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Some business owners may not think that a CCTV system is worth it. They use fake dummy cameras instead when securing their business. Alternately, they may install one or two real cameras along with four or five fake ones. This is a bad idea that can get you into some trouble.

Deterrent or Distraction?

The very presence of a camera can act as a deterrent, sure. Someone may be trying to shoplift or otherwise steal, or they may be waiting to attack someone in a parking lot. They see the camera and think better of it, worried that there will be evidence as to who it was.

This is the logic behind dummy security cameras – fake cameras that don’t actually record anything. If they still serve the same purpose as a deterrent, then they can help stop crime, right?

Well, not exactly. If an employee or customer is attacked in an area that they believe to be secured because of the fake camera, then they can hold you legally liable and sue. There is logic to this. When you feel protected, or you’re in an area you believe is secured in certain ways, you may let your guard down in others.

Liability

It’s a real and legitimate argument that someone who thinks there’s a camera present will act differently in terms of protecting themselves than someone who knows there isn’t one there. And why not? Your goal with a fake security camera is to make people feel as if the areas actually is protected. By this logic, you can potentially be held liable for pretending to offer that protection without really providing it.

Besides, a CCTV system isn’t that expensive – and it’ll save you costs in the long run. To start with, it can bring down insurance premiums. Insurance companies know you’re safer with real cameras and the real footage they provide. This alone should tell you why CCTV systems are worth it for providing real protection. They’ll also help you avoid theft and liabilities like the one above.

Don’t fake securing your business and protecting people. Secure it for real. Protect them for real.