How to prevent camera theft?

T

twisted copper

Young grasshopper
May 10, 2018
61
2
I recently got a Dahua turret camera and mounted it to the garage yesterday. Last night I went outside to throw something in the garbage and noticed someone on the other side of the fence. I reviewed the footage and it was someone that was checking out my camera. He walked from across the street and headed strait toward my camera. When he heard me coming he took off.

The camera is only mounted about 6"ft. high and the fence is low so someone could reach over and grab the camera if they wanted to. I feel like the camera is mounted pretty firmly but was wondering if anyone has any particular methods to make it harder for someone to rip it off the wall? People in the area have had their ring cameras yanked right out of the wall. The location is pretty much where I want it to be so I would prefer not to relocate the camera if I don't have to.
 
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twisted copper said:
I recently got a Dahua turret camera and mounted it to the garage yesterday. Last night I went outside to throw something in the garbage and noticed someone on the other side of the fence. I reviewed the footage and it was someone that was checking out my camera. He walked from across the street and headed strait toward my camera. When he heard me coming he took off.

The camera is only mounted about 6"ft. high and the fence is low so someone could reach over and grab the camera if they wanted to. I feel like the camera is mounted pretty firmly but was wondering if anyone has any particular methods to make it harder for someone to rip it off the wall? People in the area have had their ring cameras yanked right out of the wall. The location is pretty much where I want it to be so I would prefer not to relocate the camera if I don't have to.
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Hi Twisted,

Cable to camera is coming from inside the wall, multiple cameras covering each other, 3" quality screws into the stud / framing.
 
Since they may have been casing your garage...and as experience has now taught me (burgled twice now)..

Put your camera where you want it/best coverage etc sometimes we can't fit them out of reach etc. then super glue the camera (araldite etc). this stops them from twisting it around when/if they try to break in. you can also get cages that fit over the top (fit with security (one way) screes or headless and bolt from the other side.

recommend on your NVR/DVR recording ensure motion is on, then playing back/reviewing every now and then you can see only sections that have triggered, i.e. if they come back casing your place or anyone else.

all the best.

PS i also fitted a PIR beeper alarm in side mine two of them either then if they did get in they would set alarms off. They we're only about £12 off amazon; and also a PIR driveway beeper in which if someone walks down the drive it beeps in the bedroom.
 
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cover it in vasoline so they can't grab hold and are left greasy if they try ;-)

Won't stop them taking a swing with a lump of wood or anything tho. Is it just that they don't like surveillance in your area, or looking at them hoping to nick it to make a few bucks selling them to fuel whatever habit they have? Maybe make a note of the MAC addresses so you can help ID them if they get stolen and they turn up for sale anywhere.
 
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Aengus4h said:
cover it in vasoline so they can't grab hold and are left greasy if they try ;-)

Won't stop them taking a swing with a lump of wood or anything tho. Is it just that they don't like surveillance in your area, or looking at them hoping to nick it to make a few bucks selling them to fuel whatever habit they have? Maybe make a note of the MAC addresses so you can help ID them if they get stolen and they turn up for sale anywhere.
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At first I was thinking this person might not like surveillance in the area, across the street is a large public housing complex. But on other hand theft has also been a big issue, I'm in CA and can thank prop 47 for that. I was also thinking about putting a a peice of metal on the other side of the fence and using self tapping screws.
 
Hmmmm..... just got me thinking. Nearly all of the IP cameras (at least the Dahua ones I have) have the ability to send emails within the cameras configuration. I do not use that - I configure that functionality in the NVR that they are connected to. My thought is to configure email notifications on the camera itself to an email address you do not normally use (to avoid being bothered with messages) by creating an extra gmail account just for this. This way if someone wanted to steal a camera to use or resell (rather than destroy), as soon as someone plugs a network cable into it and powers it up.... bingo. You get an email - then look at the headers and contact the police. The email headers will have the originating IP address and can then request that from the ISP to locate the stolen camera. One last thing, this only "might" work if you have static IP addresses setup on your cameras or if the thief were smart enough to block internet traffic on initially powering it up.
 
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twisted copper said:
At first I was thinking this person might not like surveillance in the area, across the street is a large public housing complex. But on other hand theft has also been a big issue, I'm in CA and can thank prop 47 for that. I was also thinking about putting a a peice of metal on the other side of the fence and using self tapping screws.
Click to expand...

No way you can raise the fence to reduce their ability to reach over?
Top it off with razor wire, maybe... ;-)
 
Maybe they were casing your garage and not the camera. Could be looking at cam to see where FOV is pointed. Do not here much about people stealing cams.
 
MixManSC said:
Hmmmm..... just got me thinking. Nearly all of the IP cameras (at least the Dahua ones I have) have the ability to send emails within the cameras configuration. I do not use that - I configure that functionality in the NVR that they are connected to. My thought is to configure email notifications on the camera itself to an email address you do not normally use (to avoid being bothered with messages) by creating an extra gmail account just for this. This way if someone wanted to steal a camera to use or resell (rather than destroy), as soon as someone plugs a network cable into it and powers it up.... bingo. You get an email - then look at the headers and contact the police. The email headers will have the originating IP address and can then request that from the ISP to locate the stolen camera. One last thing, this only "might" work if you have static IP addresses setup on your cameras or if the thief were smart enough to block internet traffic on initially powering it up.
Click to expand...

Good idea!

Wonder if it is possible to capture a traceroute from the camera and send that info?
 
M4SK13 said:
Since they may have been casing your garage...and as experience has now taught me (burgled twice now)..

Put your camera where you want it/best coverage etc sometimes we can't fit them out of reach etc. then super glue the camera (araldite etc). this stops them from twisting it around when/if they try to break in. you can also get cages that fit over the top (fit with security (one way) screes or headless and bolt from the other side.

recommend on your NVR/DVR recording ensure motion is on, then playing back/reviewing every now and then you can see only sections that have triggered, i.e. if they come back casing your place or anyone else.

all the best.

PS i also fitted a PIR beeper alarm in side mine two of them either then if they did get in they would set alarms off. They we're only about £12 off amazon; and also a PIR driveway beeper in which if someone walks down the drive it beeps in the bedroom.
Click to expand...
Aengus4h said:
No way you can raise the fence to reduce their ability to reach over?
Top it off with razor wire, maybe... ;-)
Click to expand...


This is wh
Aengus4h said:
No way you can raise the fence to reduce their ability to reach over?
Top it off with razor wire, maybe... ;-)
Click to expand...


Barbed wire or something like it is my main focus right now. If I raise the fence it might obstruct the view.
 
careful of any local regs re deploying that stuff tho, here I think its 8ft minimum off the ground
 
handinpalm said:
Maybe they were casing your garage and not the camera. Could be looking at cam to see where FOV is pointed. Do not here much about people stealing cams.
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In my neighbor hood people have stolen cameras. As I mentioned before someone had a Ring flood light ripped off their wall. The garage isn't really in view from the street but this person walked strait toward the camera before taking a hard left turn at the fence. I would post the video if I could remember where I downloaded it.
 
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twisted copper said:
In my neighbor hood people have stolen cameras. As I mentioned before someone had a Ring flood light ripped off their wall. The garage isn't really in view from the street but this person walked strait toward the camera before taking a hard left turn at the fence. I would post the video if I could remember where I downloaded it.
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Hi @twisted copper

Did ring replace the flood light?
 
if you've got the video and there's any view of their face, might be worth passing it on to local law as a potential person of interest. Could be someone they're looking for relating to other similar incidents/thefts.
 
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Aengus4h said:
careful of any local regs re deploying that stuff tho, here I think its 8ft minimum off the ground
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You right. It's probably not legal. I'm not sure what is and isn't. I was thinking just chicken wire or something to make it harder to reach.
 
twisted copper said:
You right. It's probably not legal. I'm not sure what is and isn't. I was thinking just chicken wire or something to make it harder to reach.
Click to expand...

THIS is what you need!

 
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Aengus4h said:
if you've got the video and there's any view of their face, might be worth passing it on to local law as a potential person of interest. Could be someone they're looking for relating to other similar incidents/thefts.
Click to expand...

Trust me, the police around here don't even investigate burglaries unless the item/s stolen are worth more than $950. Like I said earlier , Prop 47.
 
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