Do You Really Need Surveillance Equipment?
 by: Steven Rubin


Dangnammit! That’s the third time this month that we’ve come up missing inventory.

Bob was clearly frustrated. His small electronics business couldn’t afford to keep losing money on missing inventory. He knew it had to be one of his employees that was stealing from him, but which one? John had been with him for 6 years, Carrie had been here three years, and Jessie had been here for 6 months without incident.

The answer seemed obvious; Bob had to get one of those Hidden Cameras that he read about on the Internet. His store already had two Security Cameras, but the thief was avoiding them and not showing up on any of the surveillance tapes.

That night, Bob went on line and ordered a hidden camera that was disguised as a wall clock. No one would ever know to avoid this little piece of surveillance equipment because it was an actual working clock with the hidden camera built right in.

A week later when the “clock” arrived, Bob set it to the correct time, put it on the wall, and waited. It only took two days for him to get his answer. It wasn’t an employee at all, it was his own teenage son stealing video recorders and CD players, and selling them to his friends for extra spending money. Bob thought to himself “I don’t know what that kid is doing with money I pay him for cleaning up around here, but he’s going to be working for free for the next six months”.

Hidden cameras have become very popular in recent years. Business owners often use surveillance equipment to keep an eye on employees or their store; they can help to protect the business from theft, vandalism, or just for keeping an eye on things. Parents can use nanny cams to make sure their children are being properly treated while they’re away.

Hidden cameras can come wireless or wired. Wireless hidden cameras use batteries for power, and transmit the images to a wireless receiver that can be set up to view what the hidden camera sees from up to ¼ mile away or more.

Wired cameras will have a physical wire running from the hidden camera to a Monitor, VCR or PC. The wired cameras are not limited by how long they can record for, but the length of the wires limits them to some degree as to where they can be placed.

To determine if you need a wireless or wired hidden camera, consider the length of time you will need to record. Will the batteries hold up long enough? Hidden cameras come in a variety of shapes and disguises. Choose a camera that goes well with the environment around so it will be unnoticeable. If it’s easily noticed, it can’t really be considered a “hidden camera”.

There are many types of hidden cameras and surveillance equipment for all types of situations.

Nanny cams are just another name for hidden cameras. Even if you have a nanny that you feel you can trust, it doesn't hurt to have a nanny cam just to be sure that your children and home are safe. Their popularity grows with every news story about an abusive nanny or baby sitter. Hence the name “Nanny Cam”

The camera might be embedded in children's items such as teddy bears, baby wipe containers, dolls, etc. These items can be placed in the child's room next to other toys. There are also nanny cams for other rooms of the home, including clocks, radios, table lamps, picture frames, mirrors, VCR and DVD players, etc. Every room can have a nanny cam if needed. Just be warned that if your purpose of a hidden camera is to bring out the voyeur in you and spy on someone, you may be breaking a law depending on where you live.

Surveillance systems enable you to observe multiple locations through one localized system. If you need more than a few security cameras, consider a complete surveillance system. With a digital video recording system, your security cameras are set up in different locations and interconnected so you can view all the areas at the same time. You can expand your surveillance system as your business grows. There are also portable DVR surveillance systems for covert operations.

Dummy Cameras look like real security cameras and give an appearance that the area is under surveillance. Dummy cameras are not real security cameras but the thieves won't know if the camera is real or not. Many business owners often use dummy cameras as a deterrent to criminal activity.

Professional cameras are often used to survey large businesses or offices. They can be used inside or outside. Professional cameras can be mounted on wall brackets or ceiling brackets. Some are waterproof for outdoor surveillance, and some are even capable of viewing up to 40’ or 50’ in almost complete darkness.

Hidden cameras and security cameras are great for protecting your children, home, or business property.

You don’t need to be paranoid to see how useful one of these security cameras or surveillance systems can be.

About The Author
Steven Rubin is the owner of North American Security Products, LLC. A company dedicated to providing you with the means to protect and defend yourself against crime.

For more information on Hidden cameras, visit http://www.nasecurityproducts.com where you’ll find a complete line of surveillance equipment for your home and business.

Copyright: 2006