Video surveillance cameras are often placed in environments that are very demanding. In some application areas, cameras face the risk of hostile and violent attack. Public transportation, schools, prisons and retail stores are examples of areas where vandals or other criminals may try to tamper with, destroy, or at least prevent cameras from functioning properly.
It is impossible to guarantee complete protection from destructive behaviour in every situation. Camera manufacturers can, however, employ a number of technologies to help security managers deal with camera vandalism.
Protective Camera Housings
A good, basic strategy for protecting cameras is to place them inside protective housings. come in different sizes and qualities, and with different features such as weatherproof and vandal-proof. Some versions have built-in heaters or fans for cooling.
Vandal-Resistant Design
Looking more specifically at the camera itself, a first step in providing vandal-protection is to adapt the camera’s mechanical design. This includes using metal instead of plastic for the casing and for as many details as possible.
Traditional Fixed Camera
Fixed Dome Camera
The shape of the camera is also vital: compared to a fixed dome camera, a traditional fixed camera is more vulnerable to attack, and it is easier to redirect by hitting or kicking it. In a fixed dome, the lens is more hidden from view, especially when a smoked transparent cover is used. Additionally, a rounded, smooth camera shape makes it more difficult to block the camera’s view by, for example, trying to hang a piece of clothing over the camera. One trade-off to keep in mind, however, is that while a thick and heavy camera provides better vandal protection, this may contradict other design requirements, such as a desire for a sleek, discreet and compact camera.
To provide additional vandal resistance in a fixed dome camera, the transparent cover can be made of a durable, transparent material, such as polycarbonate plastic (the same material used to create bullet-resistant "glass"). By increasing the thickness of the dome covering, the durability of the dome is further improved – the thicker, the better – but on the other hand, a thicker transparent cover can badly impact upon the optical quality and create unwanted reflections and refraction of light. The same is true for smoked transparent covers.
Secure Mounting
By supplying screws for mounting that are not part of standard toolsets, camera manufacturers can make it more difficult for unauthorized people to dismount cameras from walls and ceilings. The more unusual the screws, the better protection they provide. On the other hand, providing very unusual screws means that authorized staff needs access to more rare and specific tools in order to mount, dismount and move cameras around, which can be seen as inflexible by end users.
Another important consideration is how the cabling to the camera is mounted. Maximum protection is provided when the cable is pulled directly through the wall or ceiling behind the camera, as there are no visible cables to tamper with. If this is not possible, a metal cable tube should be used to protect cables from attacks.
Strategic Camera Placement
Naturally, camera placement is an important factor. By placing the camera out of reach on high walls, or in the ceiling, many spur-of-the-moment attacks can be prevented.
Intelligent Video
Recent advances in intelligent video have made it possible to implement video analysis in network cameras and video management systems that help protect cameras against vandalism. Smart algorithms can detect if a camera has been redirected or obscured, or if the camera has been tampered with in any other way and send alarms to operators in central control rooms or to staff in the field. This is especially useful in large installations of hundreds of cameras in demanding environments where it is very difficult for operators to keep track of all the cameras and make sure that they are monitoring and recording scenes as planned. In situations where no live viewing takes place, intelligent video simplifies automatic surveillance, by notifying operators when cameras have been tampered with.
Goals
While it is difficult – or impossible – to design a completely vandal-proof camera, many features and best practices can be implemented to increase protection against violence and vandalism. The important goals of vandal-protection, regardless of actual technical implementation, include:
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Making it Difficult
Tampering with a video surveillance camera should be difficult, and perhaps even more importantly, it should be perceived as being difficult. Through camera design and placement, a vandal should be made to think twice before trying to interfere with the camera’s operation.
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Creating Uncertainty
If the vandal decides to attack a camera, he or she should be left with an uncertainty as to whether the camera is actually destroyed, and whether or not something was still recorded in the process.
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Prolonging and Delaying
Even if it is not possible to protect a camera in the long run from a determined, hostile attack, it is worthwhile to make any attempts to redirect or destroy the camera very time consuming. Every second that passes increases the chance of the vandal being discovered or simply giving up.
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Detecting and Sending Alarm
Intelligent functionality in a camera can detect that someone is tampering with its operation and notify operators. This allows operators to quickly alert staff in the field to deal with the problem by cleaning, adjusting or replacing the camera, or apprehending the vandal before the attack is completed.
