2024-01-14 19:56:24
Who’s watching? Anyone who installs networked surveillance cameras must be aware of the risks. Image: Lando Hass
The house is becoming digital: a camera can be used to follow what is happening at home. Does this protect against a break-in? Surveillance cameras pose risks.
Surveillance cameras offer no guarantee that there will be fewer break-ins. In 2019, researchers from the USA evaluated 76 studies from various industrialized countries. Cameras reduced the risk of crime by 13 percent, but this was primarily in parking garages and public areas in residential areas. Of the ten studies that examined the effect of video cameras in apartments and houses, only two showed a decrease in crime. According to the study’s conclusion, it is possible that one should not just rely on the cameras alone, but rather that they must be integrated into an overall security concept with additional measures.
This is also supported by a study from Malaysia from 2022 with 456 individual houses. Architectural and landscape features had a greater influence on whether or not there was a break-in. “Natural” surveillance in the form of a clear view of the surrounding area from windows, visible courtyards and free space between houses without high walls or hedges, as well as bright lighting, reduced burglaries more than surveillance cameras. “Whether a camera is worth it depends on the need for security,” says Günther Ohland, board member of the Smarthome Initiative Germany. “Even if break-ins cannot be prevented, the images can help clarify the situation. Many a burglar is caught in the act because the cameras alerted the homeowner via cell phone.”
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