While we are all trying to get on and get by, we’re seeing increasing rates of burglaries and car thefts. Intruders have become more adept at breaking the locks and barriers which are put in place to prevent entry, through lock snapping. So what do you do if you want to protect your property but don’t want to spend a fortune? The first systems that will spring to mind will be a burglar alarm or CCTV – so what’s best?
To start, it’s best to know what you’re looking at.
Burglar alarms
Consisting of a series of electrical components, a burglar alarm works through using contacts and sensors. Connected to a property, they detect movement, unusual sounds, the movement of doors and glass breaking, and raise an alarm to alert people. We’re all used to the concept of burglar alarms, but they can take some getting used to.
Burglar alarms are used in residential properties, garages, business and commercial premises, including shops, offices, restaurants, hotels and warehouses… everything including the shed.
CCTV cameras
We will all have experienced CCTV – while in shops and even walking down the street. If you use the self-service tills in supermarkets, you will have got a close up of yourself processing your shopping.
CCTV stands for Closed Circuit Television. Through a series of strategically placed cameras, footage is recorded and transmitted so that it can be viewed on monitors in real-time, and recorded for video playback. When people refer to a CCTV system, this includes every part of the set up, including the cameras, wiring, monitors, access control system and its management.
What’s best?
It depends what you want. It can also depend on how isolated your property is, and whether you would like to follow up on an intrusion.
The impact of a burglar alarm relies on people hearing it – so that people within the property know that there is an intruder, and/or people outside know that help is needed.
While CCTV alone doesn’t raise an alarm to abnormalities, it will send you alerts and notifications. A CCTV system is particularly helpful if you have a larger or commercial property, or you are away from it for long periods.
Is it better to get a mix of both?
For all the positive reasons for getting them, in short – yes. Together they will record what is happening so that you can use the footage as evidence, and they will also alert people that something is happening.
However, each property is different – and each is worth protecting. If you would like a free, no-obligation security consultation, please get in touch.
Photo by Posessed Photography on Unsplash
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