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The Best Location for Security Cameras in the Office

February 28, 2022

Mammoth Takeaways

  • Smart camera placement reduces the number of cameras needed for full coverage.
  • Parking lots, loading docks, office supply rooms, lobbies, and dumpsters are smart places to install office security cameras.
  • Match camera features to the surveillance needs and challenges of the areas they will monitor.

Whether you need office security cameras to track workflows and establish employee accountability or to maintain the safety of staff, guests, and assets, proper camera placement is crucial.

Benefits of Well-Placed Security Cameras

Security camera monitoring office lobby area

The benefits of optimal camera placement are two-fold:

  1. Should a crime or incident occur in or around the office, strategically placed security cameras will capture video evidence.
  2. With proper camera placement, you can minimize the number of cameras needed for comprehensive surveillance monitoring.

Smart Camera Locations

If your office needs monitoring, don’t overlook these six locations for camera placement:

1. Parking Lots

Monitoring parking lots and areas outside of offices is crucial for site security because 1,400 violent crimes occur on parking lots every day.

Cameras with license plate reading technology are especially useful for establishing accountability in the event of an accident or crime.

2. Office Supply Rooms

Even small items—such as pens and paper—can add up when you look at annual losses. And as businesses grow, so does this issue.

Install cameras to monitor the use of office equipment and ensure that supplies stay in the office.

3. Lobbies

As high-traffic zones, reception areas should have cameras to capture detailed footage of anyone visiting your business.

4. Dumpsters

Usually secluded and away from main buildings, dumpster areas are often overlooked when surveillance systems are designed.

Being overlooked happens to make dumpsters ideal locations for employees who steal products and criminals who are looking for victims.

5. Loading Docks

Use floodlight cameras to secure loading docks, one of the busiest entries of most offices.

A floodlight security camera is a type of camera with built-in floodlights.

This combination serves two main purposes:

  1. Floodlights provide illumination, which enhances a camera's ability to capture clear footage, especially at night and in low-light conditions.
  2. The presence of bright lights acts as a deterrent to potential intruders by dramatically increasing the likelihood that individuals will be held accountable for criminal acts.

Many floodlight security cameras are equipped with motion sensors. When motion is detected by a sensor, the floodlights turn on. In addition to improving a camera's ability to capture fine details, motion-activated floodlights can startle and deter bad actors.

3 Tips for Effective Camera Placement

Failure to properly place and position your cameras might cost you valuable evidence and drive up security monitoring costs.

These three tips will ensure the best possible surveillance footage.

Avoid Excessive Backlighting

In reception areas or other places with multiple windows, cameras might have difficulty adjusting to intense backlighting.

By aiming cameras away from windows, you can capture more detail clearly, thereby increasing the chance of successful identification.

Choose the Right Cameras

Always match camera features and lenses to the needs of the area they’ll be monitoring.

For example, while a 360-degree camera might be great for monitoring a small room like an office, it wouldn’t be good at capturing fine details in larger areas.

Keep Lighting Consistent

From loss of focus to reduced depth of field, changes in lighting can drastically alter the quality of video captured by your security cameras.

Where Not to Install Security Cameras

Comprehensive office surveillance is a good thing up to a point, but there are legal limitations. Installing cameras in areas where people are deemed to have “a reasonable expectation of privacy” can result in voyeurism charges, especially if the cameras capture footage of individuals who undress in areas where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Never install security cameras in office bathrooms and locker rooms.

Mammoth and Your Office Security

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At Mammoth Security, we’ve been furnishing and installing reliable business-grade security systems for years. We leverage our product knowledge and experience to design and install custom-made security solutions for offices large and small.

If you’re interested in office security enhancement, just click to contact us and fill out the short form that appears. We want to set you up with an expert from our team for a FREE ZERO-OBLIGATION site survey and consultation.

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