CCTV (closed-circuit television) surveillance is used by the authorities in Singapore to ensure public safety and security, deter crimes and solve cases quickly using recorded evidence. Similarly, in the workplace, CCTV ensures safety, prevents criminal activity, and enables companies to solve disputes using video evidence – all at lower costs. Whether you own a retail stall or run a business with office premises in Singapore, CCTV provides great benefits for you and we’re here to tell you what they are!
1. Prevents theft and other criminal activity
When you install CCTV cameras in strategic locations in your business area, they function as deterrents for crimes like theft, vandalism, and break-ins. Singapore’s relatively safe environment isn’t theft-free – in fact, 7,448 cases of theft and related cases were reported in the country in 2020. As CCTV cameras make it easy for business owners and police to identify the offender, cameras significantly reduce crime in the workplace. Furthermore, research studies have also found that CCTV is associated with a significant decrease in crime.
Apart from theft or shoplifting crimes common to retail stores, offices in Singapore are also vulnerable to company property theft or intellectual property theft, including those committed by employees. CCTV installed in office premises largely deters employees from committing such offences.
2. Provides useful criminal evidence
Even when CCTV fails to prevent a crime from happening, it provides material evidence to the offence, making it possible to locate and charge the person responsible. Such evidence is useful in Singapore’s courts to hold the person accountable for his or her offence.
3. Remote viewing, any time anywhere
With the latest technology and video compression technique, CCTV footage can be viewed and played back remotely through smartphones. Video footage can be recorded either in MicroSD Card or harddisk, easily accessed from the smartphone or Workstation – unlike older CCTV camera systems that are connected to a specific monitor within your business premises.
Thus, it is no longer necessary to hire someone to observe CCTV video footage on business premises 24/7, and you reduce the cost of travelling all the way to the site to find out what has happened. With real-time remote monitoring anytime and anywhere, you can get things done most efficiently!
4. Deters workplace sexual harassment
Sexual harassment in the workplace is pervasive in Singapore, including criminal acts like rape, assault, molestation, and others like verbal abuse, physical touching, or repeated lewd emails or texts. While CCTV surveillance might not be able to capture all acts of sexual harassment (such as unwelcome comments about dressing or behaviour), it does serve as a firm deterrent.
Together with clear sexual harassment policies, CCTV cameras ensure a safer work environment for employees, allowing such reprehensive acts to be evidenced and strictly dealt with. Workplace sexual harassment affects not only employees – but it also is damaging to a business, causing high turnover rates, lower productivity, and increased sick leave costs.
5. Clarity on disputes
When disputes arise in the workplace, whether between employees or between staff and customers, CCTV footage enables greater clarity in understanding the situation, resolving the dispute fairly, and accurately holding parties responsible (if necessary).
For publicly accessible businesses like shopping malls, restaurants, or stores, CCTV footage also prevents members of the public from engaging in (verbal or otherwise) abuse of staff. Recorded footage sheds light on the situation and helps relevant parties to perform follow up actions in the best possible manner.
6. Increases employee productivity
Since new CCTV systems provide real-time monitoring on mobile phones, accessible anytime by bosses of the company, CCTV functions as motivation for employee productivity. As long as you are upfront about video surveillance, keep the contents of video surveillance secure, stay updated on legal issues and only place cameras in necessary places like workstation areas in the office or public-access areas in retail stores, you can enhance productivity in the workplace and improve workflows for your business.
7. Reduces security costs
Depending on the size of your business premises and nature of your business, CCTV may reduce the need to hire security guards in strategic locations within business premises, reducing significant costs.
Altogether, CCTV surveillance systems today are equipped with high-quality monitoring, clarity, night-vision, and require less maintenance – enabling safe, secure business environments at lower costs.
Searching for CCTV surveillance for your business in Singapore? One Stop Office Solutions performs expert consultation to help you identify your Security & CCTV surveillance requirements and fix you up with the best systems for your company. Get in touch with us here.