He already owned two separate security cameras in the front and back of the store. The culprit was avoiding the cameras while commiting said acts and not appearing on any of the surveillance tapes. Later that day, Steve logged onto the internet and placed an order for a hidden camera disguised as a clock. His employees had no idea that he was ordering another camera, and with it being an actual working clock; they would never know to avoid it either. The recent string of incidents looked to be heading towards a close for Steve's workplace.

A few days later the clock arrived, and Steve mounted it against the wall facing the merchandise the had the most thefts. Only a couple days had passed before Steve found his culprit. It turned out to be none of his employees stealing from his store but his own son. He stole CD and DVD players and pawned them off to friends for some extra spending money. Steve sat in his office, "I don't know what on earth he could be doing with the money I give him to clean the store up, but he'll be working for free for a long time now."

Small, hidden cameras have become famous over the last few years. Many private business owners have started utilizing these devices to keep track of employees and limit their store from theift, vandalisim, or simply to watch over things. Even private home owners are installing small security devices in their homes to watch sitters and nannies to make sure their child is being taken care of. It is often an ease to know for the parents that they have video evidence of any abuse they might find.

These hidden cameras can come with either wired or wireless. The wireless versions are battery operated, and send the pictures to a receiver that can be placed anywhere within a 1/4th mile radius from the camera itself. While wired cameras on the other hand have an actual physical wire that runs to the receiver which can be a VCR, TV, or PC. The wired cameras have no real limit to how long they can record footage, but their wireless counterparts on the other hand can only last as long as the batteries. The wireless cameras can be mounted anywhere within a setting, but the wired cameras limit placement due to the wiring.

It is better to first determine how long you need to be able to record before you choose which camera to install. Make sure that the batteries won't run out before you can catch what you are looking for. Hidden cameras come in all different forms and sizes. Make sure to choose the correct one; if it's obvious, then it isn't a hidden camera. Utilize camoflague to hide it.

There are many different types of surveillance systems for different situations. Hidden cameras are often refered to as "nanny cams". Even though you feel that you can trust your nanny, it is never a bad thought to have a couple installed throughout the home. They gain popularity when news stories about abusive nannies or sitters air on television. Which is why they have gained the title "nanny cam".

The camera can be placed inside everyday items that the child may use such as baby whips, a teddy bear, dolls, etc. The items are then returned to the room amongst the child's other belongings. Other cameras can be purchased for other rooms in the guise of picture frames, VCRs, DVD players, radios, clocks, etc. You can place a camera in every room of the house if need be. Use caution when placing cameras. Voyeurism is not tolerated and unlawfull in certain states and can carry hefty penalties.

Surveillance systems allow the user to watch multiple places at once from a single location. If more than a few hidden cameras are needed, then a full surveillance system should be considered. The video system is set up where the user may sit within one room of the house or building and watch several rooms at once with the ability to record them. Also, the user has the ability to expand the system if needed in the future. Portable DVR surveillence systems are also made available.

Dummy cameras appear to be real cameras but in fact are not. They are used to make the area looked like it is under surveillence to onlookers when in reality, it isn't. The owner will know that these cameras do not work, but the criminals will not. Many places of business use this method to deter criminal activity.

Professional cameras are often used to monitor the bigger companies and businesses. They are able to be used indoors or outdoors. These cameras can be mounted on ceiling brackets or wall brackets. Some cameras are able to read 40' to 50' in the dark while others are made waterproof for outdoor use. Hidden cameras and surveillence systems are useful for protecting your home, family, or business. You don't have to be neurotic to see how useful these surveillence systems can actually be.

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Currently systems have been made by a company called Geovision that allows a person to use their personal home PC as a surveillance tool. All that is needed is the surveillance software and upgrades to be able to record all the happenings around the home. There will no longer be any worries when people are over for a party ,or concerns that a nanny or sitter will be properly attending to the children left in their care. With the current advances from companies like Geovision, any standard computer can be converted into a full surveillance system.

