Properly Set Up At Home Surveillance: Cops

SAN CLEMENTE, CA — A new tool in the arsenal of every citizen is your home surveillance system, but if the cameras aren't set up correctly, just having one may not be useful when finding a porch pirate or identifying who broke into your car in the driveway.

According to the Orange County Sheriff's Department San Clemente Police Services division, there are some ways to see if your system is set up to snuff.

"Surveillance cameras are (rightfully) all the rage now, and we hope it stays that way, but many people aren't setting them up correctly," a department spokesperson said over Facebook.

Many chain stores also have this issue, they told us.

"It does police little to no good if the camera footage is of poor quality or if the camera is improperly situated," they said.

Using a friend of the department known as "Dazie" as their model, here is what we learned.

First thing is first. Watch out for your exposure.

When placing interior surveillance cameras you need to take a few things into account.

"Many people place the cameras at the front of the door. We get it and agree that recording the perp going in/out is a good thing. But sometimes this backfires. You see, the cameras will expose for the brightest light which if often outside. This makes it dark in the inside and the perp can't be identified," they said.

Consider placing a camera near the door facing inwards, so that the light will not be underexposed.

Another issue is proper camera height.

A camera that is too high will often catch only the top of a suspect's head.

"Suspects often wear hats and hoodies making it impossible for the elevated camera to see the faces," they said. A hat brim can block the view. How do you solve this problem?

Consider mounting your camera lower. A lower camera has a better chance of getting a good shot of the suspect's face, they suggested.

Other suggestions? Investigate "hi def cameras, and night vision capability is awesome," they said.

Be sure your hard drive is big enough so that the footage isn't overwritten too soon, often officers look to past footage for investigations. Who knows, you may be able to help solve a crime!