Improve School Safety with CCTV

Improve School Safety with CCTV

School safety is a hot topic, in particular with the day and age we live in. We want to make sure our schools are secure for our children. In this short guide, you will be informed of the top five ways on how to improve school safety with CCTV and security camera systems.

1. Place cameras outside of campus viewing the perimeter

Another way to keep the children safe is by installing CCTV and security camera systems outside the school campus pointed at the perimeter of the school. This way you can catch a terrorist group or disgruntled student before they even get a chance to enter the school. You can see them coming via the IP security camera and meet them at the door to inquire why they are making a visit to the school.

2. Install cameras that have the option of video recording

One of the most critical aspects of choosing CCTV and security camera systems is the ability for the security camera to record video. It is much easier to identify and capture a suspect if you have live video than if you only have a still picture. With video footage from the security camera, you will be able to call the local authorities and show them the video feed when they arrive. This video will be evidence that can be used once the criminal or vandal is captured as irrefutable proof of the crime they committed. It will also keep other students in check in case they were going to attempt vandalism as well. They will rethink their decision as they do not want to get caught on tape.

3. Install security cameras in weak/vulnerable school areas

Sensitive areas of the school campus can include a hallway off the main hall that has an outside door. It would be very easy for a criminal to slip through the exit when no one is watching. They can then hide in an unused area until they are ready to pounce on a child or children. A security camera placed at this out of the way exit would be an excellent way to monitor this area. Other areas that are weak often include gym doors, library doors, and shop room doors as these areas do not always have classes in session at all times of the day.

4. Have a camera on the parking lot and main entrance to the building

One of the most crucial places to install a security camera and CCTV is the main entrances to the school. While your school may have security personnel at the entrances, visitors that intend to do harm can still slip through. In the event terrorism occurs in the school, staff can review the security footage while the school goes on lockdown. They can get the students to safe areas while the shooter is located as they will have his/her picture and subsequent identification on the security camera footage.

As you can see, securing a school is a demanding task. It can be done and done quite well with the help of CCTV and security camera systems. By following our advice on the top five ways on how to improve school safety with CCTV and security cameras, your students will be safer, and you will have peace of mind knowing your school is completely secured from horrible acts of terror.

4 Tips to Prevent Theft in Your Company

4 Tips to Prevent Theft in Your Company

How does one stop theft in business? It is harder to stop than one would think. But it is an issue that occurs time and time again. No business owner wants to be stolen from, especially after you have worked so hard to get where you are. This short guide will explain the top four ways to stop theft in your company.

1. Review accounts often

It is of the utmost importance to keep a close watch on the accounts receivable and payable as well as the petty cash funds and reimbursement receipts that employees are trying to submit. Any employee who has access to the books can be tempted and capable of stealing money. Employees may also try to submit a receipt for reimbursement in which they were not the user of the goods, or it is an item that is not approved for the repayment. Lastly, bookkeepers and accountants are good at what they do. If they were tempted to commit a crime, they could easily make up a fiction vendor who is paid monthly. In actuality, the bookkeeper is paying themselves from your funds, and this is not acceptable. Most times a security camera or other type of monitoring on the accountant or bookkeeper, when they are doing your finances, will keep them from partaking in your hard earned revenue.

2. Install security cameras

One of the largest ways to stop theft in your company is by installing security camera systems. A security camera mounted in the office, warehouse, and break room is an excellent idea to deter disgruntled employees from taking anything from the business. An employee will think twice about taking something that doesn't belong to them when security camera systems are watching their every move. A security camera is also beneficial outside if a criminal happens upon your business and tries to break-in. You will have their profile on film to give to authorities to help capture the burglar.

3. Monitor dwindling supplies of office materials

Not all employees are so brazen to steal cash from the company. But there are other items that employees are likely to take. Warehouse workers and office personnel are tempted and capable of taking items such as envelopes, stamps, paper, ink, tape, staples, and other office goods without the supervisor or owners knowledge. This seems like such a minor amount of money, but added up over the year, it contributes to the financial loss of the company.

4. Monitor unproductive time

Most all employees have some responsibilities on a computer. Whether they are ordering supplies, using email, or some other computer assigned task, they need to use the internet. With this comes a whole host of problems if you do not lock down certain sites and make a public policy regarding unproductive time. When an employee is checking their email or browsing on the internet, this is known as unproductive time. The employee is wasting time, so to speak, when they could be completing other needed tasks. This is a form of theft as your business is not functioning as well as it could be due to unproductive time.

As you can see, theft can be in many forms including supplies, money, and time. Make sure you are not a victim of theft in your company. If you follow our advice on the top four ways to stop theft in your company and invest in security camera systems for both inside and outside the building, you will see your yearly finances grow without any losses to report!

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Tips to Prevent Theft in Your Company

What is WDR in Surveillance Cameras?

WDR stands for Wide Dynamic Range, and is essentially the ability to produce high quality image across a wide range of light levels. For example, the center of an image or scene may be very bright due to the sunlight behind a person entering a doorway (or standing in front of a window), while the areas on either side of the entrance (window) are much darker. In CCTV Cameras without WDR, the person may appear as a shadow with no discernable features. Cameras with WDR will compensate for the variance in light levels to allow a more detailed image across the entire frame. The camera will even showing facial features, hairstyle, etc. while still giving details of the darker areas as well.

WDR can make a big difference in scenes with widely different light levels. The WDR feature in CCTV Cameras can maintain proper image brightness, exposure, and contrast to ensure image clarity. Both analog, HD analog and digital IP cameras offer this function. DB is the value to measure the wide dynamic range in a given surveillance camera. A higher WDR range (for example 120DB), represents camera can catch a greater scale of brightness.

Understanding wide dynamic range (WDR) in CCTV Cameras is critical to capturing high quality images in demanding lighting conditions. However, with no real standards, any manufacturer can claim WDR, and many do even if actual performance is weak, causing confusion for even experienced surveillance camera installers. Digital WDR is a feature on many cameras but is not ‘True’ WDR which is much more effective.

Digital WDR (D-WDR) is a software-based technique in CCTV Cameras. DWDR optimizes image quality by adjusting the gamma (γ) value to enhance dark areas. The Camera D-WDR level, should be carefully adjusted according to the lighting conditions in order to minimize possible image deterioration (i.e. the image being washed out).

True WDR is a sensor-based technology. CCTV Cameras with this technology can produce images with an extremely wide dynamic range. The WDR image sensor can capture several images with short and long exposures, then combining them into a single frame. Generally, True WDR can be adjusted using three pre-set levels (Low/Mid/High) according to the lighting conditions. Proper calibration of WDR level is essential to achieving the best result –setting the WDR level too low may not produce satisfying visibility, while setting the WDR level to high may lead to washed out images. Regardless, True WDR is the more effective technology in Surveillance Camera applications.