Installation is simple. A surveillance card is mounted within the computer and a cable is attached from the card to the cameras that are around the house. If the computer is connected to the internet, the cameras can be logged into through the IP from other locations and watched. Upgrades are available which support the use of up to sixteen different cameras to run off one PC. The only limitations involved with the video surveillance lies within how much hard-drive space is available for recording. The video format is saved in a compact formatt which is saved within a terrabyte drive. The video can then be saved and exported to other devices for further use.

The difficulty by which these cards are to be installed varies between manufacturer. Geovisions, which is a company that produces these surveillance systems for the home computer, sells cards and systems that can be installed within hours. Surveillance cameras can be mounted using simple screwdrivers and drills. The proper power lines can be run using the same tools. Within minutes after plugging in your surveillance system and powering up, you will begin seeing signals being recieved. After this occurs, properly divide your harddrive space and start collecting DVR signals from the cameras. With up to sixteen seperate cameras attached, watching over the home can be accomplished with ease.

Questions such as, "Is the babysitter's boyfriend over ?" while you are out can now quickly become answered with a simple review of the video. Every move made by the babysitter will have been recorded and left readily on your desktop or within a save folder for your viewing. With the costs of these surveillance systems being fairly reasonable, it has made it to where it is no big stretch for anyone to enjoy the safe feeling of home security. Surveillance systems can be enjoyed in the privacy of the home now.

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Audio surveillance equipment sometimes is a must when monitoring something. For example, private investigators and police officers often use these devices to tape crucial conversations over the phone or face-to-face that is in turn used against the criminals. These devices can come in any form. For example, a button on a man's coat or even a common hat. Even simple items such as a pair of sunglasses or a lighter can be audio devices. The largest advantage to each of these listening devices is that they can be used to record valuable data without even being worn.

A good example would be someone putting down a cigerette lighter and accidently forgetting it while they walk out of a room. No one would suspect that the lighter is recording everything that happens within the room. In these cases an everyday item with one of these spy devices in it can come in extremely handy. There are even microphones that are so tiny, they are hard to see from a distance so they don't need to be hid really well.81 There are some as small as 1/8 of an inch in diameter. That means you could take a piece of gum out of your mouth and place a device beneath a table to record conversation without anyone even noticing.

An audio device could even be incorporated into a person's clothing or other personal accessories such as a purse, earrings, or even hairpieces. The most commonly known about audio surveillance device is a phone bug. The term bug has already been heard by most people from movies and television where it is used quite often. A phone bug is simply an audio deviced placed on or inside of a phone that is used for surveillance on conversations. It in turn sends the signal to a device that streams audio of the suspects voice. Often times phone bugs aren't even placed within a phone.

The device is usually placed around the phone and imitates some other everyday object such as a clock, a watch, etc. Another usefull feature that some bugs may have is they no longer record nonstop. They can be set to only come on when there is a conversation taking place. Also you can hear only recorded voices on some and don't have to strain through background sounds. Audio surveillance can be usefull when needing to hear private testamonies.

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They are popular when dealing with home security for the simple fact that they can be built to resemble practically any normal household item such as smoke detectors, clocks, laps, raios, flowerpots, childrens toys, and the list continues. In fact, surveillance cameras have the ability to be built into practiacally any household item you can come up with. It is for this reason why they are able to blend into the settings of the room with such ease while still completing the task they was degin for, surveillance. Thirty years ago hidden cameras were mainly used by large corporate businesses, government agencies, and a few exotic millionaires who had the cash needed to afford them.

In this day and age however, surveillance equipment has been made cheap enough for anyone to be able to afford it. Also more and more stores are carrying cameras with this type of technology. No longer is it very hard for the common man to aquire such a device. Over the years with technology advancing at the rate it has, surveillance cameras have become much smaller and less expensive then they once were. And despite what most people believe, these are no longer devices that are considered exotic luxuries. They are also not just used by voyeurs or spies of the world. Small businesses are now able to catch people in the acts of counter theft, violence, vandalism, or sabotage.

Home owners can now leave their home without as much worry as to what will happen to all their prized possessions. They can feel free to take that vacation with the comfort that if something does happen, they will have video footage to show law enforcement officers. This could lead in the arrest of a group of burglers who may have been targeting your area next. Many business will still place surveillance cameras in plain view of the customers. This is used as more of a scare tactic then for surveillance uses. A person is a lot less likely to steal or break something if they think they are being watched by a camera. This is also true for employees to keep up a good work ethic while in the store.

