Home CCTV advice required

[embee]

Some folks I do work for are interested in getting some sort of CCTV.

Since it's a bank holiday weekend a collection of characters of the "intinerant persuasion" have just started major works on a local field, excavators, tipper trucks, the works, clearly with the intention of establishing a travellers' site and the council/plod etc are (as expected) walking round with their bums in their hands saying they can't do anything.

My friends are in a somewhat vulnerable situation so are looking at improving their security PDQ.

Knowing the expertise of the org. I just wondered if anyone can give any suggestions as to what kind of surveillance stuff is available and sensible these days (I'm not concerned at the moment with the legal aspects of "pointing it at the public" stuff, the characters they're worried about aren't bothered about the law). Ideally some sort of wireless system, multiple cameras, decent image quality, recording capacity for maybe a week or something. Any ideas?

[husky03]

who owns the field?-best way i heard to get rid of these new inhabitants was carried out by a local farmer who had same problem-he filled up the slurry tanker and started to spread slurry on the field-drove right past the caravans and everything-within 10 mins of the first load being emptied the gypos had started to bugger off-might be worth finding a local farmer to help out.

[Bluepete]

In all honesty, CCTV in the home isn't the way to go. I've yet to see a burglar showing his face on camera. They wear hoodies, hats and masks, making images useless.

If I were faced with your problem, I would bulk up on physical security on doors and windows, sharp tops on fences and keeping valuables out of sight.

Dummy camera cases may deter some scum, the common phrase is to make your home look more risky to break into than your neighbours.

Pete

Originally Posted by husky03

who owns the field?-best way i heard to get rid of these new inhabitants was carried out by a local farmer who had same problem-he filled up the slurry tanker and started to spread slurry on the field-drove right past the caravans and everything-within 10 mins of the first load being emptied the gypos had started to bugger off-might be worth finding a local farmer to help out.

On a similar note, the industrial estate I work in have these characters visit for a few weeks every year. One good way to encourage them to bugger off is for everyone to sound your car horns as you drive past on the way to work every morning. The earlier the better!

Works great in an industrial estate anyway, not sure how close your lot are to local housing etc...

[embee]

Apparently they have bought the field, but of course there's no planning permission. The neighbouring farmer stuck his biggest tractor in the gateway and called the Police, who told him he had to get out of the way and let the pikeys carry on.

It's a very rural situation, the usual issue is with the scruffy Transit pick-up going down the drive for a scout around, and if challenged they say they're lost or looking for another address, chancers mostly looking to lift garden stuff or anything not welded down. Fortunately the drive is gated (so now gets a big f***-off padlock) and it's noisy gravel, plus they have a dog (all bark no bite but it might help). The property has well-to-do written large so CCTV wouldn't add any sort of hint of valuables to protect. Can't help feeling the steel gate might disappear one night.

The CCTV would be just another tool, might not have much deterrent effect but probably better than not having it, and there'd be a little comfort value even if it was misguided. Being where they are there are a lot of nocturnal beasties around, foxes/badgers whatnot, so PIR motion detectors and security lighting or alarms aren't very practical, though they do have PIR lighting right next to the house. There is electrical power right down at the gate (not an electric gate) so detectors there are an option too.

Really just looking for hints+tips from anyone in the know.

I recently bought a wired CCTV camera from Maplin, night vision is only good upto 8 metres but image is relatively good quality, day time image is pretty damn good. It was the £50 one, cant remember make or model, there was two very similar spec but same price guy is shop said this one was better.

You can get a few cheap CCTV cameras, place them about 10 feet high pointing down to the doors and you can see the people there. Even if you can see faces, the image will tell you height, build, shoes so the police would have something to work on.

Example CCTV system

[tigersaw]

Whats the budget?
£300 gets you 4 cameras, hard drive recorder with motion detection and (I think) a webserver port.
Maplin again. Its the Swan stuff - I can vouch for it being OK.

[embee]

Useful info folks.
Budget isn't really an issue (not stupid money of course, but a few hundred wouldn't be a prob).

I'll look into those tips.

AFAIK If you ever were to use it as evidence you would need signs up clearly saying that there was CCTV.