Today, the video surveillance industry is an incredibly fast-growing section of the market, with an estimated worth of over $6 billion that is projected to reach over $25 billion by 2020. The reason for this success is simple: public, residential and commercial security cameras simply work. In cities where outdoor security camera systems have been installed, crime rates have dropped by an average of approximately 20%, and average monthly crime counts for drug-related offenses and robberies fell by nearly a third. Security cameras are also particularly effective in parking lots, where they have decreased crime nearly 51%. Likewise, surveillance camera systems have been helpful in high-profile cases, such as the Boston Marathon bombings, in which police were able to identify the suspects by reviewing city security footage.

Because of their effectiveness, security cameras are becoming increasingly common in public settings: 84% of high schools, 73% of middle schools, and 51% of primary schools now report that they use security cameras to monitor school property. Interestingly, this increase seems to have found favor with the public, with a 2013 poll from the New York Times and CBS reporting that 78% of respondents supported the use of surveillance cameras in public areas. But what about home security monitoring? Are home security products, such as outdoor IP security cameras, as effective and supported as commercial security systems? The answer seems to be yes.

There are two common types of cameras in use today: analog and IP-based cameras. Of these, wireless IP security cameras are becoming extremely popular, due to their wireless capabilities, and can be used either as either indoor or outdoor IP security cameras. But what is the use of installing security cameras in a private residence? The answer is that these cameras offer both protection and a method of collecting evidence. Firstly, security cameras are both a deterrent to potential intruders and can also act as a component of a home security alarm system. Secondly, police increasingly rely on video footage in criminal investigations, and officers are constantly identifying more effective ways to deploy and use the devices. Therefore, having video footage of a break-in can be extremely valuable to a criminal investigation or trial, and can also be used as proof in an insurance investigation.

There is no denying the effect security cameras have had on the areas and cities in which they have been installed: in at least one study, the number of robberies and thefts in areas with closed circuit television cameras installed were reduced by 58.6%, whereas areas without cameras showed practically no change in the number of crimes. If security cameras have been so beneficial to public areas, it is only logical that they would be equally effective in protecting your home, your possessions, and your family. Research indoor and outdoor IP security cameras today to see how they might be used in your home.