Nanny cams are another name for hidden cameras. These are slowly gaining more and more popularity in the everyday world and for a good reason. Everyone hopes they can trust the person they leave in charge of their children, but in today's world that sometimes is not the case. With a well placed camera you can either confirm your suspicions or at least put your mind at east by having video surveillance of how the sitter or nanny treats your children while you are not present in the home. Also many of these cameras have the ability to view the real time video right over the internet from another PC or a PC within your home. With all these advances in the world of surveillance, maybe it will help to decrease the level of crime in the country.

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A person now has the convenience of using their webcam (connected through a PC) as a security device. All needed to use the webcam in such ways is a rather inexpensive (compared to a full security system) software and the appropriate hardware. Some software will even allow the user to connect more then one camera to it at once. There can be as many as 16 cameras working at once on one PC. Webcam surveillance allows the user to detect even the slightest of movements and start recording almost the very instance it occurs. Basically this means that the software does not have to be running at all times in order to maintain the area's surveillance. This also helps to save the users hard-drive space on the computer.

Storing video on a computer takes a lot of memory at times. Full 24 hour surveillance can take up to 1 GB of hard-drive space to store. Image quality and crispness is a big factor in how much space it will take to store images and video. The lower the quality of the images stored the less the bandwidth it takes to save them. Another way to lessen how much space is required is to change the FPS (frames per second) to a lower number.

Before choosing what kind of software to use there are a few points to consider. If you need to record conversations, then make sure the webcam software has audio recording fuctionability. Remote access is also an important option. If set to record a certain area, then it should be able to set-up an internet connection so the user may check the findings via another computer. Make sure the videos are compressable. This will help save much needed hard-drive space. If the video can not be compressed then the hard-drive will fill up too quickly and the camera will no longer be able to save what it is recording. Motion detection is a very important option. This will limit the recording to only when motion is going on in the room. That way it won't record an empty room thus having unimportant video on your hard-drive. Some software alerts the user when something has been detected in the recording vision. When activated an e-mail or even a phone number is dialed to let the user know something has been recorded. Make sure you have the ability to record through more then one camera. This will allow the user to view more then one area and thus have a more secure home. Arguably the most important feature is the ability to have a stealth mode. Where only the user may access the video files instead of just anyone else at random. It is wise to make sure your software has most of the abilities listed to recieve the full benefits of a home surveillance system.

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By the time you have read the rest of this article at least two more burgleries will have occured in the United States. Property crimes happen every 3 seconds and home burglary happens every 15 seconds, which is a scary thought. Normally when a burgler is looking for his next stop, he takes in all the houses in a specific neighborhood. Most study each place and look for weakness that they can exploit. How your home appears to the criminal tells him if he can succeed in breaking in or not. If he views it as a hard task chances are he'll move on to the next one or leave the area entirely.

There are very inexpensive ways to protect yourself from intruders. Motion Activated Spotlights are an excellent way to protect the home. Most are fairly easy to install and inexpensive. Remember most burglers operate in the cloak of night so spotlights would definately turn away potential break-ins. Signs for other alarm companies is a good way to inexpensively avoid being the target of a burgler. Burglers are often smart in the sense that they do their homework on homes they have plans to break into. If they see a sign that states the home is protected by a specific system then they are more likely to leave that house alone. Neighborhood Watch Program Signs are also a good way to avoid being victumized by said burglers. It is the same idea as the alarm company sign. If the burglers think that the area is being watched by anti-crime programs they are more likely to move on from the home. If you don't have a program already going in your area then contact the local police force and they will start one. Dummy Surveillance cameras are also a very good item to have in cases of avoiding burglary. Most come equiped with a fake flashing red light and warning labels stating that the property is under surveillance. They are also a fraction of the cost of a real surveillance system. NRA stickers are very good to keep burglers away. These stickers warn the intruders that the person within the house is armed. It is best to place the sticker where it can be viewed from the road just for the added boost.

