KEEPING THE HOLIDAYS SECURE

It's the most wonderful time of the year, as the singer tells us. Candy canes and holiday cheer aren't the only things on our minds, though: the festive season is also one of the most difficult in terms of theft and other crime for businesses around America.

While we all wish for better times to come, the chaos of Christmas is the perfect cover for many criminals to make a move on your merchandise. This sort of behavior, unfair and unseasonal, is just the thing to spoil an otherwise perfect holiday season for owners of retailers everywhere.

Need some advice? Well, we don't claim to be the three wise men, but we know the equipment and practise that will give you an edge in your effort to keep the holidays pleasant for everyone.

Security Cameras: Santa's Other Little Helpers

When it comes to security in your place of business, it takes the right tools to keep material losses to a minimum, and profits at their best. We've discussed a wide variety of cameras in previous posts, but the two most suited to an average indoor business context are the bullet camera and the dome camera.

Dome cameras are very likely the most effective piece of equipment, and the most popular, in retail. Not only are they fairly unobtrusive - for the sake of those folks who are just there to shop - but they are also recognisable enough for the potential shoplifter to see and fear. They're also an economic choice when money is tight: a few can be used to cover a wide area simply because it is so difficult to tell in which direction they are pointed, and the criminal may choose not to take their chances.

An equally effective choice is the bullet camera. In a smaller format, this technology is perfect for use as a highly visible form of crime deterrence and loss prevention. Its presence is clearly felt, and its field of view is obvious. You'll need to cover every area - particularly problem areas - with these cameras, but cutting corners usually isn't the best strategy in any case.

Working with Your Security Cameras

Cameras alone are typically only part of an overall strategy. Staff should be alert to suspicious behavior at all times, and aware of the environment in which they work. For especially high-value merchandise, it's not a bad idea to include paid security staff of one kind or another. For the most part, though, making sure that you and your employees are active observers will go a long way together with security cameras.

Keep your work environment clear and well organised, and try to arrange the facility internally so as to facilitate an open field of vision for both cameras and staff. In a very busy time of year like Christmas, don't hesitate to bring in extra staff, or to implement a security camera system if you haven't before.

Eye Spy Electronics is here to help you meet the challenges of the holiday season, and to thrive through the intensity of it all. Give us a call today at 877-821-4880, an email at sales@eyespyelectronics.com, or visit us online. We're available year round, and ready to support you in any need. Ask us about our free consultations.

Dan Parrington is a freelance content writer for a variety of small businesses across the web. He operates out of his primary business website, The Parrington Review. You can contact him at dan@parringtonreview.com.

PERIMETER SECURITY BASICS

Last week we covered the essentials of interior security, from changing locks and storing valuables to motion sensors and offsite monitoring services. This week, we're going to take a closer look at some perimeter security basics that can keep a criminal from even entering your home in the first place.

It can be said that the basic difference between perimeter protection and interior security is this: while perimeter security emphasises personal safety, interior security is oriented toward protection of property. Interior security practises limit the likelihood of serious losses when a break-in does occur, and can often facilitate recovery of stolen goods; perimeter protection can often prevent a burglary in the first place, or at least alert the occupants of a home to an intrusion.

Everyday Home Perimeter Security Practises

Having sufficient lighting at all doors, windows and other openings around your home can be one of the most powerful deterrents to criminal activity. Without the cover of darkness, the would-be intruder loses confidence; their activities are plain for anyone to see, especially at the areas of entry.

Along the same vein, having good lighting in the front and rear of your property can be tremendously helpful. Encourage your neighbors to do the same!

Reduce available cover, such as from shrubs or bushes around your home. Keeping greenery trim and small in size is not only attractive overall, but useful in a practical way: criminals will be less capable of concealing themselves, and thus be less likely to target your home for a break-in.

Many homeowners keep a pet, most often a dog, on their property. This is one of the oldest and most effective ways of preventing unwanted visitation, as a dog will instinctively react to the presence of strangers, alerting both you and neighbors. Remember that a well-trained animal is always more useful in this capacity, as this will reduce false alarms and irritation.

Cameras as a Powerful Criminal Deterrent

Short of the much more high-cost and complex solutions that exist, the standard security camera is the ultimate in basic outdoor perimeter protection.

Many types of security cameras have been discussed in previous posts here on Safety and Security in St. Louis / St. Charles Missouri. Each one has a particular application; we're going to explore those options now.

The bullet camera is the most common and recognisable form of perimeter security around. Known for its distinctive rectangular shape and noticeable presence, the basic bullet camera sends a universal message to potential intruders: these premises are monitored and recorded, and your actions will not go without being noticed. Even before any criminal activity is ever recorded, the bullet camera makes the home intruder think twice before making a move on your property.

As a more advanced solution, the PTZ (pan, tilt and zoom) camera and speed dome camera are a very potent means of preventing and recording unwanted visitors from violating your peace of mind. With the ability to either manually or automatically monitor a wide area, the continual activity and active observation of such a device is a sure thorn in the side of home invaders. A moving camera such as one of these is even more of a deterrent, as it suggests active and ongoing measures against intrusion on the part of a homeowner.

Your Best Security Solution

Having offsite monitoring services in place can often be the ultimate in preventing or responding to trespassers of any kind. When you hire Eye Spy to keep tabs on your security feed, we can alert you and the police to any violation of your privacy - within minutes. This is the eye in the sky that criminals fear the most.

Whatever your perimeter security need, Eye Spy Electronics has the solution for you. Contact us today by phone (877-821-4880) or email (sales@eyespyelectronics.com) to get a free quote and discuss your best home security strategy.

