The Savvy Business Owner’s Guide: Where to Place Security Cameras
As a business owner, safety is your top priority. One of the best ways to keep track of everything happening in and around your business is to invest in a comprehensive security camera setup. Security cameras can help not just spot unusual activity when it happens; they can deter criminal activity from happening in the first place.
However, in order to reap the full benefits that security cameras can offer, they must be strategically placed for maximum protection. As a business owner, you need to make the most of your investment by knowing where to place security cameras. After all, each additional camera is an added expense, so you’ll want to maximize coverage of crucial areas in an efficient and cost-effective way.
With that in mind, let’s go over some of the most important areas for commercial security camera placement, as well as best practices for mounting them.
Where to Place Security Cameras
When it comes to security camera mounting, ideas for a commercial placement will vary. Because each business is different, it’s important to evaluate the layout and the business’s unique needs. Ask yourself questions like: What areas are most vulnerable? Are there multiple entrances or exits? What security protocols are already in place?
Figuring out where to install security cameras involves identifying areas with the most risk and pairing cameras with any existing security protocols. While each business is unique, the most vulnerable areas remain consistent across most commercial camera layouts.
Here are some of the best places to put security cameras in businesses.
Entrance/Exit Doors
This one may seem obvious, and that’s because it’s perhaps the most important place to have camera coverage. When deciding where to place security cameras, entrances and exits should be at the top of the list. Ideally, cameras should be placed above doors where customers and staff access the building. This should include front entrances, side exits, back doors, and any loading docks or garages.
Naturally, criminals will try doors first. This means a well-placed camera will record their actions and help you to either stop them or capture an image of what they look like. When placing a camera by a door, it’s important to note how the camera is placed and the angle at which it is pointed.
Make sure that the angle allows you to see the person’s face, as that will play the most important role when identifying them to police later. It helps to place the camera next to a sign or something that draws attention so that those entering look in the direction of the camera, revealing their face. Additionally, a visible camera often deters criminals from attempting a break-in in the first place.
Cash Register/Front Desk
Commercial camera placement inside your business is just as important as cameras outside your business. If you run a retail store or a business with a front desk, this is an ideal place for security cameras. Some might argue that this part of a business is more important than the entrance, as it offers a direct view of the area where the most valuable items (such as cash or sensitive information) are kept.
When you install a security camera near the register or front desk, it records all activity in the area and provides you with a visual record to refer back to later. While internal theft by trusted employees isn’t something business owners like to think about, it can and does happen. While you hopefully will never have to deal with internal theft, it’s best to cover all your bases just in case.
Placing a camera in this area is also beneficial because it acts as a deterrent. Whether it’s employees or customers, people are much less likely to attempt a crime when they know the area is being watched and more importantly, recorded.
Parking Lots
Parking lots are also common surveillance areas for business owners who want to ensure maximum security. For one thing, it’s often one of the more secluded areas around a workplace, meaning there are more opportunities for thieves and robbers to act.
Another reason why parking lots make the list of where to place security cameras is that criminals often arrive by vehicle. Having a camera surveying the parking lot means you can record faces and license plate numbers, which can then be used to identify offenders.
Additionally, the parking lot isn’t just where customers and employees park their cars — this is where delivery drivers unload products, customers walk back to their vehicles with purchases in-hand, and employees walk in the dark after closing up shop. This presents opportunities for theft, assault and more.
As a business owner, you have a responsibility to keep not just your property safe, but your customers and employees as well. Having cameras in the parking lot is a great way to provide a bit more security and a sense of safety to your employees and clientele. For example, people working nights will feel more comfortable walking to their cars if they know the area is under surveillance.
Storage/Inventory Rooms/Restricted Areas
Storage rooms and restricted areas often house some of the most valuable equipment and inventory of a business, so it’s crucial to ensure that nothing goes missing or unaccounted for. This also includes areas that contain sensitive customer information, like billing information or personal files. A security camera is a practical and easy solution that prevents unauthorized access to restricted areas, offering protection from intruders and malicious actors.