The key is to advertise to the criminals that your house is being protected in any way possible. A person does not have to spend large sums of money on fancy surveillance systems to have their own one that is practical and works. WIth these tricks adding a couple of hidden cameras can make a house almost invincible. Remember, it is up to you as an individual to protect your own house. Keeping family members safe is a huge reward in itself.

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Effective management of shrinkage allows the price of items to stay relatively low for consumers while taking in the appropriate amount of profit. A lot of retail store owners think that in order to put a stop to or control shrinkage they must first buy an expensive surveillance system, which is not true. The people you employee, or your sales force, should be the first line of defense when combating shrinkage. Everyone knows that your sales force can't be expected to act like security guards or police enforcement officers, but the visual prescence of them can be enough to help combat shrinkage.

It is easy to teach your sales force how to help prevent shrinkage without putting them in any real harm. For instance, a simple and effective way to reduce shrinkage is to teach your sales team to greet each consumer and look them in the eye. A person who is intent on shoplifting within the store often times avoids any and all eye contact. The visiable prescence of your sales force roaming the floors of the store is also a good way to reduce the opportunity of items to become pocketed. If the store has dressing rooms, a good way to avoid shoplifters is to station people within these rooms greeting people an counting items as they enter and leave.

While these actions may cause some shoplifters to not pocket any items within your store, there are always those that will try anyways. In addition to placing store personal in dressing rooms and have them virtually patrolling your store, cheap and cost effective security items are available for purchase. Security mirrors can be used to watch spots of the store that are seemingly invisible to the eye. These mirrors are available in many different shapes and styles. They came come in half dome which mounts against walls and ceilings, quarter dome which fit into corners, or full dome mirrors which can be placed in the middle of the ceiling. These mirrors can be used to watch customers as they browse through merchandise without them knowing.

Entry alerts can be placed within a store to allow notice when new constumers are entering or when old customers are leaving. They can come in the form of contact alerts which means when the person enters the door an audible noise is made, or they can come in infrared beams that make a sound when a person crosses through it. The latter are often used in malls where the entry-way is always open. Surveillance systems can come in the form of cameras or simply mirrors and a dedicated work force.

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Another nanny in Vermont was arrected after being caught on tape dropping an 11 month old boy from a height of three feet above the ground onto a pillow after being frustrated that the child wouldn't eat. The nanny was then viewed throwing the boy again, kicking him, picking him up by his arm, and then throwing him back down again. These stories come with a chilling reality. Just because someone looks like they can be trusted doesn't always mean that they should be left to care for a child without anymore worry. If you have a suspicion that something is going on that isn't right, and it pertains to the care of a child. Then it is in your best interest to investiate a little further on your own.

While there are some nannies out there who genuinely do care about the general health and well-being of the child. There are also those out there like the ones listed in the above stories. So how can a person tell if the nanny they have hired is a good person or not ? The answer lies again in surveillance technology to keep an eye literally on the people you put in charge of your young ones. Hidden cameras are available in many different forms. They can be anything from a simple clock on the wall in the baby's bedroom, a teddy bear on the chelf over-looking their crib, or even the VCR or table lamp in the living room. They are not very difficult to have installed, and can either come wireless of wired depending on the needs.

If you are considering making an investment in a hidden nanny cam, then be sure to do plenty of research so you can get one that best suits your personal needs. Then you can decide if you'd like to tell the caregiver that there is a camera present within the house or not. While there is nothing at all illegal with using video surveillance to monitor the habits and activities of the nanny without her knowledge. If she finds out you are recording her movements and she is being monitored without her knowledge then you may lose a valuable employee. Studies have been conducted that show most of the honest nannies are not at all against the use of video surveillance to monitor their activities.

But they are opposed to being monitored without their knowledge. If you are currently monitoring a nanny in secret and she finds out, then any kinds of bond of trust that you have made will instantly be broken. While on the other hand, if you tell the nanny that the cameras are there for the general safety of the house and everyone in it, not just being used to monitor her with your child, then she will feel that you trust her, because you told her. And as an added bonus, with the knowledge that he is being monitored, the threat of her lashing out at the child will be cut down to a minimum. Surveillance systems can keep your child safe from harm or at least put a stop to it after it has already occured.

