Should I Get A Home Security Camera? Top Home Security Camera Questions Answered
When it comes to home security, homeowners have a many questions. Will my security system work? It it worth installing one? Are they legal?
If you’re a home owner and you have these questions, you’re not the only one that does.
So, because of these many questions, I’ve done some research to answer them which should help you make a decision as to whether you should install a home security system or not.
Are home security cameras legal?
Yes. You don’t need to notify the police, nor the government, nor the cal municipality, and neither the criminals that you’ve installed a security camera in your home. You are free to install a home security system at will as long as you’re not using it to spy on your neighbours.
In Canada, there are no laws with respect to recording activity around your home, nor the required length of time that you should keep or destroy (delete) the footage. You can install home surveillance cameras at any time and without a permit. Unless you’re an electrical engineer, you will have to contact an official security camera installer to ensure your system is set up professionally.
Home security cameras are not an invasion of privacy and there are no federal or provincial laws prohibiting the filming of any area of your home or its perimeter.
Do home security systems effective deter criminal activity?
A home with at least 2 or 3 external security cameras set up definitely do deter criminal activity. Top that up with a home alarm system and you car rest assured that your home becomes an impenetrable fortress. The previous statement is not only a presumption or a supposition, but it’s an actual fact.
So factual that insurance companies actually reduce their insurance rates if your home security camera system is tied to an alarm monitoring service. Keep in mind that your home insurance cost reduction may not be enough to cover the cost of alarm monitoring, but there will still be a savings.
Security cameras are a great hindrance to people that break and enter homes. The second they see a camera, they know the camera has seen them. Robbers don’t want to spend their valuable few moments in your home looking for “the tape” so instead of wasting their time and jeopardizing the success of their work, they’ll simply move onto another home.
That is an unfortunate result for your neighbours that don’t have security cameras installed but that’s something that is out of your control.
Do home security cameras increase or decrease the value of your home?
Yes. You wouldn’t think so at first but security cameras combined with an alarm and security system installed can increase the value of your home.
This link explains exactly how home security can increase the value of your home, of which I’ve listed below:
- Easier Security System Setup for the Buyer
- Savings on Homeowners Insurance
- Home Automation and Energy Management Features
- Emergency Sensors Can Help Avert Disaster
- Adjunct Security Measures
Another long term value increase that comes with home security is the accumulated value of the homes in your community.
Do all home security camera systems use wireless technology?
Not all home security camera systems use wireless technology but it will be hard to find a company that doesn’t. Before purchasing home security cameras read the following benefits of a wireless system:
- no need for wiring
- easier maintenance
- easier troubleshooting
- easily install extra cameras
- weather proof
- easy to uninstall and rearrange
- simple to test relocate camera positions
You can opt for a wired system but you’ll lose the benefits listed above and you’ll have to deal with the limitations the technology or the service provider places upon you, e.g. limited number of cameras.
Is home security camera footage admissible in court?
Yes. In Canada, home security footage is considered legal evidence which is admissible in court.
The use of the footage may not necessarily secure a verdict of guilty, but the crown attorney can use the footage as a part of his criminal case and admissible statements.
Are home security systems hackable?
Yes. Every electronic system on a network can be hacked. With enough ingenuity and know-how, a hacker could gain access to your system and compromise it. With that said, the odds of this happening to a home owner are quite low; you would need to be specifically targeted, but most of the time the hack is done by a person that is trying to make a name for himself and usually gets caught.
Also, security camera manufacturers have developed very robust systems that although are not 100% hack proof do provide strong defences against hacking security. In August of this year (2019) Consumer Reports published an article on How to Keep Your Home Security Cameras From Being Hacked which is a good read.
Can home security cameras record sound
Yes. Home security cameras are generally equipped with the technology to record audio but doing so could be subject to a number of legal ramifications. Security cameras installed in your home that record audio are perfectly legal and can be quite helpful for monitoring pets and children but recording outside audio can be a different matter all together.
