Wireless security cameras are everywhere these days. It used to be that you only saw security cameras at banks, gas stations, and luxury mansions. That is no longer the case. More and more American homes are equipped with home security cameras and their newest companions, video doorbells.
Right off the bat, home security cameras are good tools for identifying burglars. In fact, avoiding burglary is one of the top marketing messages among home security companies. But step back and think about video camera capabilities for one minute. According to Vivint Smart Home, security cameras can do a lot more than just capture a burglars’ face.
Keep an Eye on the Sitter
Have you ever heard of a nanny cam? It is nothing more than a small video surveillance camera positioned somewhere in the house for the purposes of keeping an eye on the babysitter. It turns out that parents do not have to invest in a stealth camera designed to look like a potted plant or a picture on the wall. A regular wireless home security camera does the same job.
You may feel funny about keeping track of the babysitter with a camera. That’s fine. Other parents consider it a necessity. Checking in multiple times per day gives them the peace of mind they need to continue leaving their child with the sitter they have hired.
Keeping an Eye on the Kids
Eventually the kids get old enough that they no longer need a babysitter. That does not mean a parent’s home security cameras have outlived their usefulness. Quite to the contrary, parents can still keep an eye on the kids while they are at work. Video feeds tell mom and dad that the kids have arrived home safely. They allow parents to monitor kids who are supposed to be doing their homework. And if the kids ever have a problem, mom or dad is just a video feed away.
Monitor Pet Activity
Sometimes it is not kids that have to be monitored. It’s the family’s pet. A wireless video camera placed in the kitchen will quickly make it clear whether Rover is eating the garbage. Cameras with on-board audio make it possible for owners to check in and talk to their parents during the day. The possibilities are endless.
Protect Against False Liability Claims
Though false liability claims against homeowners are rare, they do occur. Home security cameras installed to protect against property crimes have the added benefit of providing evidence in the event of such a claim. For example, a delivery driver may sue a homeowner claiming injury after a slip-and-fall accident. But what if there is video footage?
Maybe the homeowner’s camera shows that the entire incident happening at the street rather than the front porch. If that’s the case, the homeowner may not be liable. What turns out to be good for the homeowner could actually be bad for the city. But that is different topic for another post.
Monitoring Contractors
Finally, though allowing contractors to do work in your home when you are not there is risky, there are times when it cannot be avoided. Home security cameras can be put to work to monitor contractors during the day. That way, a homeowner can be assured that contractors are doing what they are paid to do – and nothing else.
The more people make use of home security cameras, the more uses they are finding for these amazing devices. And thanks to wireless technology, security cameras are no longer limited to businesses and wealthy homeowners. They are accessible by everyone.
