How the Video Doorbell Might Change Police Responses
Uxari has been an early proponent of the smart video doorbell ever since it first came to market. We know the value of video doorbells for protecting homes and their owners. Now it turns out that the technology could have a broader use in relation to law enforcement. Rumors are circulating that suggest the video doorbell might change the way local police respond to residential burglar alarms.
Security Info Watch claimed in a January 31 (2017) editorial that a small number of local police agencies have begun prioritizing their responses to residential burglar alarms based on whether there is video evidence of a crime actually being committed. The idea behind the strategy is to crack down on the number of false alarms police have to respond to. By requiring video evidence of a crime, police are essentially telling homeowners they have to actually be able to prove there’s a problem before police will come.
To be clear, requiring video proof is not the standard mode of operation among law enforcement at the current time. But rumor has it that things are changing. If a minority of police agencies that now require video evidence show that their strategy is yielding positive results, it could be only a matter of time before law enforcement across the country adopt the strategy.
The Video Doorbell Is a Starting Point
Current rumors beg the question, “why the video doorbell?” Why would a homeowner install a smart video doorbell as a means of providing evidence should a burglary occur? Because the video doorbell is an integral part of a smart home alarm system that makes maximum use of strategically placed video cameras.
Annual crime statistics from the FBI routinely show that burglars will usually try the front door as the first point of entry. There are a number of reasons for this, which we will not go into here, but the fact remains that the front door is where every homeowner should start when designing a home security system.
The video doorbell is the optimal security tool to have if you’re hoping to furnish your local police with evidence that there is a burglary in process. The best video doorbells on the market have wide angle camera lenses that give a clear view of the perpetrator and his or her face. What’s more, your average burglar is likely to ring the doorbell prior to trying to make entry. When that happens, the homeowner can actually converse with the individual and simultaneously record video of the interaction.
Video Evidence to Reduce False Alarms
False alarms have always been an issue for police agencies responding to potential burglaries. With the rise of home alarm systems came a commensurate increase in the number of false alarms police responded to, just as we would expect. Furthermore, local police are known to encourage homeowners to install security systems in the knowledge that these are deterrents to crime.
What you have here is a self-perpetuating problem. Police encourage property owners to install alarms, but then those alarms generate more calls for police – some of which are false alarms. The goal is now to find a way to help homeowners get maximum use out of their smart home alarm systems while at the same time reducing the number of false alarms created. Video evidence is a step in that direction.
Video evidence can weed out a fair number of false alarms with very little effort. As such, installing a smart video doorbell could actually become the norm in the very near future.
Sources:
1. Security Info Watch – http://www.securityinfowatch.com/news/12300435/ihs-video-doorbells-could-be-gateway-for-greater-adoption-of-video-verification
