With the ever increasing rates of theft and vandalism, the importance of thorough security camera surveillance cannot be overstated. Canada has seen an uptick in motor theft in recent years, with the 2023 numbers up 24% from the previous year. Vandalism, specifically graffiti is also a prevalent issue, with over 35% of crimes of vandalism relating to graffiti that ruins your property and costs even more to remove.

Whether you’re a homeowner looking to protect their property, or a business owner concerned with safeguarding their investment from thieves, robbers and vandals, putting up cameras outdoors and monitoring them round-the-clock is your best bet.

With this, the question comes of how to go about installing security cameras in your home or place of business. While a good system design and installation gives you comprehensive coverage of all angles, a lousy design leaves blindspots, choppy video footage and leaves you vulnerable to theft.

This blog serves as a guide to help business owners and site managers make an informed decision when installing security camera systems to secure their business.

Importance of Outdoor Video Surveillance

Important of outdoor security

Security cameras do much more than just monitoring. In addition to surveillance, they also act as a visual deterrent to crime, offer legal and insurance-related support to collect evidence, provide insights about the business as well as the customers and give you as a business owner the peace of mind about the security of your investment.

Just as it is important to monitor a business premises from the inside, outdoor surveillance is just as crucial if not more. It helps track any and all movement in and around your business and provides a watchful eye even when you are away or the site is closed. Given below are just some of the reasons why outdoor surveillance should be top priority when getting security cameras installed.

  • Monitoring For Suspicious Activity: In addition to keeping a general track of things outside, suspicious activity by unidentified vehicles or personnel can also be caught using outdoor surveillance. Paired with live video CCTV monitoring, you can have eyes on your business at all times keeping tabs on everything that happens. This can make your security more proactive and prevent crime rather than react when it has already happened.

  • Keeping A Score of Vehicle Information: Whether you are in residential property, or an office complex, monitoring vehicular traffic, taking a note of license plate information, ensuring entry and exit monitoring, and going after suspicious activity once identified can better secure your property.

  • Securing Your Investment: Businesses have thousands, and at times millions of dollars worth of equipment, vehicles and other tools lying out in the open. While these should be secured otherwise, monitoring the entire premises is also a good idea to keep an eye on who comes and goes, uses, or walks off with the precious equipment.

    For instance, at places where there is no power or permanent structure to mount cameras, Mobile Surveillance Trailers can be deployed to keep your equipment, tools and vehicles in check. This is specifically important for construction sites, warehouses, and truck/shipping yards because of wide open spaces, lack of a proper structure and multiple entry and exit points.

  • Collecting Evidence In Case Of An Incident: In case anything happens on premises, security cameras help gather evidence for both law enforcement, the business owner and the insurance company involved to improve investigation.

    In order to do this, multiple types of security camera can be used. For instance, a PTZ camera would allow monitoring multiple angles, a wide angle camera would provide an overview of things, while cameras with greater zoom can lock in on people’s faces, vehicular license plates or anything else that might be useful while investigating.

  • Warning Trespassers and Potential Thieves: The visual impact of surveillance cameras paired with the ability to warn off trespassers is a strong deterrent even when the site is closed. Minimizing traffic across your business can help protect it better.

    WIth the constantly evolving security threats, security systems have to evolve as well. This has seen an increase in cloud-based security systems, focus on video intelligence, and role-based access control, which can only be enabled by making sure that your entire site is covered and this includes outdoors.

Where Should Security Cameras Be Placed

Security Cameras Be Placed

The effectiveness of outdoor surveillance hinges on strategic placement.

Here are some key areas to consider:

Main Entrances and Exits

Install cameras near main entry points, such as front doors or gates, to capture individuals entering or leaving the premises. This stands specifically true for sites with multiple exit and entry points such as construction sites and truckyards where keeping track of who comes and goes can be difficult.

Driveways and Parking Lots

Position cameras overlooking driveways and parking areas to monitor vehicle traffic and detect any suspicious activity. This helps monitor vehicles and also activity around the vehicles since a lot of crimes such as mugging, carjacking can happen here.

Yards And Storage Spaces

Cover outdoor spaces like yards or gardens to ensure comprehensive surveillance of the entire property perimeter. Similarly, truckyards require security cameras to be placed to cover all angles.

Obscured Windows

Place cameras strategically to monitor obscured windows or blind spots where intruders might attempt to gain entry unnoticed.

Stairways and Hallways

For multi-story buildings, install cameras in stairwells and hallways to monitor movement between floors and detect any unauthorized access.

Common Areas

In commercial settings, deploy cameras in common areas such as lobbies, corridors, or break areas to maintain a watchful eye on shared spaces. This extends to campus quads and other spaces for universities and schools.

Alleyways and Sides of the Building

Don’t overlook less visible areas like alleyways or the sides of buildings, as these can be potential entry points for intruders.

Installing Security Cameras Outdoors: Dos and Don’ts

When mounting outdoor security cameras, adhering to these dos and don’ts ensures that you do not run into issues later on.

Determining Camera Height

  • DO: Place cameras on a pole, or ceiling or a high enough wall to provide a good enough vantage point for wide angle viewing away from the reach of vandals and thieves.

  • DON’T: Place security cameras too low, limiting their field of view and leaving them open to vandalism.

Ignoring The Sun’s Movement

  • DO: Place the camera preferably in a shaded area where it does not face direct sunlight. This can cause false alarms and unusable footage when light hits the lens directly.

  • DON’T: Ignore the movement of the sun when putting up your cameras. Do not place it directly facing the sun at any time of the day.

Checking The Camera Resolution

  • DO: Install cameras with wide angle lenses and high resolution for maximum clarity of video footage.

