Let’s face it. The economy is having a rough time. Unemployment has crept to over 7 percent, crime is on the rise, available jobs are declining, and people are struggling. While many of us find creative ways to adapt and make ends meet, others are working harder than ever to take advantage of the unsuspecting and unprepared.
In my business, we hear it all the time. Somebody stole this, so-and-so is messing with my car, somebody’s trucks are tearing up my driveway, I was robbed at gunpoint; you name it, I’ve heard it.
One thing I hear a lot, and always have, is that somebody smashed, grabbed, stole, bashed, or in some other way prevented a security camera from doing its job, which is to gather evidence.
There have been amazing advances in technology in the past 20 years or so. Things, in general of course, are getting cheaper. Vandal resistant cameras are becoming a very common thing, no longer a novelty at all. Some of them are even bullet or explosion proof!
Now, when I say inexpensive, I mean affordable for the general consumer. Vandal resistant cameras for under $100 are readily available in today’s market. They are highly resistant to damage, usually come in the ever more popular “dome” configuration, and are very easy to mount to walls, ceilings, in corners, and other hard to reach places. They are not nearly as large or obvious as a typical box camera with a big lens and a big mounting bracket.
Variety has gotten better. Toughness is now commonly combined with infrared capability, adjustable lenses, and weatherproofing to make cameras that are ideal in just about any environment.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:44 am
What exactly makes a camera “vandal resistant”? I have looked at some that are, and I just don’t see it …
September 24th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
The housings and often lens covers and hardened against impact so that they are difficult to damage. Some also have tough mounting hardware to make them difficult to remove or point a different direction.
September 24th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Explosion proof? Wow, I’d like to see one of those in action…. to bad the link is broken
September 25th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Thanks for pointing out the broken link. Looks like Extreme CCTV, the makers of these explosion proof cameras, have been purchased by Bosch. The link is updated to their home page, which now redirects. If anybody finds out what happened to this product line since then, let me know!
December 2nd, 2009 at 2:15 pm
I have purchased standard outdoor cameras and vandal resistant outdoor cameras and the vandal resistant case REALLY DOES make a difference! Spend the extra money up front, it is definitely worth it in the long run.
December 15th, 2009 at 1:30 am
Also installing a vandal resistant camera in a hard to reach area can help alot. If someone wants to damage any camera they can, so placement can help reduce damage to the camera.