May 2022
Video surveillance in a high-rise community is not, in itself, a security solution. This rarely deters crime. Most criminals expect that, if recorded, images will be of poor quality or local police will not investigate. There are rarely enough cameras in a building to cover the entire or even most of a building. Where there is video surveillance, walls and concrete columns may prevent areas from being captured on video even if cameras are properly focused and angled. Criminals are aware that odds of their getting caught is low.
The primary purpose of security cameras is to identify what happened after the fact. This allows the condominium manager to know what occurred and who may have been involved. Suspicious activity can sometimes be detected before an incident occurs and possibly prevented.
When locating security cameras, it is best to focus on choke points. These are areas where cameras have the best chance of capturing a good image such as elevator lobby, parking garage and stairwell entrances.
Good lighting is necessary if a security camera is to capture a useful image. Lighting can be poor outdoors and in parking garages. Both bright and dark areas make it harder for a camera to capture usable images. Numerous light fixtures are preferable to a single high-intensity light to cover an entire area. White light LEDs offer the best lighting for obtaining good camera images.
