The recent horrific events in Manchester and London have hit us all hard. Many have suffered from such senseless attacks on our society. They have also made us concerned for our own safety but luckily we have security systems, Southampton or elsewhere that can protect us. All leading to a heightened level of vigilance. You may have read in our earlier blogs how Westminster Council made a decision to turn off their CCTV system over a year ago, simply to save money.
The national threat level was lowered only last week after the incidents in Manchester but is now unquestionably back to critical after the cowardly London atrocities this weekend. The ongoing issues of such decisions to undermine security (like Westminster council turning off their CCTV) are shocking. CCTV cameras can be of endless benefit to the community regardless if you own a business, visit one or even simply walk past it. Now more than ever it should be a priority. We wish to remind everyone the main reason why decent security is so important in these times of crisis.
Here are 5 reminders:
1) Dummy cameras don’t work.
We wrote in our previous blogs how organised professional criminals and terrorist share similar methods. We know an experienced criminal can spot a fake CCTV system anywhere. However what if something happened in /around your premises that affected the public and your fake camera didn’t pick it up?
2) Cameras can protect everyone
They can at least capture the bigger picture in a disaster scenario. CCTV was used in the 2007 attacks on London to capture criminals but as mentioned earlier Westminster council’s decision to turn off their CCTV system has had clear consequences with two incidents in a period of months. Proof CCTV is more help than a hindrance.
3) No replacement for human experience
The news is often reporting that many brave citizens that intervene during attacks are often off-duty professionals working in a security-related industry. This is probably due to the extensive training and experience they receive, proving there is no replacement for human presence in times of security crisis. Many are stating that cutbacks in Police staffing have allowed such opportunities to occur.
Learn More About Manned Guarding
4) Capturing car registrations
ANPR technology means capturing car license plates and is one of the progressive forms of surveillance. Monitoring the traffic in your business can help do its part for greater overall security control at your premises.
5) Emergency contingency
In the event of an incident resembling a civic emergency occurring near you or your community, an early warning sign would really benefit everyone. A wireless alarm system would be effective in community protection and unwanted intruders at your premises, without giving the game away. Wireless systems are more discreet instantly notifying security. Again, we stress it’s not that likely your business would be a target but in a community under attack, it can assist in helping you take care of your customer and staff or anyone else affected.