A less obvious benefit of having security cameras in a storage room or warehouse is the safety of your employees. Accidents are a continuous risk in many companies and having a security camera can ensure that if something were to happen, a supervisor will be able to provide assistance immediately. This can also protect your company from fraudulent workplace accident claims, lawsuits, and more.
Secluded Areas
When considering where to place security cameras, the obvious places to focus on are areas that have the most foot traffic or storage of valuable assets. However, that doesn’t mean that you should ignore areas that aren’t frequented or don’t store anything of value.
Criminals often target secluded areas due to the lower risk of detection. This could include offenders using secluded areas as a way to gain access to the building (i.e. windows in secluded alleys), a place to stash equipment prior to a break-in, or a drop location for stolen goods to be retrieved later.
By placing a camera next to secluded areas like dumpsters, backroom windows or unused alleys, you can make it much more difficult for robbers to avoid detection. This coverage can help you spot suspicious activity early and take steps to get ahead of and prevent crime.
Mounting Security Cameras: Tips & Best Practices
Getting the most out of your commercial security cameras will depend on a variety of factors. While some of those factors are related to figuring out where to mount security cameras, others have to do with strategic installation, camera resolution and positioning.
Let’s go over three of the most important considerations when mounting security cameras below.
Consider the Viewing Area
Security cameras are only as useful as their ability to record crucial areas around the workplace. While a lot of that has to do with choosing the right areas to monitor, the way you mount the camera in the area can make a big difference as well.
Unfortunately, there’s no golden rule for the “best” way to mount cameras. Each business is unique, which means each security strategy needs to be customized. However, in all instances, getting the height and distance right is crucial. Both height and distance will usually be determined by how much space you’re working with, where you place the camera (i.e. in a corner vs above the door), and how large of an area you are covering.
An important consideration is that the camera shouldn’t be placed too high or too low. You don’t want it too high, as you want to get a clear picture (a bird’s eye view may make it more difficult to see faces or other identifying features). For example, in the parking lot, you’ll want to cover a large area. This means you’ll want to place the camera somewhat lower and further back in order to capture the entire parking lot.
In terms of the camera being too low, you want to make sure your camera is capturing the full area that needs surveillance. In other words, it’s crucial to ensure that your security camera placement doesn’t have any blindspots. For example, if your retail store has a row of multiple cash registers, you’ll likely need to place the camera high up in a corner to make sure that all the registers are in view of the camera.
Choose the Right Resolution
After having determined the right height and distance, you need to consider whether the camera will be able to provide enough detail. This is where the resolution of your cameras comes into play. After all, footage is only useful if the image is sharp enough to identify important features and information.
The minimum resolution you should opt for is 1080p, which has become the standard resolution used on most commercial cameras today. However, if you want to cover a larger area and capture high-quality footage from further away, it’s a good idea to consider higher resolutions, such as 2K or even 4K. Having additional pixels can be immensely valuable when you need to identify smaller details, such as license plate numbers.
On the other hand, you need to consider whether the high-resolution footage is practical. If you’re using a wireless connection, you need to ensure that your internet will be able to handle the continuous bandwidth. And if you’re using a wired camera, you need to have enough storage space to capture large amounts of footage around the clock.
Hire a Professional
The security of your business is crucial to your success, which is why it’s best to consult an expert. Because of the many considerations that go into crafting an effective commercial security camera system, it’s recommended that you consult with a professional. These highly trained experts can help avoid costly mistakes and ensure that you get the most out of your investment.
Security camera contractors can help you set up your surveillance system in a way that will capture the most important areas, prevent costly technical problems, and give you peace of mind that comes with having a full view of what’s happening in the workplace at all times.
Secure Your Business with Signal Solutions
Figuring out where to place security cameras is an integral part of keeping your business safe. With the tips listed above, you can cover the most vulnerable places in and around your business.
Your company, employees and clients deserve the best, and that means feeling safe while working with you. For reliable and affordable commercial security camera installation, contact Signal Solutions today to learn more about how we can help you secure your business.