Author Archives: tensor_cctvsurveillance

  1. Respecting Employee Privacy Rights

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    The loss of employee privacy rights in the workplace is a growing concern among employees, lawyers, and civil libertarian groups. Although employers in banks, telecommunications, securities exchange, in hi-tech industries, and in other workplaces justify using video surveillance in the workplace to monitor employee behavior to chiefly promote safety, improve productivity, and stop theft, protecting employee privacy must be a top concern.

    If the courts find that the employer’s surveillance methods are less than fair, that firm may find itself knee-deep in lawsuits that could have been prevented.

    Employers install hidden surveillance cameras for many good reasons such as preventing theft, promoting productivity or protecting employees. However in some cases, the very systems installed to protect will intrude upon employee privacy.

    Legal observers and human resource specialists who study workplace privacy believe that employee privacy intrusions are more common than previously observed, and that they will increase every year.

    According to a 2005 survey, more than half of the companies surveyed use video monitoring to prevent theft, violence and sabotage (51% in 2005 vs. 33% in 2001). In addition, the number of companies that use video surveillance to track employees’ performance has also increased, with 10% now videotaping selected job functions and 6% videotaping all employees. Among firms that use video surveillance, 85% notify employees.

    As more and more employee groups become aware of how they are being watched, the more likely they will take their employers to court.

    These are the four main types of court-upheld privacy violations that could occur in shops, factories and offices and the first type is directly related to video surveillance.

    • Intrusion upon seclusion which includes invading worker privacy in bathrooms and changing rooms;
    • Publication of private employee matters;
    • Disclosure of medical records;
    • Appropriation of an employee’s likeness for commercial purposes.

    In addition, video surveillance must be limited to visual images and cannot include audio in order to comply with regional and national statutes.

    Employers need to be proactive and aware of these four privacy violations so that their employees’ individual rights are respected and protected.

    How to achieve balance between monitoring and intruding upon employees

    First, the employers need to clarify what privacy rights employees are guaranteed and what constitutes an invasion of privacy. Then, employees must be notified in writing that video surveillance will be conducted and they should also sign a waiver verifying that they know they may be monitored.

    Management must define what is acceptable supervision versus "snoopervision" and that includes not videotaping showers, toilets, changing rooms, smoking areas, and employee lounges. These are places specifically for employees’ personal comfort, health or for safeguarding their possessions.

    However, employers must also be sensitive against using video surveillance in other areas where employees might takes breaks.

    Employers must be fully aware of the privacy risks associated with videotaping employees so that the likelihood of litigation is reduced. Companies should also nurture a workplace environment where employees can voice privacy or security concerns in confidence with management without feeling that their conversations are being monitored.

    In short, if employers choose to use video surveillance in the workplace, they must adhere to written privacy guidelines that will keep employees secure and that will also respect their privacy.

  2. New Benchmark For CCTV

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    A new magazine called Benchmark has just been launched, which is dedicating itself to establishing a performance index for electronic surveillance products and solutions.

    Benchmark are looking to create this index by group-testing various CCTV components and technologies, and by conducting on-site assessments of CCTV systems. The aim is to create an index that is quick and easy for readers to check performance data on CCTV products and components.

    All Benchmark tests are fully independent and are supervised by the Benchmark editorial team. All CCTV products are tested simultaneously and with the same supporting equipment. Details of such equipment (CCTV lenses, CCTV cameras, monitors, etc.) are given as a part of the test process.

    As manufacturers are not involved in the tests, and products for the group tests are selected by the Benchmark editorial team, information has been guaranteed to be unbiased and impartial.

    Group testing of various CCTV components and technologies are to be performed by independent experts to determine the best product for a particular situation. They are also looking to perform analysis on CCTV systems already installed on site, and offer information and advice on the merits and benefits of particular CCTV solutions with the end user.

    The sheer number of CCTV products currently available on the market often makes it difficult to find the best component for a given situation. It is for this reason that CCTV engineers throughout the UK have welcomed the Benchmark Magazine as an invaluable guide to CCTV components and technologies.

    If you are interested in learning more about the Benchmark Magazine, visit their site at www.benchmarkmagazine.com.

  3. CCTV Security Systems In Reducing Crime

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    Since the July 7th London bombings, CCTV security systems across the world have been examined with greater scrutiny and with greater expectations for reducing crime.

    Although not a panacea for preventing crime, many CCTV systems have been successful at reducing some types of crimes like property crime, for acting as a deterrent in car parks or in other public places, and for making citizens feel safer. However, the results are mixed when addressing violent crimes and when the crimes involve alcohol.

