A 2019 news article by CBC referenced a report by Statistics Canada that painted a troubling picture on the rise in both the volume and severity of crime in Waterloo. In particular, the report noted a spike in fraud and ‘break and enter’ crimes. 

While it’s true that we can’t all be on the frontlines fighting crime, there’s something you can do to stop this crime wave and protect your business. Investing in a security camera system will give you a set of eyes that will watch your place of business around the clock.

But selecting a security camera system that will work for your business is a challenge without technical knowledge. Where do you even start? What features should you look for? 

This short guide will address those questions.

Tips For Buying The Right Security Camera System for Your Business

1. Consider your security needs

To best protect your business, you need to know the type of security threat you are dealing with. Are they break-ins that happen at night when the business is closed? Is there a pattern to break-ins your local area is experiencing?

If you determine that break-ins are your most urgent security threat, on what specific parts of your building are you most vulnerable? Answers to these questions will inform your decisions on camera type and mounting mechanism. If the camera is going to be exposed to the elements, you will need to choose a weatherproof option.

If other businesses report vandalized security cameras, it means a bullet camera that’s in open view will not deter these criminals. Yours will need to be small and disguisable.

2. Determine the size of the area you want to monitor

The quality of the video footage your security cameras produce depends on a lot of variables, such as the amount of light available and the camera’s field of view. 

If you have a large area to monitor for each camera, it will help to choose larger lenses. Generally, the larger the lens, the farther your camera can see. Again, if you prefer a wired system, the farther your cameras are from the DVR, the more likely it is the picture quality will start to degrade.

With a large area to cover, you will need long-range, higher resolution cameras that produce clear, detailed pictures. If your premises are poorly lit, night vision cameras that have built-in infrared LEDs will be an excellent investment.

3. Will you want to monitor your business premise remotely?

Modern security camera systems now come with a remote monitoring feature. This feature allows you to remotely view live footage from your security cameras. You can check-in at any time to see what is happening while you are away.

Other useful features to consider are motion detection sensors that, together with mobile alerts, enable the system to notify you or your security company every time there is movement on the premise. 

4. Wifi security cameras will give you greater storage options

The biggest handicap with most security cameras on the market today is their limited onboard storage. For a business that generates reels of video footage that you need for future reference, you need much more storage than the DVR will give you.

Wifi security cameras that you can connect to the internet address the storage issue in a big way. They allow you to store all your footage in the cloud to playback on demand. These cameras also don’t require cables and can be moved around with ease.

Security Cameras Have Multiple Other Benefits for Your Business

Security camera systems cannot physically stop criminals from breaking into your place of business. But it is often an effective deterrent. And even when it fails, it is still gratifying that the video evidence your security cameras capture will help to put these criminals away, making our city safer for us all.

Your business in Waterloo needs a good security camera system to deter and help catch criminals. But there are other benefits. The camera system will help monitor and keep your staff honest. On the shop floor, security cameras will help you study how your customers behave so you can serve them better. 

In the event of a workplace accident, video footage of the incident will help you see exactly what happened so you can prevent future accidents and improve worker safety.

Are you shopping for security cameras for your business in Waterloo?

Jay360 is a top vendor and installer of security camera systems serving Waterloo. We stock and install security camera equipment from the world’s top manufacturers. Contact our security experts here for a complimentary consultation.