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93% Of CCTV False Alarms Linked To Poor Installation & Maintenance

Written by Ben Sharpe on . Posted in Blog.

We’ve covered this issue numerous times before but we were still fascinated to see this article which threw some stats and numbers at the number of false alarms caused by not-fit-for-purpose CCTV. 

A lot of the work we undertake at Safe Security Solutions comes from companies and individuals who already have extensive security systems in place. These systems are simply not working to the expected standards, or worse still; creating false alarms that actively hamper protection. We know first hand that people’s expectations of CCTV are very different from reality. 

We cannot entirely blame CCTV systems. But we can say that most CCTV systems are not fit for purpose. We’ve covered the reasons for that in this blog. Prepare yourself for some surprising statistics that may make you consider whether your own CCTV is effective…

Shocking Stats On False Alarms and Fail Rates

In May 2021, security tech firm NW Systems Group conducted a survey for 152 security system “decision-makers” to uncover some of the following alarming statistics.

  • 90% of medium to large businesses report false alerts on their CCTV systems linked to incorrect installation, maintainenance or configuration.
  • 39% blamed false alerts on the positioning of cameras.
  • 29% of false alerts were attributed to poor lighting in the camera’s field of view.
  • 33% of the system owners found the language use in the marketing of security products to be confusing.
  • 28% also felt that marketing materials for the security sector were misleading and over-promised.
  • 41% of CCTV owners reported dirt, insects or obstructions to their cameras were causing false alarms.
  • 27% of decision makers reported false alarms coming from their CCTV were due to poorly configured settings, specifically on their video analytics software. 
  • 29% of decision makers were aware that they needed to get a security expert in to set up the CCTV configuration and software which make them reluctant to purchase a system at all.
  • 18% had priorities set to actively improve their video surveillance over the next 12 months. 
  • Only 25% of decision makers believed that the latest generation of video analytics software was capable of improving and reducing the false alarm rates. 

But promisingly, many CCTV system owners had adopted some of the following:

  • 50% were using motion detection.
  • 50% were using object tracking software between cameras.
  • 48% had object detection and classification.
  • 47% had directional cameras which turned to focus on threats.
  • 60% of commercial premises with access control systems had some form of Facial Recognition
  • 50% of commercial premises had ANPR/LPR in place. 

There’s a lot to mull over with these stats.

… Not least because we feel they greatly scale down the real issues and might be exaggerating the numbers of users who actually have AI camera systems.

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Our Opinion?

We may be a little biased here, but a large part of our business comes from company owners or high net worth individuals who have relatively high-end security systems… that have failed. 

Often, promises made by the installers simply do not match up to the performance of the systems. This leads to break-ins, thefts or far worse; threats to staff and families. Often from armed criminals. 

It is our job to find the holes in their security, create a system that eliminates false alarms and create an invisible boundary around the home or business. This should instantly notify the right people, the very moment there is an intrusion attempt.

Systems that actually provide full protection and security really do exist, though the chances are, you will not consider them a necessity until the unthinkable happens.

Like any computer system, car or electronic device, most of us don’t necessitate the need to see a mechanic, engineer or repair person until something goes wrong. The sad fact is, when it comes to security, most systems are simply not fit for purpose.

If you would like a review of your existing CCTV and security measures or believe it’s time for an upgrade, then get in touch with the Safe Security Solutions team. We’ll provide you with complete protection.