To hide or to show your security cameras?
One of the best security features that you can have is a camera, they are great deterrents and great for producing evidence against criminals. There is however debate as to whether you should hide your security camera or show it. There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches and the right choice is going to depend largely on your needs.
In most cases the best option with a security camera is to show them. It is usually preferable to prevent crime rather than to catch the criminals after the fact. This is especially true when we are talking about a random break and enter. The police aren't really going to put a lot of resources into finding the criminals even if you have video of them so unless you actually know who they are there is little chance that they will be arrested. Showing your security cameras will act as a deterrent to criminals who in most cases will just move on. Usually criminals look for easy targets and anything that you can do to make it difficult for them or increase the likelihood that they will get caught is going to encourage them to move onto the next house.
There are times when it does make sense to hide your security cameras, usually when you are trying to catch a criminal. If you have suspicions that somebody is stealing from you or committing some other crime and you need to catch them at it you are going to want to install a hidden security camera. The most common times when this would be used would be a company who thinks one of its employees is stealing from them or when you install a camera to watch the babysitter looking after your child. In these cases you are going to have to have a hidden camera since the behaviour that you are trying to catch won't happen if the camera is visible. That being said it is still usually better to prevent the behaviour happening in the first place by having visible cameras.
When you are choosing a security camera for the protection of your own property it is important to make sure that you think about why you are installing one. A lot of people get caught up in all the new technology and run out and buy things like pinhole cameras with motion detectors that they can hide around their house. While there is certainly a use for them in most cases they aren't the best solution to security issues. Except in certain specific cases you want to prevent the crime from occurring, if you keep that in mind then it should be obvious that visible security cameras are the way to go. There are lots of experts out there who can help you make the right choice for your security needs so it is a good idea to consult them about the best camera for your situation.