# Home Security Cameras in the suburbs - worth it?



## Ty520 (6 mo ago)

We're thinking about getting security cameras for the house. we live in a suburban neighborhood. crime in the area has been increasing.

For those who have security camera systems, I was hoping you could provide some input...

Do you believe they have/do deter crime?

and for those who have caught criminal acts on them, were they useful in finding some sort of resolution?

I only ask because it seems that in the security videos people have been posting on neighborhood apps, most of the criminals seen are either so brazen they don't care, completely oblivious to the fact that a camera is even there, or sometimes so even openly mock the camera (flipping them off, etc) because they feel they won't be caught anyways.

so if I am going to pull the trigger on them, I want to feel confident they will be worthwhile


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Unmanned cameras do not deter crime. They only gather information. Most suburban crime happens at night, and the criminals know you're not watching.

I have a set around my home. I've only ever used them for after-the-fact reference to get vehicle descriptions and to go back and track the path of suspicious people that were later reported in the area.
I do use my phone to check the front door camera any time there is a knock or the doorbell rings. I've become paranoid with the idea of uninvited guests showing up. Damn do I miss the good ol' days of unlocked doors and nothing but friendly neighbors. I wish I could go back to that, since the vast majority of porch guests are still benign and harmless, but I've become callous and just want to be left alone.

I still recommend cameras. Just last week my neighbor's mailbox was demolished on a Saturday morning. Nobody around to see what happened. But the ever-watching eye caught it all.
Big cargo van blew a stop sign and wiped out the mailbox, and kept right on driving. Without the cam, there would have been no description of the vandal to provide to police. Still waiting to hear back on any progress with that one.

I will advise you to not go cheap. 1080p minimum resolution, 4K is better. If you can get a system that allows expansion and upgrading, that's what I'd go with.
You can start with just one or two cams and a DVR recorder with 6-8 channels. Add to it as expenses allow.


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## Ty520 (6 mo ago)

the system we're looking at has an app with settings that will alert to a human presence. Would be our obligation to choose to leave it on at night to wake us, if we wanted to maintain vigilance. they're also waterproof, hi res, no subscription required, and can be expanded upon


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## Echo47 (Aug 11, 2021)

Unmanned cameras do not deter crime. They only gather information. Most suburban crime happens at night, and the criminals know you're not watching.
This ^^^
That notwithstanding, signage of a _security system_ (even if you don't have one) has been shown to prevent & deter criminal break-ins.

You mentioned no subscription required, that's important, when purchasing a security system with an app, my father in law along with others have got one, only to find out there was additional expense to actually store data beyond a day's worth. I'd make sure to do you homework & of course read reviews/ask questions etc even if they say it's not "required".


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## KellyDude (11 mo ago)

Once you have cameras, you'll wonder how you lived without them. You can view wildlife, deliveries, noise sources, weather and many other useful things.
I prefer wired cameras but a 4-cam wireless system I recently sent to Auntie was only @ $240 on Amazon.
Here's a prowler at my house 3 days ago 



The raw video is much clearer in person but it gives you the idea.
Buy cameras and mount some low.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

As the top graduated of Crime Prevention school a few decades ago.lol. I like motion activated lights for night time boogers. Solar is nice and they are cheap cheap.They need to catch some sun in daylight. Cameras seem nice for day time. The biggest crime preventer is a yapping guard dog. Any size works. Now insurance companies don't like people to know that since they pay out multi millions in dog bite claims each year. In fact you cant hardly get home owners insurance on a house if a person owns any big breed work type dog. Including full sized poodles.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

well, I DO use a game cam that I move around the property looking for 4 legged felons after our chickens. 
And to capture does playing in broad daylight, which surprised me.

If I lived in the suburbs I definitely would have security cameras all over the outside. I do not like criminals or criminal activity.


