The New Neighborhood Watch – CCTV
Neighborhood Watch programs have often served as another line of defense against criminals. HOA members and residents watch out for the community during vulnerable times. After Hurricane Harvey, neighbors who were not flooded patrolled entrances to their neighborhoods to keep looters and others away. While this manpower was great during those times, it is not sustainable over time. Video surveillance can help to have eyes on the street to deter crime or gather evidence when there is an event.
Watching the Entrances
Knowing who is coming in the neighborhood is important and can help keep out people who are up to no good. Many communities have gated or guard entries but for those without, cameras are useful to keep watch. A common setup is to have a wide overview camera coupled with a license plate reader (LPR). The LPRs are zoomed in on the area where the car’s license plate is most likely to be in the frame. With the right lighting, these can capture plates at night as well and are very helpful when trying to identify a vehicle deemed suspicious. Ideally the community will have both inbound and outbound cameras at each entrance to provide as many opportunities as possible to catch an offender on video.
Even neighborhoods that do have gated access rely on cameras at the entrances. Some have used the footage to identify vandals. Others have caught drivers who have rammed the gate with their car when frustrated by a delayed entry or exit.
Pools, Parks and Common Areas
Common areas like pools, parks, splash pads and sports courts are good spots for video surveillance. From both a liability perspective for the neighborhood and to ensure people are not breaking the rules, CCTV is a valuable tool. Especially during the summer months when kids are out of school, these amenities tend to be on the receiving end of petty crime. Whether it is vandalism, littering or trespassing, the community wants to put a stop to it and punish the offenders. A CCTV system helps to identify them and document what was done.
Camera footage is also good to have and share with the insurance company if there are any accidents at the pool or other common spaces.
Key Intersections
It would be challenging for a neighborhood to have video surveillance on every street (just the Internet needs alone would make it almost impossible!). Identifying key intersections for cameras can be useful. If there are blind corners or other potentially hazardous spots, cameras would be beneficial in case of accidents. High pedestrian areas are also good camera locations. Just be sure there aren’t any privacy issues related to residents’ homes near the camera sites or within the views.
We Can Help!
Cultris Security has installed CCTV systems for neighborhoods across the Houston area. We are happy to design a solution to help with electronic neighborhood watch for your community as well. Call us at 281-506-8466 or visit us online to learn more.
Image by Richard Mcall from Pixabay
