Security Company Gives the Facts About CCTV

As a security company in Southampton, we’re always keeping an eye on the statistics available when it comes to our security solutions. So this week, we decided to take a look at the statistics surrounding CCTV systems and the ways that they’re used in Southampton and across the UK in general.

The UK is the most surveilled country in the world

Beginning in the 1980s, the British government launched an initiative to increase the amount of CCTV surveillance across the country. The result is that now there are 1.85 million CCTV cameras operating across the UK (this figure takes into account privately operated cameras owned by a security company, as well as those owned by the government). Naturally, London is one of the places with the highest levels of surveillance (in the UK and world in general!), and the average Londoner is caught on CCTV more than 300 times a day.

The number of privately owned (security company) CCTV cameras surpasses those owned by the police

The number of CCTV cameras owned either by citizens or by a private security company outweighs the number of cameras owned by the police by a ratio of around 7:1. CCTV from a private security company is largely rented or bought by a private citizen to deter criminals from trespassing on private property. Private property includes homes and businesses.

Find out more about CCTV in Southampton! 

Public spending on CCTV has decreased

Due to government cuts, we are currently seeing a decrease in public spending on CCTV cameras in the UK. Between 1999 and 2012, the number of cameras installed in public places by local authorities increased from 21,000 to over 51,000. More recently, much less public money has been spent on maintaining and installing security cameras. This doesn’t mean that CCTV is falling out of favour; rather it means that cameras from a private security company are more commonly being bought or rented by members of the public.

CCTV technology is always improving

In 2018, we’re seeing huge technological leaps on a nearly day-to-day basis. If people in the 1980s could see the work that’s being done with CCTV cameras now, it would be mind-blowing. Newer technology such as HD cameras and wireless cameras are continuing to change the ways in which we use CCTV. We’re now making much more use of technology such as cloud storage to collect big data and provide real-time footage. There’s no doubt that we’re on the cusp of the next exciting technical innovation for CCTV.

CCTV does prevent crime

CCTV isn’t just used as a way to catch criminals in the act. Rather, it’s used by both the police and by a security company to deter criminals from entering a property altogether. Criminals, naturally, are less likely to commit a crime if they believe that there’s a high risk of them getting caught. Adding CCTV to a property means that most criminals will be far less likely to take the risk.

If you’re worried about the security of your property, get in touch today. At Veritech, we’re dedicated to providing top of the range security solutions to keep your business safe from criminal activity.

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