Should my HOA have security cameras?
As security cameras have become cheaper and more flexible, an ever-increasing number of residential communities are asking whether installing security cameras is a good idea. In general, cameras are cost-effective measures for deterring crime and resolving a wide array of emergency situations. It is still worth some consideration of tradeoffs and planning to ensure that the installation meets its operational goals.
WHAT ARE THE CAMERAS FOR?
The most important question for a successful camera project is: what do you hope the cameras will achieve?
Within the Settler Security Four Rs framework, cameras most often address the Repel and Recognize stages. Their roles are to deter crime and to help recognize when other emergency situations are developing (such as a car accident or medical emergency). In residential setting, they can also help build a sense of confidence and safety for residents and visitors. They can also help with improving response times from police and addressing HOA liability concerns. Paired with cutting-edge AI, cameras are increasingly playing analytical roles. Modern IP-enabled cameras can be used to automatically track footfall and vehicular traffic to help fill commercial spaces and for community planning purposes.
As a deterrent, many studies have found significant benefits to the use of visible cameras. Rutgers, the University of Tennessee, and the FBI have all found detectable reductions in crimes like burglary when functional, visible cameras were in use.
In responding to crimes, alarm systems that are connected to dispatch systems have their place, but are subject to skepticism and lower-priority response due to the number of false alarms they raise. Monitored cameras can get a dramatically faster response from police when an alarm monitor calls in to verify a crime in progress. Historically, this required a significant investment.
TRADEOFFS
The most tangible downside to a security camera installation is cost. The cameras have a cost of course, but who will watch them? Building and staffing a security-operations center (SOC) is cost prohibitive for all but the largest or most well-to-do communities. Without active monitoring, cameras still fill a deterrent role, but their usefulness in responding to active situations is much more limited.
Less tangible for a management company, but just as important for residents, are privacy concerns. Nobody wants to have their every move surveilled, especially at home. Can modern tools for stopping and responding to crime co-exist with privacy?
WEIGHING PROS AND CONS
To evaluate whether a camera installation is necessary, it is helpful to weight the costs and benefits of such a system.
The cost side of the equation gets easier to figure out every year. Hardware itself gets cheaper and advances in AI have significantly lowered the costs associated with monitoring. Cameras can be routed to a central monitoring station and prioritized based on AI analysis and automated rules. In many cases, this capability can be added to existing installations without replacing cameras (contact us to ask how).
Privacy concerns can be addressed too. It is possible to equip a neighborhood or other development with cameras in a way that residents welcome and appreciate. For an existing community, buy-in from residents is critical. Hold a townhall or other meeting to discuss rationale get feedback, and answer questions. Prepare a clear, simple plan that outlines where cameras will be placed and policies for recording, access to video feeds, data retention, and data sharing. Select hardware AND software vendors that have established reputations for maintaining privacy and data security.
Assessing the risks to the community may also help with balancing whether existing security measures are sufficient. A formal assessment that can be shared during community meetings will help with communicating level of need and vision.
If you are considering a camera installation, but are not sure whether it is right for your HOA or managed community, we can help. Contact us today for a FREE one-page VIPER security assessment of your community that will compare risks to your residents and property with measures you already have in place.