Have CCTV at your home (exterior)?

B0bbyEwing

Thanks for the replies all.

I do wonder about some suggestions though. Having a camera up high pointing straight down would be pretty much useless. You're going to struggle identifying someone by recording their bald spot only. 

rowan - I'm curious, if that was a neighbour that you were pally with and had no run in with, would you have contacted the police in the same way? Genuinely curious.

Some seem to think I'm looking for actual camera recommendations. I'm not. I have one at the rear in place & I have one for the front, just needing to be installed. 

Rear camera: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C1C5WS81?th=1 actually quite good quality & surprised me as I thought it'd be pretty iffy what with the pricing. 

Front of house camera (still to be installed): https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CF8R2P24 Eufy S340.

Now I know these are wireless cams but that's why I bought them - I didn't want to involve anyone for the install & if I went the wired route then I'd have to as I'm no electrician. Yes I know wired is likely more reliable but I've had no issues with the AOSU whatsoever so far. 

Section62

B0bbyEwing said:

I do wonder about some suggestions though. Having a camera up high pointing straight down would be pretty much useless. You're going to struggle identifying someone by recording their bald spot only.

TBH for a home system identification is unlikely to be a significant factor, unless there is a specific person you have in mind already.  Someone trying to break in will either have a face covering, or if they don't, the police are probably unlikely to widely publish an identifying picture unless the crime was a serious one.

The main objective with a home system is deterrence - i.e. that someone might be monitoring the camera (and/or automatic alerts/alarms are in use), so hanging around (or coming back) would be a bad idea.  Also that someone who has installed cameras may well have other security measures in place.

That isn't to say identification is completely unimportant, but in my view it shouldn't be the only thing driving choice of cameras.

B0bbyEwing said:

rowan - I'm curious, if that was a neighbour that you were pally with and had no run in with, would you have contacted the police in the same way? Genuinely curious.

I'm not saying what happened didn't happen - not least because the police are known to do and say things they aren't meant to - but if pre-existing harassment wasn't involved I doubt whether the police would have done anything.  It isn't their remit to police the general use of CCTV cameras, and an officer wouldn't have the authority to 'order' the removal of camera equipment on private property unless there was something (like a restraining order) which was already in place.  But the police would get involved if cameras were being used illegally - for example had been put up to observe people doing a private activity like getting changed or going to the toilet.

bjorn_toby_wilde

I’d agree with the above re identification. It sounds harsh but a police officer told me that the real benefit of visual deterrents like cameras and alarm boxes is to make the thieves look for easier pickings by burgling someone else.

B0bbyEwing

So with that in mind then, how high off the ground would you mount? 

steviebuk

B0bbyEwing said:

I can see the potential for the term "CCTV" to become a sticky point but I'm pretty sure we all know what I'm on about - camera on your exterior wall recording your driveway, garden, whatever. 

I've actually bought one (not got round to fitting it yet) but I'm a little apprehensive about mounting it after recently coming across a number of social media videos of people moaning about their neighbours 'recording them'. 

I've had a camera at the REAR of my house (I know the law doesn't differ for front & rear before anyone points that out) for a couple months now. There's been a number of reports in the local Facebook group of pillars of society breaking in to folks sheds, having a snoop around, trying back/side doors & even just walking in to the house of someone who didn't lock their door (they were in!) .... so I got a camera. 

Now my camera, like the social media videos I've seen, LOOKS LIKE it's recording the house at the back, except it's not. It's not even in shot. We have a Tapo camera as well for wildlife which you can even put in black out areas too (not sure I can do that with my back door cam - AOSU). Point is, if someone wanted to make a video about me 'recording them' then sure it would LOOK LIKE I am, except I could show video footage that proves I'm actually not.

Front of the house has a lot more traffic (and by traffic I mean people) & so the potential for "uuuhhhhhhhhhh you're recording meee that's illeeeeeeegal I'm going to tell the police about you" is increased. It's like no, I'm not recording you at all & unless you step on my property I couldn't give a stuff about you. 

Any of you installed cameras at the front & can comment on your experience? Obviously your neighbours aren't my neighbours but still.