Dan Parrington is a freelance content writer for a variety of small businesses across the web. He operates out of his primary business website, The Parrington Review. You can contact him at dan@parringtonreview.com.

UNDERSTANDING THE SECURITY CAMERA

All Surveillance Systems Are Not Equal

Deciding to install a security camera system at your home or business is certainly a firm first step, but it is by no means the last one you'll take. There are a variety of surveillance tools available today, and knowing which one suits your need can make all the difference.

Let's have a look at several of the most common types.

Bullet Camera

 

These devices are named for their shape - sometimes as minimal as 2 inches long, their streamlined, cylindrical form says it all. They are generally mounted on ceilings or walls in a fixed position, served by a simple focal lens.

Bullet cameras tend to be inexpensive and of simple installation, but incur serious limitations in terms of image quality and coverage because of their simple construction. This is a good option for the budgeting consumer - any video surveillance is better than none, after all.

Dome Camera

 

So-called for its transparent dome-shaped housing, this camera is most often mounted on a ceiling, but can be placed on a wall as well, depending on what range of view is desired. The dome can be tinted to obscure the camera's known line of sight.

Dome cameras allow for a relatively non-invasive form of surveillance in an indoor setting. They remind the occupants of a home or patrons of a business that the area is being safely monitored without creating an aggressively monitored environment.

PTZ and Speed Dome Cameras

 

These amount to variations on the bullet and dome formats; in both cases, the standard device has been enhanced with the ability to extend its range and zoom by means of motorised adjustments in position and focus.

PTZ is the acronym for pan/tilt/zoom. A bullet camera modified in this way is able to pan left or right, tilt up and down, and zoom in or out. The speed dome camera is a dome setup with spin functionality. In either of these setups, the control can be manual or automated, as in a timed cycle.

PTZ and speed dome cameras are much more advanced than their simple counterparts, and thus carry a heftier tag. It's easy to imagine, though, the advantages they carry over fixed installations in terms of range and quality of coverage.

Covert Camera

 

While a covert camera may not always be radically different from the construction types listed above, it has a very specific purpose: to record without being noticed.

The covert camera can simply be a dome or bullet camera installed discreetly, or it can take the form of a tiny camera, such as a board camera, installed within an obscuring object. The camera within a clock or smoke detector is a good example of this.

It's important to note that while a covert camera may be exactly what you need in a given application, it is illegal in many states to record an individual without their knowledge. Keep this in mind before deciding to install covert surveillance.

Every Camera Has a Home at Eye Spy Electronics

There are more varieties of camera than this article has listed, and we'll follow up on that later this week.

Whether you're looking for an intricate and extensive public installation, or something very simple and budget-oriented for your home, Eye Spy Electronics has the solution for you.

We have dozens of possible variations on the theme, but with our experience and expertise, we'll quickly narrow it down to just the right product for your need. Visit us at our company website to see what we have to offer, or stop by our security forum for some Q&A. We're never too busy to answer your questions.

Remember, folks: your peace of mind is our business. Visit us and receive your free quote today!

Dan Parrington is a freelance content writer for a variety of small businesses across the web. He operates out of his primary business website, The Parrington Review. You can contact him at dan@parringtonreview.com.

Small Business Security is Key

Small business owners have a lot of things they need to worry about, especially in today's economy. Anybody who has ever tried to run a small business knows that creating a profitable business is hard and can even be fairly expensive. Because of the woes pressed on many small business owners, why should they become the victim of theft or even feel the need to worry about it?

It has been noted that property crimes have been declining recently but 1 out of every 8 small businesses falls victim to theft or burglary. Small businesses face and even greater threat to their safety due to the fact that they are more likely to be a target. Many thieves target small businesses as opposed to larger ones because they perceive small businesses to be easier to rip off.

Businesses, big and small, already do a lot to prevent internal theft with background conviction checks, past employment verification and employee education but to get a true sense of complete security the only way to go seems to be a security camera system. Security cameras have proven to be a strong deterrent to criminal activity surrounding businesses where they are set, both with internal and external crimes.

Most people think twice about committing a crime when a visible security camera is noticed. The fact that there could be concrete, physical evidence of their crime is something most criminals do not think twice about messing with. Employees are also less likely to commit employee theft or vandalism if they perceive that they will be caught.

However, even though a lot of criminals will pass your business up if it has security cameras installed, there are the bold ones out there who could care less about your security camera system and will rob you blind without a second thought, security camera system or not. The positive side to this is that if a criminal is dumb enough to commit a crime in view of a fully functional security camera system it makes it a whole lot easier to identify the person and even makes it easier to recover your stolen property.

The best thing about a small business security camera system is that they come in a wide range of styles, models, packages and prices. Small business owners can get a very basic security camera system installed for $1,000. But if you want top notch equipment then you can get that too, for a higher price mind you. An average security camera system will run you anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 and can be a CCTV or IP Security Camera System allowing you to view your security camera feed anywhere you have internet access.

Bullet Security Cameras and Dome Security Cameras, two of the most popular types, can start as low as $80 for a black and white camera and $150 for a full color camera. Lenses come in a variety of different sizes ranging from 2.5mm to 500mm and most lenses can be changed at will with little or no problem whatsoever. For people who need to cover varying angles but don't want or need multiple cameras, a PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) camera is perfect as it allows users to remotely move the camera to view any and all viewing angles.

Protection is key for any business owner, especially small business owners who may be having to be careful financial as it is. The last thing they need to worry about is trying to replace expensive equipment that has been stolen. Improve your business security now before it is too late by getting a security camera system that has the potential to deter and even catch criminals that are trying to rip you off.

---

For more Missouri Small Business Security Camera systems and news, visit Eye Spy Electronics, St. Louis' premiere security camera professionals.