Seven steps that businesses can take to improve the quality and accessibility of their surveillance systems, as identified by the Montgomery County Police Department are (1) change the camera position from the ceiling to head-and-shoulder height, (2) train all staff in the business on how to operate the camera in the event of a crime, (3) leave the lights on at night and adjust lights, (4) make the move from analog to digital audio/video recording, (5) place cameras on the outside of the building to catch images of intruders/offenders, (6) do not use "proprietary" systems that require police to buy software to decode the surveillance pictures, and (7) consider networking with law enforcement. Video surveillance systems on business premises have the ability to provide vital clues with the potential to lead to an arrest. However, to accomplish this, the resulting images need to be of high quality. These tips from law enforcement are viewed as important and provide law enforcement and retail community with information that could help solve crimes quicker by leveraging available technologies.
Improving Video Surveillance to Solve Crime
NCJ Number
231551
Date Published
August 2010
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This article discusses needed improvements in the quality of video surveillance technology to solve crime highlighting innovations made by the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland.
Abstract