why don't banks have better CCTV images and why don't they have cameras pointed up

[Warren14]

In S.A. banks are required to keep their footage for a fairly long period & have to reduce the quality of their footage to be able to store everything on their DVRs.
I had a case where on of my security officers arrested an external employee stealing a laptop. My security officer didn’t attend court & the perpetrator’s lawyer to the court that it wasn’t his client in the video. The Magistrate threw the case out of court. Believe me nothing can be more demoralising than see a Magistrate write Nolle Prosecue on a court document & the accused walks out of court with a big smile on his face

[LARMGUY]

Because people are stupid, and someone decided long ago that the Pelco CC3701H2 is the only camera to use (look close, almost every bank I know has that model camera installed), and no one has bothered changing the spec even though technology is moved on.

Here is your chance to upgrade them to HD. Crappy cameras and a few TV news robbery videos equales future sales to me.

[CameraMan]

Because people are stupid, and someone decided long ago that the Pelco CC3701H2 is the only camera to use (look close, almost every bank I know has that model camera installed), and no one has bothered changing the spec even though technology is moved on.

[Curtis Baillie]

To respond to the OP's thread title. I have found that banks will only pay for what they are required to do and the bare minimum at that. As an example there is no requirement they have a camera(s) recording their night deposit drop boxes, but they are required to have a camera(s) incorporated into their ATM systems.

If there is a robbery at a night deposit box and it is near an ATM you may get coverage and then you might not. They best ones are where the ATM and night deposit box and combined.

My last consulting case where there was a question of the night deposit being made, the ATMs (2) were inside the vestibule of the bank and the deposit box was outside and there was not video to support the store employee's claim they made the deposit.

In my LP and consulting career I've had the opportunity to look at the camera systems of a large number of banking institutions. Saying they are mostly of very poor quality would be a stretch.

[capurato]

Walmart has good camera setups generally. You have to remember, cameras are not usually for suspect identification, but to cover areas.

My company is testing CCTV in the credit card swipe machines for face shots of customers. These cameras will not be noticeable and since people look down to swipe will do a good job.

[darkenna]

In my experience, a majority of retail-counter type business setups, including places like banks and convenience stores, have a tendency to flood sales floor areas with a large number of cheap cameras mostly as a visual deterrent and for insurance reduction purposes. Most seem to be placed to keep honest folk honest and without care for their actual investigative qualities.

[Squid]

from lower down to get a decent face pic?

Most of the time their bank robber pics are either fuzzy and near useless or only show the top of a hoodie.

Are robbers mostly robbing banks with lame CCTV setups?

If I was rigging CCTV for a bank the first thing I'd do would be install lot of dummy cameras, but have two hidden cameras on each side of each teller window and not even tell the tellers or anyone else who didn't need to know. Do all the remodel on a Sunday.


Now that cameras are so cheap and good.