I want to get a camera on the front for obvious reasons - anyone tries the car, the door. We're also told by our neighbour that people use our driveway to turn around in so if anyone clips the car that's left on the drive & just drives off then hopefully a camera would pick up their reg because I'd wager that it's more likely they'd do a runner than it is they'd leave a note owning up to it.

Just don't record audio, its what got the plumber/electrician, whatever he claimed he was, a big fine. If you read the court documents he was also a liar and an !!!!!!. Claimed some or one of his cameras was a fake, was recording audio (which is one of the reasons the judge find him) and for his !!!!!! comments "If she has an issue with my cameras she's gonna have a bigger issue with the new ones as it will be able to record her eyeball from my house". Something along those lines anyway.

So, to the point, put the camera up as most probably won't say a word and just don't record audio. You're then supposed to also put a sign up stating there is recording and supposed to even have an e-mail address for people to contact if they want their footage removed. I've seen CCTV signs up, never seen the "If you want to be removed" details up. But that's only if it captures people outside of your property.

https://www.traverssmith.com/knowledge/knowledge-container/fairhurst-v-woodard-6-things-to-think-about-when-installing-cctv-outside-your-property/

I can't stand the daily mail but only linked it as has images

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10090871/Plumber-45-fears-lose-home-judge-ruled-Ring-camera-breached-neighbours-privacy.html

He appeared to start a sob story campaign after he lost and his job role kept changing in all the articles I read. But the court documents revealed how much of an !!!!!! he was.

You may not get anyone say anything.

Cause of that case, other articles appeared with scaremongering claiming you could be fined £100K, ignoring there were reasons he got his with such a big fine.

MyRealNameToo

B0bbyEwing said:

I do wonder about some suggestions though. Having a camera up high pointing straight down would be pretty much useless. You're going to struggle identifying someone by recording their bald spot only. 

Was walking past one of the pubs in the area recently and saw someone I knew so went in... he asked if it was just coincidence as only the top of his head aligns to the window... I said it was coincidence I was in the area but no I'd seen him so thats why I came in. He looked a little confused, I didnt have the heart to tell him I identified him by his bald spot. 

We have a nest doorbell, as our front garden is only about 5 paces and our door is right on the edge of the plot we capture the pavement, road and a small amount of one corner of our neighbours front garden. We've had 3 people knock asking about footage, none complaining about what it captures but all instead hoping it had captured a crime. 

In two of the cases it technically did (as well as the two thefts we've had from the doorstep) but in each time people had face coverings and so whilst the police requested copies of the videos nothing was done with them. 

I think a lot comes down to your relationship with neighbours but also the setup. If our neighbour wanted to sunbath naked in that corner of their front garden then everyone is going to be seeing them anyway so the video wouldnt really change that. 

bob_a_builder

MyRealNameToo said:

B0bbyEwing said:

I do wonder about some suggestions though. Having a camera up high pointing straight down would be pretty much useless. You're going to struggle identifying someone by recording their bald spot only. 

I think a lot comes down to your relationship with neighbours but also the setup. If our neighbour wanted to sunbath naked in that corner of their front garden then everyone is going to be seeing them anyway so the video wouldnt really change that. 

I think the only people prosecuted so far for that sort of behaviour were the police

https://www.itv.com/news/2017-08-08/ex-police-officer-who-filmed-people-having-sex-and-sunbathing-naked-from-helicopter-jailed

rowan222

B0bbyEwing said:

rowan - I'm curious, if that was a neighbour that you were pally with and had no run in with, would you have contacted the police in the same way? Genuinely curious.

Probably not. I'd likely have a friendly chat about it.  However a decent neighbour would be unlikely to do this over our patio in the first place.

In this case though it was clearly meant to intimidate us because we were not reacting to his annoyance campaign previously (we had not reacted up to this point because unbeknown to him we were logging and recording the evidence) 

When we involved the police we did not mention  the existing harrasment as we did not want to appear silly. Things like hosepipe spraying over the fence when we sat outside, powerful leafblower lent against the fence for 30 mins at a time etc. Later after the first police our patience wore out when he started throwing rat poison over our front gate and we called them again. Now all he can do is slam his wheely  bin lid extra loud to spoil our pleasure. He's clearly nuts!