room floor was no good because it was porous, the window handle and frame were no good because they were in the open position and therefore had been rained on. That left the black bin liner which had been put on after Wednesdays attempt and taken off on the Saturday - so they took that away. SOCO could not come out as they only do mornings at the weekend. They phoned on Sunday and seemed a bit disappointed. By this stage the window had been boarded so all evidence long gone.

Sunnyday

A member of my family has had a problem with repeated attempts at burglary at their home which is also a bungalow.

They installed a cctv system themselves which records 24/7, it is all around the bungalow and covers the driveway and back and side gardens too. All the equipment is in the loft and they only need to check if there has been a problem.

Since it has been installed they have had no more attempts so it may still be seen as some as a deterrent, other places will seem easier.

Some people on our street have cctv and it has been used sucessfully when there has been the odd problem, recently cars were being vandalised and the people doing this were brought to book by the evidence, some have covert systems but i think that in your case an external set of cameras sound good.

I agree with the big loud alarm and sensors which pick up vibration as well as movement. The noise will send any intruders running.

A high fence coated with the anti vandal paint that never dries is also a good idea, something bright which shows up well is good.

We have a large dog who is very protective of our property, our relatives don`t but now don`t seem to need one either.

Hope you get it sorted.

SD