Video Surveillance Trends in the U.S.

Most citizens of Wisconsin probably recognize the growing trend of video surveillance. There are more cameras watching us today than there were five or 10 years ago. But, what are the most accurate numbers?

A recent study from safety.com indicates that the average U.S. citizen is under video surveillance “approximately” 238 times a week. We all need to take that with a grain a salt, as anyone in a city environment will be exposed more frequently than an individual in a rural environment with no street or red light cameras. Still, those numbers are disconcerting, even to us here at H&S Protection, and security cameras are part of our bread and butter.

So, we want to provide you some context if you happened to hear about or read up on these statistics from the report. First, most of this surveillance occurs on the road. Up to about 160 times a week, your exposure to video comes during driving. Those cameras are designed to enforce safety standards. But, as any police officer knows, video clips from these cameras often help solve crimes.

Second, your office environment (on average) contributes up to about 40 of those exposures weekly. If you work in the retail or transportation sector, those numbers can be dramatically higher. Remember, that skews the numbers for the average person working in a business office.

Third, the average American is under surveillance approximately 24 times a week while shopping or in a retail environment. As we can attest at H&S , retail cameras are the norm. To prevent shoplifting, monitor stock and employee theft, many businesses choose security cameras as the best security option.

We install every video system with diligence and based on the needs of the customer. We understand we all live in a society where cameras are part of our every day lives. Our goal at H&S is to protect your home or business.

Cameras are here to stay. At H&S, we make sure to exercise good judgment with every installation. We plan to continue earning your trust for many years to come.

Can Burglar Alarms Go Touchless?

There’s a lot going on these days as Covid continues to further impact lives and businesses. The security industry has its share of questions regarding what direction our market will take. At H&S Protection, we monitor these trends to see what the best options are to offer our customers.

Here is one: Will burglar alarms go touchless? With concern about hand contact from devices, will voice activation be a product purchased in the future? A lot depends on what happens with Covid.

We need to be aware of market conditions, so here’s another one to ponder: What will the interest be in video surveillance and access control? Will there be further demand, for example, to install video to monitor interactions in businesses to determine if people are following proper virus protocols? Stay tuned.

How about law enforcement issues? Growing support for body cameras for law enforcement seems a given. Will the money be there to invest in these technologies to provide officers the best technology to do their jobs most effectively?

More and more, police are looking for footage from businesses. We’ve found law enforcement wanting access to footage from cameras to monitor video from a potential crime scene. If you run a business, does it make more sense today to install a camera security system?

The trend towards use of video footage by law enforcement is growing. It helps them monitor and police their local community more effectively, particularly in large crowd situations.

H&S Protection is monitoring these, and other trends to serve you to the best of our ability. We anticipate trends by studying customer behavior and industry data. Evolving trends occur over a period of time, but this year activities have occurred at a more rapid pace. We’re listening, watching and adjusting to these trends to help you protect your business and home.