When you think of CCTV, you probably think of big intricate systems for business premises. And yes, that used to be the only use of CCTV when it was first invented. But as the technology has advanced, we have been able to develop smaller, smarter and more flexible CCTV systems that can be used in all sorts of different places – including your home. At the moment nearly half of British homes have a security camera of some kind – usually in the form of a video doorbell. But why should you invest in a proper home CCTV give you, and should 2022 be the year you commit to it?

Why Do You Need Home CCTV?

Over the last few years, there has been a dramatic increase in crime, with criminals particularly targeting London, Surrey, Hampshire and the surrounding home counties. A lot of this crime comes in the form of break-ins, with 309,805 residential burglaries recorded in 2020 alone. That’s 1 in 100 people whose homes are broken into each year. To give you a better insight into how this happens and what the impact could be, here are some statistics from 2020 on residential burglary:

• Burglars typically cause £1,413 of damage
• They steal around £3,856 of goods
• 84% of victims are left in emotional distress
• 1% of burglaries happen in broad daylight
• 4% of those break-ins happen between noon and 6 pm
• The most common entry point for burglars is the front of your house (58.7%), while 33.1% of burglars gained entry from the back
• 4% of burglars will enter through the front door, while 20% will come in via a window
• The most commonly stolen items include wallets, jewellery, watches, computer equipment and electrical goods
• In 64.1% of burglary incidents (both attempted and successful), someone is home while it’s happening
• If you are home during a burglary, there is a 1 in 4 chance you will be threatened with, or become the victim of force or violence

We don’t know about you, but that’s a lot of awfully high numbers! Those statistics might seem a bit frightening, but the good news is there are some things you can do to reduce the likelihood that your home is targeted in 2022. And the big one is having a visible CCTV system in place.

Why CCTV?

The biggest benefit to having a CCTV system installed in your home is the deterrent factor. It’s been proven time and time again that CCTV is a strong deterrent to criminals and thieves since it is possible to identify them and track their movements using the footage. So by having a system visible and warning board on display (which is required by law), you can significantly reduce the likelihood that your home would be targeted. Burglars want easy jobs, and are more likely to target other, unprotected homes instead.

A few other benefits of home CCTV include:

Evidence: If you should be the victim of a break-in, your CCTV system can still be of help after the fact. CCTV footage can provide the police with the evidence they need to identify the criminals and potentially even recover your belongings. Each system is different, but ours are set up to keep recordings for 31 days, so you have access to lots of data to support your case.

Peace of Mind: Most home CCTV systems will come with a remote access function, which means you can access your CCTV feed and view your home from anywhere in the world, at any time. So you can check on your property, see who’s coming and going and reassure yourself that everything is OK, whether you’re at work for the day or away for a week.

Insurance Discounts: Installing a CCTV system in your home might have a significant impact on the cost of your home insurance. Many insurers appreciate CCTV within the home, as it significantly reduces the chances of break-ins and it provides evidence if it does happen, so you might see a nice drop in your insurance premiums once it’s installed.

At Securifix we specialise in installing CCTV systems in both residential and commercial settings. Our systems give you security and peace of mind, along with continuous 360 coverage, remote access and support from our dedicated team. To find out what CCTV system would be best for you, get in touch to book your FREE home security survey with one of our experts.