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These methods work well to capture the criminals, but for protection a guard dog is one of the best lines of defenses. These dogs have been bred and used for years to help people keep their home safe from intruders. Although it is nothing uncommon for a place to have guard dogs, ecspecially if there are many valuables kept within the home. The visual of a large, menacing dog clamping down around the ankle of a person breaking into the home is enough to discourage most burglers. When used in conjunction with a home surveillance systems, the home becomes more like a well protected fort to outsiders.

Almost every guard dog has a very serious bite and can cause often times severe harm to the person trying to break in. Guard dogs are trained to do one thing and that is protect the home. When you purchase a guard dog or even raise one, it is always important to let him know when a person is allowed to enter the home. You wouldn't want the dog to treat your family and friends like he would a burgler ,since these people will be allowed to be around the home. The majority of guard dogs are left in the yard of the home to patrol.

Although, some guard dogs are allowed to stay indoors. The indoor guard dog is able to catch a criminal the moment they break inside the home. Remember that the guard dog is a pet just like any others and should always have food and water available to him, even when you are not home. The indoor dog will also need to be let outside to use the bathroom daily. A fenced in backyard is the ideal place to allow the guard dog to use as a bathroom and place for exercise. Often times a criminal will try and slip around the back entrance of a house. If the guard dog has access to the backyard, this attempt will be feeble as the dog with instantly catch him.

Researching the dog before purchasing it is a must. Dogs that have been trained by law enforcement officers are always a good buy since they already know how to defend things and people. Pitbulls and Dobermans are often popular guard dog breeds because they are naturally vicious. Combined with a good surveillance system these dogs can make anyone sleep at night, and no longer have anxiety about leaving their house for fear of robbery.

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A report was presented in 2004 by the Bureau of Justice that contained the following information: 77% of all crime was property related, 17% of all crime domiciles were violated by a burgler, and 85% of all burglaries the offender gained entry. The first step, to preventing your house becoming the target of an attack, is to not allow the offender entry into your home. If children are present within the house, make sure they know not to let any strangers inside. The offender can come in any shape and size. He could be anyone from the mailman to the pizza delivery boy. Also, a property crime takes place every 3 seconds, and a home burglary every 15 seconds. These statics do not lie. It is a good idea to have the home protected.

There is a glimmer of hope, however. Statistics show that 90% of all burglaries and home invasions were preventable. There are some basic common sense strategies to follow. Alright, now put yourself in the place of the burglar. If you wanted to rob a house or building, what would it be ? The fact is that most burglars are very smart. They are going to look for an easy target not something challenging. The last thing they want to do is get caught. After all, that would take the fun all out of it. So the first kind of target he would be looking for, would be one that is secluded. The offender would rather not be seen arriving and leaving the scene of the crime. He'll also look for a lot of cover.

He can utilize the cover to keep from being seen gain entry into the residence. Examples of the type of cover, he may be looking for are bushes, trees, fences, and various other objects. The offender would also be looking for a residence that was attractive. Large windows in the front would be ideal so he could see into the house. This way to either survey when someone is home ,or to simply see what kind of items he may want to steal. Burglars often like to target homes or buildings that were relatively dark and unlite. Light is definately not good company for burglars. A smart burglar will look for signs. Mostly signs that advertise the homes alarm systems and the like. These signs may include NRA membership, "beware of dog", "neighborhood watch", etc.

The burglar would make sure the house didn't have security devices such as surveillance cameras, bars on lower windows, etc. If the house is seriously being considered a target, the burglar will watch the patterns of open windows and doors. When any burglar that knows what he is doing, does a job he is looking for several elements. He also needs the elemtns of time, darkness, and of course motivation for the robbery. The initial look of your house could be the first mistake you make. It is important to have reasons for the burglar to believe it wouldn't be easy to victimize your home. Dummy surveillance cameras can be a usefull tool to fight away these often scary attacks. Remember to protect your loved ones and keep your house safe from intruders.

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