    In the UK, where an average person may be watched 300 times a day by the prevalent closed circuit television systems, numerous case studies paired with crime statistics have been used by Britain’s Home Office to determine the effectiveness of these digital CCTV systems and to see how well CCTV saves time and money for their police force.

    In fact, from 1999 to 2001, the British government spent £170 million (approximately $250 million) for closed circuit television security schemes in town and in city centers, car parks, crime hot spots and in residential areas.

    CCTV systems are evaluated using these identifiers which help police pinpoint where and when the CCTV camera systems are most beneficial.

    • Caught in the act – When potential offenders fear being recorded by the CCTV cameras for courtroom purposes, they usually abandon any idea of conducting a crime.
    • Publicity – If the CCTV camera schemes are public knowledge, then the would-be offenders may leave the target area, but may head to another area. Home Office data found that in the days leading up to the CCTV system activation, crime went down due to the increased publicity. However, if the publicity of the CCTV system is private, then offenders may be more likely to be deterred because they may think that CCTV security cameras may monitor other areas as well.
    • Effective deployment of law enforcement officers – CCTV systems increase the response time of police officers to the incident scene before a member of public has to call the police. According to data compiled in 2004 by the Home Office, CCTV operators can determine how many officers to send to the scene and the CCTV surveillance cameras can indicate what the offenders are doing at the scene before the police arrive.
    • Time for crime – If the offenders think that they can complete their crime before the CCTV systems can record it, then the police will have less chance at capturing the offenders. For example, if car thieves know that the security camera’s angle, range and speed are limited, they might determine how to best avoid the CCTV security cameras. However, the Home Office CCTV data has shown a reduction in car thefts in car parks, revealing that some offenders may still be captured on camera despite the speed of the crime.

    Although CCTV systems seem to reduce and deter property crime in public areas, such as car parks or shopping centres, CCTV systems aren’t as effective at stopping or preventing violent crimes.

    Although the CCTV systems do help at deploying police officers quickly to these violent crimes sites, the offenders may avoid the security cameras, since the security cameras are mounted in public zones, where violent crimes don’t take place. In this case, better street lighting may help to prevent such violent crimes from occurring.

    In addition, when alcohol is involved, the offenders don’t consider the consequences of their actions, making the CCTV systems ineffective as a deterrent amongst the intoxicated offenders. On a positive note, the CCTV systems do reduce the public’s fear of crime and they do ensure the quick deployment of officers to the incident scene which gives less time for the offenders to act more violently.

    CCTV systems are the future for preventing crime, and as the CCTV cameras become more sophisticated, more offenders will be caught and more crimes will be prevented.

  4. CCTV Installed In Schools

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    Having installed a digital CCTV system in a primary school in Bradford for security reasons, the staff soon realised that they could use the CCTV footage to analyse classroom practice and performance of both students and teachers.

    "The beauty of using CCTV as a teaching aid in addition to using it for security reasons is that the CCTV cameras are already there, so there’s no extra equipment or set-up time required," says Peter Steele, the headteacher.

    The 41 CCTV cameras installed at the school are able to pick up what the teachers cannot see. In one situation, for example, the work completed by a pupil seemed to tail off halfway through her lesson, and there didn’t appear to be any reasonable explaination, until the CCTV footage was reviewed. It showed that the pupil was sat in such a position that her teacher could not see her raise her hand when she wanted to ask a question.

    Following this revelation, the arrangement of the tables and chairs within the classroom was changed, ensuring that each student could be seen by the teacher at all times.

    Digital CCTV has also been found to give staff at this particular school more control over their professional development. Teachers were able to see how they work on video, which has led to a much more positive effect than a formal appraisal meeting. People can review situations as they happen, rather than relying on memory enabling teaching methods to be improved and expanded upon.

    Nothing less than a positive impact has been seen at this school in Bradford, and many more schools are now considering installing digital CCTV cameras on their premises.

    If you are a headteacher, or simple someone interested in installing CCTV within an educational environment, give CCTV Surveillance a call. We offer a discounted rental option to schools, colleges and universities looking to install a digital CCTV system. Whether it be a short-term lease, or a long-term contract, the benefits of installing CCTV for security and classroom performance have been proven to vastly outweigh the cost.

  5. New Guides On Vandalism Released

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    The Home Office has published a series of 5 short practical guides through its crime reduction website, to help businesses and organisations tackle vandalism and criminal damage.

    Each guide is short and snappy at only 4 pages long, and addresses practical issues, illustrating its points with pen picture case studies.

