C.C.T.V.
This page last updated: 26th May 2006
News
New Australian Standard for CCTV has been drafted by Australian Standards. Public comment has ceased effective 10 December 2005. The results of the review are still to be released.
C.C.T.V - Closed Circuit Television - For Business. For the home owner, see below.
A basic C.C.T.V system consists of:-
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a number of cameras strategically located through out a building. The cameras now days are color during the day and if enough light is emitted at night, they remain in color or go to black and white operation.
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a Digital DVR Multiplexer to control the cameras & record images in real time/event/motion or schedule mode
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an LCD monitor to display the camera pictures.
As the PACOM Lite system is displayed above. 4 cameras, DVR & LCD monitor. All yours fully installed for less than $3,000 including g.s.t. Ring us today for a free no obligation quote.
Further enhancements include:
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Internet capable
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PTZ = Pan Tilt Zoom = means you can control a particular camera with a joy stick to look, zoom in or out or tilt in a direction you require.
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Lens designed to meet your specific needs ie. long range, wide angle etc.
The Pacom Lite system has an RS-485 port for PTZ control but is NOT internet capable.
A quality C.C.T.V system is NOT cheap.
The benefits to your business of having a quality C.C.T.V system include
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a perception of above average security being provided by your organisation
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deters criminal activity & or abusive behaviour by customers to your staff
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provides a record of vehicles and people in and out of your premises
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watches over your staff, visitors and company cars
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monitor the cash till and or cash room for verification purposes
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reduce your security manpower costs by covering remote access areas with cameras
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deter stock shrinkage by staff and customers
Types of camera housings:
External camera with hood: 
Combine with PTZ to pan tilt or zoom this camera would provide excellent outdoors coverage of your car park, street, play area or storage area.
Dome camera: 
Overt camera - non vandal resistant: 
Spy cameras: Cameras in each one of these everyday items: 
Lens:
The camera is one part the other is the lens you use to further enhance the picture quality.
Retailers
Why retailers should consider a quality C.C.T.V system.
Stock shrinkage is defined as the difference between the book value of a retailers stock at selling price and the actual value of the stock on hand. The causes for this
loss could include theft by customer, theft by employees, poor invoicing, poor receiving and despatch procedures, poor record keeping and theft or mismanagement by suppliers staff.
If you know what your stock shrinkage rate is, you can compare the cost of a quality C.C.T.V system versus the expected savings in stock loss multiplied by 10 years (the expected life of the system)
Various retailer surveys conducted since 1981 would suggest between 1 to 2% of sales on average are lost through retail shrinkage. Further, stores with just an owner and 2 staff the figure can rise to 7%. (source Australian Institute of Criminology "preventing retail crime")
Estimates vary on each of the causes of stock shrinkage and could be different depending on how big your store and how many staff and customers you have, the location of your store and the socio economic climate in your area. Surveys suggest the following breakdown of shrinkage attributed to:
30 - 60% customer theft
30 - 50% employee theft
10 - 20% poor record keeping
Reports by some retailers suggest that the installation of a quality C.C.T.V system can significantly reduce your stock shrinkage due to employee and customer theft.
Example: assume 1% of your retail sale stock is lost through shrinkage. deduct 15% of that figure due to poor record keeping = .85 of 1% of your stock losses are due to customers and staff. If your store turnover is $160,000 pa = a stock shrinkage due to employee and staff at $1,360.00 per annum. Multiply by 10 years = $13,600
Assuming a quality C.C.T.V system will reduce this figure by a factor of 70% you should save $9,320.00 over 10 years.
If your retail shrinkage is 7% then the cost on figures above = $11,200.00pa with $9,320 pa due to staff and customers. That equates to a massive $93,200 over 10 years. A quality C.C.T.V system could save your business $65,240 over 10 years!
Now you know why you should consider a quality C.C.T.V system.
If you do not know what your stock shrinkage rate is we suggest the following.
Call your Accountant and ask for their advice, as they should know your business, they should have some ideas about how to track stock losses. Or, conduct a complete & through stock take and then repeat the same process in say three months. Or select at random a representative group of your items you sell. Stock take those items now and again in one to three months time. Hint, keep the real reason for the stock take to yourself otherwise staff, no matter how loyal, may try and fudge the figures.
Items to consider for your C.C.T.V. system
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will all or some of the cameras be located indoors
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will all or some of the cameras be located outdoors
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will the camera need to be vandal proof (as seen on train stations)
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will the camera need to be bullet proof (cash office use)
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will the camera have a microphone and be used for surveillance
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will the camera have to read car number plates
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will the camera need to be off rugged design for heavy duty use
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will the camera be fixed in one place or be a PTZ* camera
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will the camera be in an overt or covert position
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will the camera if in an overt position, use a dome to disguise camera direction
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will the camera need to be disguised
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will the camera picture be black and white, or
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will the camera provide a color picture
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will the C.C.T.V system be analogue, or
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will the C.C.T.V system be digital?
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will the system provide historic evidence, or
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will someone be actively monitoring the pictures and reacting to any incidents
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do you have a secure area to base the DVR & monitor.
Note: *PTZ = Pan, Tilt, Zoom. (camera can move around, look up or down and zoom in or out)
Legal Considerations
Should you have signs up around the building advising people you have video cameras installed?
Legal experts in privacy law would probably argue you should.
The problem is you could be sued by a victim of an incident at your building if you proclaim to have C.C.T.V. and there is no camera covering the particular incident.
We also strongly believe you should have written operating procedures & practices in place to cover the day to day operation of the cameras including what is and what is not appropriate to film and concentrate on. i.e. if you have people operating the system they should be informed in writing, not to concentrate on people of the opposite sex or women with short skirts or low tops. It is potentially embarrassing to an organisation and could lead to a financial payout. Your written procedures should be tested and reviewed from time to time to ensure compliance.
We suggest you talk with your lawyers and your insurance company before you install a C.C.T.V. system to ensure the correct requirements for your building and business are covered or excluded from the system.
If you answer to all these questions we can get down to designing and quoting a quality C.C.T.V. system to your requirements.
C.C.T.V. in Operation
You have gone to the expense of purchasing a quality C.C.T.V. system from Aegis Security. Now you have to make use of the system.
Summary
We believe the information above will help you decide on the type of C.C.T.V. system you can afford and use at your business.
Call Aegis Security now on 03 9763 1988 and arrange a free no obligation quote on a quality C.C.T.V. system
C.C.T.V. For the Home user
How would you like to match up your CCTV system with your alarm system?
How about if your computer sends you an SMS picture of what your cameras are seeing at that moment, at your home after your alarm has been activated to your 3 G mobile phone?
Surelabs video surveillance solutions have developed the Stringray Professional 2002 and we are linked to Australia's only distributor.
Connection for two local cameras.
see: www.surelabs.com/p-sp02-2.htm for full details and techinical requirements.
Retail $120.00 - but we may just be in the mood to do a deal with some guarenteed home monitoring!!
Call us now.