  • DON’T: Install security cameras with low resolution. This can make things difficult when zooming in later on causing distortion.

Putting Cameras Close To Nature

  • DO: Place cameras on structures that are unlikely to change over time so that you do not have to keep shifting cameras.

  • DON’T: Put cameras in trees because they grow leaves and branches which move and could potentially obstruct your camera’s view.

Covering Entry Points

  • DO: Be sure to cover every single entry point to keep a track of who comes and goes from the business premises.

  • DON’T: Forget to cover an entry point to the building. This could either be a window, a door, a walkway or an alley.

Putting Cameras Behind An Obstruction

  • DO: Make sure there are no obstructions in front of the camera so that features like motion tracking and automatic alarms work smoothly.

  • DON’T: Put cameras behind a glass or a similar structure. This can cause flares and reflections leading to false alarms.

Following Legal Regulations

  • DO: Check for any legal restrictions on placing cameras outside your premises for surveillance purposes to avoid legal action later on.

  • DON’T: Forget to check legal regulations in your area to see where and how you can install security cameras.

Maintaining Neighbor Privacy

  • DO: Check in with the neighbor to see if they are fine if part of their property is covered by your cameras. Be sure to cover only your property mostly.

  • DON’T: Place security cameras directly facing towards the neighboring property. This is an invasion of privacy.

Regular Maintenance And Testing

  • DO: Look at security footage to see if the camera is monitoring correctly and if there are any issues that need to be resolved.

  • DON’T: Ignore regular maintenance checks, since rodents, strong winds and trees/leaves can render your cameras useless.

When getting security cameras, be sure to not rely on just the technical aspects such as resolution and ratings. Instead, look for cameras that fit your requirements, integrate with your security system and provide a reliable security experience.

Things to Look for In An Outdoor Surveillance Camera

When picking out security cameras, selecting just any cameras is not a good idea. Identifying your surveillance requirements, and prioritizing the ones that should be can make your security system more capable and reliable. Working with a security company can help you narrow down the best cameras based on types for your commercial use.

When selecting outdoor surveillance cameras, considering the following factors can help make an informed decision and prevent issues later on.

Camera Type: With so many to choose from, for instance, PTZ (Pan, Tilt, Zoom), dome, bullet, multisensor, fisheye and more, pick the right one for your needs so you do not end up overpaying for a camera that does not work with your system.

Camera Resolution: Go for cameras that have high resolution since zooming is often a requirement in outdoor surveillance. It offers clear images even when zoomed in multiple times.

Field Of View: Go for wide angle cameras to get the best view possible. Narrow views can end up costing more since more cameras are required to cover your site.

Power Source: Be sure to check the power source and see if it has backup power or not. Cameras now come solar-powered as well to run through the day.

Storage Options: Look for cameras with built-in storage as well as cloud storage so that you do not run out of space.

Night Vision: Since monitoring is required throughout the day, go for cameras with built-in IR capability so that viewing in the dark is easier.

Advanced Features: According to your business requirements, go for cameras that include features such as motion detection, facial recognition, automated alarms and more. Such video analytics features provide business as well as security intelligence to help you make informed decisions and improve situational awareness.

Weatherproofing: Since cameras have to be placed outdoors, be sure to check the weather resistance rating, which should ideally be IP66 or higher depending on the specific location and business requirements. Whether you go for dome or bullet cameras, each comes with a weather-resistance rating that tells you how the camera would perform in extreme conditions.

Vandal Resistance: You should go for security cameras that offer a rugged and strong design with a vandal resistant rating of IK10 to prevent damage in case of an attempt to dismantle your camera system.

Two-Way Audio: Two-way audio allows you to listen as well as talk to the person in front of the camera. This is useful to warn trespassers and ask them to vacate the premises, more commonly called voice talk-down.

Consulting a reputable security company can help you decide the right cameras for outdoor surveillance. A good security company would assess your business needs, keep in view your demands and propose the right cameras that do not break the bank and get the job done.

Keep Up With Security Camera Maintenance

Security Camera Maintenance

To maximize the effectiveness of outdoor surveillance cameras, prioritize regular maintenance and testing. This usually involves:

  • Performing routine checks to ensure cameras are functioning correctly and that all connections are secure.
  • Cleaning camera lenses and housings regularly to prevent dirt, debris, or condensation from affecting image quality.
  • Testing cameras periodically to verify recording and playback functionality and address any issues promptly.

  • Checking access control devices such as maglocks, readers, and wireless locks to see if they are working as intended, especially during emergencies.

Installing and maintaining outdoor surveillance cameras for optimal angles requires careful planning and consideration of various factors, including placement, power source, and legal regulations. Remember to prioritize regular maintenance and testing to ensure the continued reliability and effectiveness of your outdoor surveillance system.

Looking To Install Outdoor Surveillance Cameras For Your Business?

If you are looking for security cameras to help you monitor the exterior of your business site, improve employee security, and keep your business protected, Spotter Security is your go-to security provider. With over 20 years of experience in security, Spotter Security has helped businesses across multiple industries secure their sites, ranging from manufacturing, education, retail, construction as well as trucking and warehousing.

With the right approach, outdoor surveillance cameras can augment the rest of your security system by tracking who comes and goes and monitor general activity across the entire premises. Doing it correctly can pay dividends and make sure that your security system does miss an incident or let you down.

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Written by : Carlo Di Leo

At the age of 24, with no experience in the security industry or any money in the bank, Carlo quit his job and started Spotter Security from his parent's basement. Founded in 2004, Spotter grew from a single man operation into a multi-million dollar security system integrator that caters to businessess and construction sites across Canada.

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