The answer to the question “Can Security Cameras Save lives?” is an emphatic “YES!”. A key determinant of safety and security is visibility, not to mention irrefutable visual evidence. CCTV video surveillance with artificial intelligence (AI) software can detect threats before lives are at stake. This is especially true of public places, like concerts, malls, and transportation hubs, where people congregate in large numbers. In many countries, law enforcement uses security cameras and AI software to constantly monitor pedestrians and vehicles on city streets.
AI is not necessary for home monitoring, but a surveillance system consisting of security cameras with enough smarts to generate alerts upon detecting motion is sure to enhance security. Let us look at some real-life scenarios of the benefits of CCTV video surveillance. And, there may be some legal concerns about their use.
Discourage Potential Burglaries
Often enough, the presence of a visible surveillance camera along with a sign that says “Premises Under Video Surveillance” is enough to discourage potential burglars. The video from the security cameras can be recorded so that police can scrutinize them for suspects if a burglary does occur. For example, the suspect in a series of school burglaries during the COVID-19 shutdown was identified from community camera footage. When there is criminal activity in a residential area, local community applications like NextDoor enable people to share the video footage from their home surveillance cameras so that their neighbors can be on the lookout for miscreants and suspicious activities.
Smart security cameras can be programmed to send out alerts when they detect movements. This feature allows homeowners or security companies to take quick remedial actions when intruders are detected.
Stay in Touch While Away From Home
Most families are two-income families which means that mothers have to return to work soon after the arrival of a baby. For those who can afford it, having a nanny to take care of the baby at home is a convenient arrangement. Adding video cameras at home to monitor the baby makes the arrangement a comforting one as well. Parents can watch how their precious ones are doing and also how the nanny and baby are getting along. This becomes a really helpful arrangement when babies have bouts of ill health as young ones usually do. Cameras allow parents to monitor the baby’s health and decide to return home if she is not doing great or requires a trip to the pediatrician’s office.
Video monitoring is also provided by child care centers, especially by those provided by large corporations like Cisco on their campuses. If employees use the company-provided child care center, they may be able to constantly monitor their children right on their work computers. Such baby wellness benefits help to boost employee morale and productivity.
Get Help When Accidents Happen
Home monitors are a blessing to housebound seniors as well. Just as in the case of baby monitors, adult children of elderly parents can keep an eye on how mom and dad are doing without dropping in on them. Some of these monitoring systems come with alarm generation capabilities that the seniors can activate in case of emergencies. These alarm generators can be apps on their phones or a piece of jewelry, like a pendant, that they wear all the time so that it is accessible even when they slip and fall. Then getting help in case of a mishap is as simple as pressing a button on the pendant.
Security cameras can be used in conjunction with smoke and fire detectors to rule out false alarms. When the smoke or fire detector generates an alarm, the remote premises can be monitored through the camera to confirm the presence of smoke and fire before calling 911.
Monitor Potential Terrorist Activity
AI software applications can analyze the real-time video streams from Security cameras for quickly identifying terrorists or people on no-fly lists. Such applications are already widely used in many countries around the world. Notable among such countries is the UK which is one of the most surveilled nations in the world. As mentioned in a New York Times story, the UK, like China, is also well advanced in the use of facial recognition technology to pick out suspects from live feeds from security cameras. The US is not far behind China in the number of surveillance cameras per citizen with both countries having approximately one camera for four citizens (4.6 in the US vs. 4.1 in China).
The growing use of surveillance cameras by the government raises many concerns:
- Individual Privacy: Are we inexorably moving towards the nightmare scenario of George Orwell’s futuristic novel, 1984, in which ‘Big Brother’ government agencies are watching every move of its citizens and controlling how they conduct their lives? While the increased surveillance helps to thwart terrorism and save lives, the loss of privacy and violation of civil liberties are serious concerns.
- Data Management: From a technical feasibility standpoint, it is both challenging and expensive to process, store, and manage the huge volume of data generated by the ever-increasing surveillance activities.
- False Alarms: While facial recognition and similar AI applications have made huge strides in identifying people, they are still not perfect. The false alarms generated by them can disrupt the lives of innocent people who are detained for questioning because of a false positive from the facial recognition software.
But, the benefits of camera surveillance far outweigh its shortfalls and inconveniences. Security cameras make life more convenient and safe. So, their use for monitoring and surveillance will only keep increasing for the foreseeable future.
Mobile Video Guard is a company that strives to bring the latest and best in security technology to its customers. Founded by a law enforcement veteran with over 25 years of solid security experience, Mobile Video Guard is devoted to the prevention of crime through early detection. Though this service has been traditionally provided by human security guards, consumers and law enforcement agencies can save money while improving safety through the use of security cameras backed by AI software or applications on smart devices. Mobile Video Guard’s mission is to improve the safety and security of its customers at a competitive price.
Contact us to learn how we can help with all your security camera requirements.