Top 5 Reasons to Invest in Business Security Cameras

One look at the nightly news should tell you security cameras are a necessity for any business. The Council on Criminal Justice says, “High rates of violent crime and recent increases in property crime require immediate action.” In the first half of 2022, property crimes rose in the 29 major cities they studied this year. But crime is only one reason your business needs security cameras. Here are five reasons this is one investment you must find a way to afford.

Why You Need Business Security Cameras

1. Crime Deterrence

Crime prevention is probably the top reason to purchase security cameras for your business.

Did you know the average arrest rate for burglaries is only 13%? Police need a helping hand from business owners to increase these numbers. That help can come in the form of security cameras for your business.

Criminals look for easy targets. The latest research shows criminals go after properties without security cameras. Now these tools can connect to the internet and feed you live footage of your property. It’s a proactive, real-time defense of your investment.

But external crime isn’t the only problem. Corporate analysts suggest that 25 to 40% of all employees steal from their employers. When you turn your back, are your employees taking advantage? If you’re worried about inventory shrinkage, it’s time to invest in business security cameras.

Studies show security cameras reduce criminal activity by 50%. In most cases, these devices end up paying for themselves. 

2. Improve Employee Performance

Sometimes the mere presence of a security camera is an effective supervisor. We know business security cameras help prevent losses from employee theft. But security cameras can help you spot employees who are disruptive in the workplace. Have an employee that’s harassing someone? Business security cameras gather effective data if you need to reprimand or terminate an employee. These tools also spot good behavior that you can reward.

We should note a business security camera isn’t just a punitive tool. Commercial security systems provide employees with valuable feedback. The footage makes an effective training tool during onboarding. Recordings can even help managers identify potential workflow improvements to make the business more efficient..

Today, 82% of employers have some sort of electronic workplace monitoring. Security cameras for a business allow you to spot problems before they escalate. They also create a culture of accountability.

3. Monitor Customer Behaviors

Business video monitoring offers utility beyond security. Security cameras also monitor activity within the confines of the business. Do you own a remote parking lot? Parking garages? Warehouse? Sprawling retail space? If your customers can access it, you need it to be watched by video surveillance security for your business. But video footage can do more than protect your company or shoppers from harm.

Business security cameras can track shopping patterns. This data can inform the products you place on shelves for higher sales, or help you change store layouts to maximize space. A good video of your customers affects advertising placement. Video footage can inform how your parking lots flow at certain times of the day. This requires some creativity, but just think – how could getting more visual information using security cameras for your business help improve it?

4. Reduce Risk

In the pursuit of monitoring your customers, you may learn first-hand how business security cameras can reduce liability. When a customer is injured, any liability insurance carrier will tell you a picture is worth 1,000 words (or $1,000 bucks). Video is a crucial piece of evidence in a personal injury claim.

Companies take steps to ensure their business is safe for customers and employees. Sometimes accidents happen. You may or may not be liable when a customer is injured on your property. Each state has its own rules about when a customer can sue. Without business security cameras that capture footage, you’ll have to take the word of the customer and eyewitnesses. It may or may not play out in your favor.

You, and your insurance carrier can review what happened with video surveillance footage. What events led to the injury? If there are conflicting stories about the event, which one is accurate?

5. Ensure Safety

Many workplaces are spots for employees to injure themselves on the job. It doesn’t have to be a dangerous mechanized industrial line, either. From boxes falling off shelves to tripping over unsecured power lines, employees can get hurt in the seemingly safest workplaces.

But every time it happens, it costs employers big-time. The latest estimates show employee injuries cost employers $151 billion annually. These costs spread across healthcare treatment, workers’ compensation, lost productivity, and more.

We know supervisors and safety managers can’t be everywhere at once.
Security cameras for your business do more than capture a safety incident and potentially reduce liability. The cameras can also catch employees not following safety rules or identify hazards that supervisors hadn’t noticed. This footage could save you from a hefty OSHA filing or a workers’ compensation claim – and, just as importantly, could keep your workforce healthy and safe! Better safety means lower business costs and reduced liability. 

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) suggests there are several crucial benefits of leveraging security cameras for business, including: