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Store Security System Questions: Why Use Colour CCTV?

28 November 2018

Donald Lopez

CCTV cameras may be a pivotal part of the new security system you are setting up for your store. You want to add cameras to the mix to protect your stock and to make intruder identification easier.  

When you select a CCTV system, you can choose between cameras that record in black and white and cameras that record in colour. What are the benefits of using colour security cameras in a retail setting?

Catch Shoplifters Quickly

As a retail outlet, your main security problem is likely to be shoplifting. You can't always catch thieves in the act or in your store; even if you see them running out, you may not be able to identify them accurately.

Black-and-white CCTV cameras can show you images of a shoplifter, so you can tell security guards what the thief looks like and is wearing. However, this does not always help guards apprehend the thief.

If your store is in a busy shopping centre or on a crowded street, then security guards may not be able to identify the shoplifter quickly. You will have limited information to give them.

For example, you can tell security personnel that the shoplifter is wearing a dark-coloured jacket and is carrying a backpack. There may be lots of people in the centre or on the street who fit this description.

However, if you have a colour camera, you can tell security guards the colour of the jacket and rucksack. This makes it easier for them to spot the shoplifter if they are still in the area.

Produce Better Evidence in Court

While black-and-white CCTV footage can help identify shoplifters in court, the footage may not be good enough to make a definitive case. Experienced thieves have ways to conceal their faces when they steal from stores with camera security.

Colour footage can help here too. It picks up things that black-and-white images can't show, like hair colour and skin tone. It gives proof in colour of what the shoplifter was wearing. So, it's simply easier to identify a person from a colour image than a black-and-white one.

While colour CCTV cameras are great in the day, they're not as good when it's dark. You may want to choose a camera that can switch between recording in colour in the day and in mono at night. To find out how this works, talk to your business security systems company.

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