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## AndyFrank (Jul 20, 2018)

New Mexico here - I wish we had cameras more and more. We lived in alamogordo, a nicer place, and thieves in the night and goons in the day either testing if somebody's home or after a woman. Not every week, but there was frequently good reasons. If it can give you the jump on invaders, you might survive better too. They are through the house and killed it in 30 seconds. Our neighbor in las cruces has 8 chop hunks out of his back from a roofing hatchet and he won. He got to his gun while being rode and chopped on.
I wish we had ring or cameras.


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## Jingo (Nov 10, 2021)

Don't buy cameras unless you want to see in the dark. I step out my door at night and can't see a thing, the cameras offer very good night vision. They are also great at seeing any infrared light that may be around.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

One issue with IR-fitted cameras is they can easily be spotted with an IR camera.......

'Jez sayin'. 


Ask me how I know.


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## Spenser (5 mo ago)

One of the tasks of my company that I started was doing corporate alarm installations.

True a cell phone has the ability to detect IR camera signals or it can be used to see if a TV or AV remote control is functioning, but personally IMO it doesn't matter unless you are using a hidden camera inside your home, then and only then would that be relevant.

Yes surveillance cameras are a deterrent just as bug spray is used as a deterrent and yet after a camping trip I come home with mosquito bites nevertheless, (just less bitten then if i had no bug spray). Lot of times the criminal activity has occurred without the suspect even noticing the camera. For this reason I highly suggest getting a high lumen outdoor motion sensor light. This deterrent works best when the motion sensor and the light are at 2 different locations. This deters most as they believe that a person just flipped a light switch vs a motion sensor triggering. Now add that camera and the guy knows he is being recorded too under full illumination. Either way, a burglar depending on hiding in the shadows in darkness only to get a spot light on them usually causes them to run away before they are seen by anyone.

If you are using a WIFI alarm system make sure you change the factory password and username. There is this Russian website that I have seen that has 10s of thousands ( if not 100s of K's) doorbell cameras, baby monitors and computer cameras on display 24/7 showing people in their private homes doing their daily routine. That website boasts that they are doing this for our sake so that we change the passwords. Yea right sure lets go with that BS line. Anyway I personally prefer stand alone alarm systems that are not able to get hacked.









Russian website broadcasts hacked security cameras, baby monitors worldwide


Experts have a message for anyone with a webcam, baby monitor or home security camera: change your password now.




www.syracuse.com





Ty520 to answer your question, yes a video surveillance system is a deterrent, but adding motion sensor lights around your home in addition would be an even greater deterrent then just the cameras. Here in NY these cameras have indeed helped identify the burglars and to track their route of escape. 

wifi cameras read below
There are also several Amazon Doorbell footages that have been uploaded to police without the owners permission under a policy that allows Amazon to give them this footage if a potential act of harm could be avoided with the footage. another reason why I prefer stand alone systems...









Amazon gave Ring videos to police without owners’ permission


The revelation highlights the many ways that police can get footage from Ring doorbells, and how often it happens without consent.




www.politico.com





I live in a Condo with security cameras and security personnel driving around our premises and yet I still have a camera facing the door and facing the back where my SUV is. Just this past week I caught someone trying to break into 6 garages right behind my window.


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## edmanley (3 mo ago)

I use a Lorex 4K Ultra HD NVR home security system that is capable of quality low-light night color video to watch wildlife attracted to my deer feeder. It's great for showing all their nocturnal activities.

When I went to add corn to a pile one day I found that the area had been seeded with an animal repellant. Reviewing the video of nights past revealed that an ex-employee had come and dumped it to drive away the deer and bears that I like to watch.

More recently I found my barn door open and thought neighborhood kids were coming in. Review of the video showed that a family of raccoons had learned to pop that door open.

So yes, home security video provides me endless hours of wildlife watching but also revealed those two issues.

Also, my NVR runs 24/7 with 8 video cameras and watching hours, maybe days, of video history is a PITA, so I aim a trail cam at the target area. The trail cam alert tells me where to look in video playback.


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