Security Guards Too Expensive? CCTV is the Next Best Thing

Manned security is what Magenta’s reputation has been built on, but we also provide CCTV security for people who want the peace of mind of having their premises protected 24/7 but can’t justify the expense of a security guard.

I’ll save the suspense, since the title gave it away: I’m talking about CCTV.

You probably know the basics of CCTV and why it’s such a popular security service – perhaps you have a system already installed – but many businesses don’t make the most of it. By setting CCTV up professionally and combining it with other security services, it can be the next best thing to having a guard.

A basic mistake we often encounter is not making it obvious that you have CCTV installed. Just like manned security, CCTV protects your property by deterring criminals, but it can’t work as a deterrent if no one knows it’s there. Signage or active monitors displaying a feed from the camera are the equivalent of high visibility jackets on security guards, telling potential criminals loud and clear that the premises are being protected.

Another common mistake is not having the cameras placed by a professional, which can result in blind spots in the their field of view. All our CCTV installations are performed by qualified engineers and preceded by a risk assessment that inspects your premises and the value of the items it contains to determine how many cameras are required and where they should be placed.

Once we’ve decided on a system that provides the best balance of value and protection, our engineers can install all the necessary equipment and wiring, along with alarm systems if they’re also required.

So once the cameras are set up, who’s watching them? During work hours it’s easy to have your own staff keep an eye on the feeds, while out of hours we can provide remote monitoring from our offices, as long as you have cameras with movement sensors connected to an IP CCTV system – both of which we can install for you.

Remote monitoring works best in buildings that are unoccupied during the hours we’re watching, as any movement will immediately alert us that something suspicious is going on, whereas if there’s people wandering around it makes it difficult to figure out who should be there and who shouldn’t.

The movement sensors allow us to keep remote monitoring cost effective, as we only need to be viewing feeds where movement has been detected. If a feed picks up movement and we notice suspicious activity, we can immediately alert our mobile patrols so they can investigate.

Which may make you wonder: if we’ve noticed something suspicious, why not just contact the police and let them handle it?

The truth is, you won’t be the police’s top priority. They have the entire city to look after, so a call about a break in will be put lower on their to-do list than crimes where human safety is at risk, which pushes response times for non-urgent crimes up to 20-30 minutes in some areas.

Our mobile response units, on the other hand, are entirely dedicated to our clients, allowing them to speed straight over to your premises the moment they’re alerted. While they don’t have powers of arrest, our mobile response unit can arrive at the scene to prevent damage to your property or loss of stock, securing the site before the police arrive to investigate.

It’s an incredible level of security that’s only made possible thanks to the latest CCTV technology and it allows us to protect businesses that previously would have been on their own. Get in touch with us today on 0800 772 3786 to find a security solution that’s an exact fit for your needs and your budget.

Abbey Petkar

Web based CCTV Remote Monitoring

New service - from as little as £1 per camera

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