    The titles of the guides are:

    • Tackling vandalism and other criminal damage;
    • Tools and powers for tackling criminal damage;
    • Environmental approaches to tackling vandalism;
    • High visibility policing;
    • Tackling youth vandalism;
    • Tackling arson;
    • Criminal damage – Problem analysis;
    • Environmental clean up days.

    If you would like to download the guides for viewing at your leisure, they can be found on the Government’s Crime Reduction website on this link.

    Recommended in the literature is the implementation of surveillance systems. If you are looking to implement a CCTV surveillance system on your premises, it is worth bearing in mind that new digital CCTV camera and recording systems are now available at affordable prices, which are compliant with UK police requirements, and thus can be used in a British court of law to prosecute thieves, vandals and trespassers.

    If you are interested in learning more about digital CCTV and how it can help you, why not contact a member of the CCTV Surveillance sales team, who would be happy to provide you with additional information and advice.

  6. The Most Closely Watched Nation

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    When you are next walking through any of London’s Underground stations, take a moment to scan your eyes upwards to the ceiling and you shall see them. Some will be obvious in their rectangular white housing, others disguised behind black domes.

    There are more than 6,000 CCTV cameras across London’s Tube network, which transport bosses say will rise to 12,000 over the next five years.

    Even outside the confines of the London Underground they are present. That space six feet above your head – the CCTV Zone – where the cameras are nestled, growing like mould on jam. Peering at bank doorways and over cash machines, looking down the aisles of your local supermarket, tucked into the ceiling at the local newsagent’s.

    Britain is "CCTV Nation". We have more of them than anywhere else in the world. How many more, nobody can say. It has often been claimed that there are four million CCTV cameras in Britain, and that we are likely to be caught on camera 300 times a day, but even the academic that came up with these figures admits that he doesn’t know for sure.

    Ask the Austrians if they think CCTV is a good thing, and only 24% of them say yes. Ask the British, and 90% give the thumbs up. We like to be watched. We want to be watched.

    To understand why CCTV is widely seen as a "Very Good Thing" we have to go back 13 years, to the murder of Jamie Bulger. Until then CCTV cameras had been rare in Britain. When the abduction happened and we got these incredible grainy images of the toddler being led away, the cameras became a major player in an horrific event.

    This incident spurred officials within the Crime Prevention Unit of the Home Office to look at what CCTV could do for them. Between 1994 and 1997, £45m of government funds was pledged to implementing CCTV projects across the UK, all of which was matched with local money.

    Since then, Labour has spent £170m.

    Whether you are a fan of CCTV or not, it isn’t going to go away, and with the introduction of affordable digital CCTV systems and software, the number of CCTV cameras on the streets is destined to increase.

    If you are interested in protecting your property with CCTV, why not contact CCTV Surveillance for information and advice of suitable digital CCTV systems.

  7. CCTV For Cheeky Motorists

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    How many times have you been stuck in a queue of traffic waiting to get in or out of a busy town centre, when a cheeky motorist zooms past you in the empty bus lane. Have you ever felt tempted to follow that motorist yourself? What do you have to lose?

    Well, be warned. This practice is illegal and the likeyhood of you being caught has now significantly increased as town councils look to digital CCTV to monitor their bus lanes and no-waiting areas.

    The latest city to implement CCTV technology is Edinburgh where, under plans drawn up by the city council, motorists would be fined £60 if they are recorded commiting traffic violations such as flouting the bus lane rules.

    A pilot scheme in the London borough of Camden which targeted motorists unloading in "no waiting" areas, stopping on yellow-box junctions or making illegal turns has been judged a great success, and will now be used in other London boroughs from later this year.

    Most town and city bus lanes are patrolled by police traffic wardens, but with CCTV surveillance systems now an affordable alternative, many councils are looking to implement the technology to crackdown on the problem more efficiently, and release wardens to carry out work elsewhere.

    The main aims of installing CCTV cameras are to:

    • Reduce congestion;
    • Improve journey times for bus users;
    • Allow the free flow of traffic;
    • Keep the bus lanes clear in order to prevent delays for commuters;
    • Combat inconsiderate motorists.

    By installing a CCTV system, councils not only save police time, but offenders are caught more easily, and extra money is raised for the council coffers, which can go towards improving council-run public services.

  8. Burglars Install CCTV

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    A recent prison survey has revealed that 29% of burglars have installed some kind of digital CCTV system in their own homes, compared to just 4% of the rest of of us. Similarly, 43% of burglars have a home intruder alarm system, compared to just 34% of all households.

