WookieBoy 0 Posted July 15, 2006 Hi all, just a quick message to say 'Hello, I'm a newbie here!' I'm not really in the CCTV buisness. I work in video and lighting for concerts, exhibition stands and corporate events here in Europe. However, having just had the better part of my buisness stolen from my small unit on the side of my house (while i was at home asleep! ) I've taken it upon myself to learn... quickly! Most annoyingly, they stole a box of CCTV cameras i use in nightclubs for video relay of DJs and dancers! How's that for ironic! As part of my buisness is in temporary IT installation and another part is in cable and camera installations, I'm hoping there will not be too much of a learning curve... Thanks in advance for all your helpful advice, and I hope i can impart a few pearls of wisdom myself from time to time. o/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
larry 2 Posted July 15, 2006 Welcome Wookie, Hope you enjoy your stay on the interplanetary CCTVForum.com. May the focus be with you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cooperman 0 Posted July 15, 2006 Hi WookieBoy and welcome, Sorry to hear about your unwelcome visit; good to know from our esteemed leader that crime is going down - so at least all us Brits will be able to sleep better at night You probably know this anyway, but before you start replacing all the nicked gear, make sure you do a thorough review of your security, and if you have a budget available, think about installing one or two covert cameras. It's not at all unusual to hear of premises being robbed, the gear being replaced, and then the culprits (I could have used another word there!), decide to pay another visit (they always seem to know when gear is likely to be replaced) and certainly make sure that you don't leave any replacement product packaging lying around; it's almost as bad as hanging up a sign saying 'come and do me'. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WookieBoy 0 Posted July 19, 2006 Thanks all for the warm welcome! Well, it seems that being done has made my whole family a little paranoid now. We had an exciting evening last night as heard someone moving around at the back of my house (in the fields behind which our house backs onto). Police were called and arrived an hour later by which time our dog had scared them off, although I had an interesting conversation with the officers who came round. It seems that if our prowler had crossed the fence into our garden and our (rather large and exuberant dobermann) had attacked them, then we could be sued by the erstwile burgler! WTF is that all about?!? Aparently, we need to put up signs on our fence warning that we have a dog? I'd have thought the barking and snarling would have been a dead give away myself! ;o) Anyway, as to the subject of security review I've just ordered a new main and side door for my unit to replace the old wooden ones. Hopefully that'll be enough to slow them down and make so much noise when they're forcing their way in that it'll put them off or alert my neighbours. In addition, i've installed a basic (ie not monitored) alarm system inside my unit with an (extreamly) loud bell on the front wall and PIR detectors covering the two entrances and the window. My neighbour nicely fabricated me a set of steel bars to cover the window which i'm about to install today. All in all, I now realise how lax my security was before. Then again, I was brought up in this village and until recently, the last incident of crime was in 1974 (before I was born) when somone vandalsied the public phone box in a drunken fit of rage. I suppose we're all a bit lax here and it's just taken the rest of the world's criminal element a while to notice... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cooperman 0 Posted July 19, 2006 I'm surprised the police didn't ask your dobie for a statement You have to take all necessary precautions, and whilst slowing down a break in is an obvious and conventional technique, it doesn't always work so well in rural locations; simply because there isn't the density of neighbours to react to the attempted break in. That and police response times are much longer out in the sticks. It is a fact that rural crime is taking off simply because there are so many soft targets. Town Centre camera schemes have pushed the problems further out, and so the days of leaving a back door unlocked, are well and truly gone forever. Get all your physical security sorted first, and then plan your CCTV very carefully. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
