CCTV Spy Cameras Through The Ages

CCTV, or Closed Circuit Television, is a method of surveillance which dates back to Germany 1942, where it was used by the military. Black and white monitors observed the launch of V2 rockets using remote cameras hidden from plain view. The US also utilised these new spy gadgets whilst they developed and tested a range of atomic weapons; the cameras allowed them to view the tests and the effects of the weapons at a safe distance.

When George Orwell’s 1984 was released at the end of the 1940s, the idea of CCTV grew and began to permeate the wider fringes of society. By the 1970s and 1980s, these gadgets were becoming more and more common; the covert spy cameras were added as a security measure in banks and stores in order to record crime and capture those who committed it. Gas stations began to use them to capture the license plates of those who drove off without paying for their fuel. Britain began to use them to monitor traffic violations on busy roads, and eventually fitted them with speed detectors so that those breaking the speed limit would be caught. Nowadays, CCTV is so commonplace that it can be found inside vehicles, at bus stops and on private property.

Whilst there has been no evidence that fitting CCTV to a property or vehicle actually decreases the crime rate, the number of criminal convictions as a result of video footage captured by these cameras has soared. This has seen a rise in the number of people fitting these cameras to their homes and properties. Those who wish to equip their home with a full security system often opt for a CCTV kit to prevent unwelcome intruders or break-ins. They can  be connected up to a television so that their output can be viewed at all times, and where in the past they may have encountered difficulty with recording images in the dark or harsh conditions, now infrared technology, motion sensor technology and night-vision mode is standard.

There are two approaches to fitting CCTV spy cameras to a property; placing them in an obvious position and allowing them to be seen in order to deter criminals from trying to enter the building, or disguising them entirely in a corner or next to a window so that they cannot be detected. Both of these methods have their drawbacks; putting a CCTV camera in prime view might allow potential burglars to work out the blind spots and manoeuvre around them, whilst hiding the cameras entirely might convince the criminals that there are no security measures on the house and entice them to break in. But whichever route is chosen, the advantages of CCTV far outweigh the negatives; they can record evidence which can be used in insurance claims, they can be used to convict criminals in court cases and when connected to an indoor TV, they can monitor multiple areas of a property with ease.