    These stats show that even the burglars themselves regard digital CCTV as an effective deterrent – in fact, more than two-thirds of burglars rated CCTV as an effective security measure, saying they would probably or definitely not burgle a home that had a CCTV system installed.

    In addition to CCTV, the survey found that intruder alarms and security lighting were also feared, and properties with these devices installed were generally avoided.

    The detterent abilities of CCTV systems often come into the public spotlight, especially if the technology has been involved in the capture and prosecution of perpetrators. Although this survey was conducted by a relatively small fraction of the UK population, the very fact that there is such trust placed in CCTV from convicted burglars speaks for itself.

    What used to be an expensive and complicated security system has now become affordable due to advances in technology and cheap imports. Modular in design, a system can comprise of virtually any number of CCTV cameras, both covert and overt, and can successfully monitor any surveillance area, provided that area is on private property.

    If you are interested in installing a digital CCTV system on your property, why not give CCTV Surveillance a call and we will be happy to advise you on suitable systems and software for the size and type of your premises.

    Not simply restricted to offices and warehouses, we have a comprehensive range of CCTV equipment ideal for use within residential properties too, all of which provide evidence quality footage that can be used to prosecute thieves, vandals, and trespassers in a British Court of Law.

  9. Technology Solving Crime

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    There are 4 million CCTV cameras in the UK – one for every 15 of us. It is thought, on average, that each one of us is captured on film 300 times every day. Does this booming industry worry you? It shouldn’t, because only the guilty have anything to hide.

    Advances in technology have cut crime and conviction rates by unimaginable proportions compared to just a few years ago. Calls to the government about policing a "nanny state" are well-founded, however over-reaction to new technology isn’t uncommon – after all, we’re all a little afraid of the unknown.

    Examples include the police DNA database, which has helped to detect 500 serious crimes. People suspected of commiting a crime have their DNA entered into the national database, which can then be cross-checked every time a crime is committed. It is thought that by 2008, it will have samples from 4.2 million of us.

    Why is taking our DNA evidence a problem when the vast majority of us will never commit a crime?

    Your mobile phone records can be checked and analysed if you are suspected of committing a crime, which in itself can be deemed an intrusion of privacy. In addition, the very nature of the way that the mobile phone network operates means that your whereabouts can be tracked, and you can be monitored whenever you use your phone.

    Why is tracking our whereabouts a problem? Surely, should a person go missing, the very idea that they can be traced by making a simple phone call makes this technology indispensable.

    Technology is currently being developed, which would be able to track our cars by satellite whenever we enter London. The total mileage travelled will then be added up and a congestion charge applied.

    Is this not a better alternative than the current £8-per-day congestion charge, which is applied to everyone without discretion?

    It is inevitable that advances in technology will lead to more intuitive solutions to our everyday problems, and that crime will almost certainly remain the catalyst, encouraging new ideas and new technology to come to the forefront.

    Some liberals will no doubt harp on about the supposed loss of privacy, or how officials could misuse our data, but in all honesty, the only ones fretting, are those who have something to hide.

  10. CCTV Helps With Lambing

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    With the UK lambing season just about to get started, sheep farmers are increasingly looking to install CCTV cameras in the sheep pen in order to keep an eye on their pregnant ewes.

    Over the last year, in particular, digital CCTV equipment has dramatically dropped in price, providing farmers with a cost-effective solution to the sleepless nights predicted over the coming weeks. Sheep farmers can now afford to invest in the new technology enabling them to get a good nights sleep, safe in the knowledge that their flock are safe and well in their paddock.

    Digital CCTV is ideal for "when the ewe starts lambing as you don’t have to come up, put the lights on, and poke your head over the door, which can upset and disturb them," one farmer noted. It also reduces the likelyhood of problems during the birth, caused by stress generated if a ewe is unnecessarily disturbed.

    The ability to be able to watch the sheep from the comfort of the living room has provided an ideal solution for farmers who do not have much help, or are involved in activities in other areas of the farm.

    The installation of digital CCTV systems on farms is a relatively new concept, largely spurred on by the price and modular qualities of a CCTV network. Not only used to check on livestock, CCTV can monitor farm equipment, and outbuildings can be put under 24-hour surveillance.

    If you are interested in installing a CCTV camera network on your farm, why not contact CCTV Surveillance. We are experts in installing digital CCTV systems in a variety of environments, including factories and farms.

    We will provide your farm with a free security audit, and build a bespoke CCTV network plan tailored to your specific requirements. We will also offer you advice on camera choice, position, and distribution.

    Our standing within the CCTV marketplace also enables us to offer you lease and rental opportunities, whether it be for a short-term lease or a long-term contract.