The "Why" of CCTV in a total security plan is a very simple problem to both describe and explain. First, break security into four separate categories;

1. Electronic;
2. Access Control (locks & barriers included);
3. Security officers;
4. CCTV.

Now take all this pertinent information and ask yourself a couple simple questions about each category, keeping the definition of security in mind while forming the answers.

Is electronic security (BA / FA) security? Can it stop, detain, hold, arrest, shoot, evaluate according to the immediate situations, assess information, provide all the information necessary to prosecute, capture, etcetera? The answer is no, across the board. Electronic security is able to transmit information for the purpose of calling for help, but it is not able to assess the extent of the immediate problem. It can only respond to the immediate situation with a bell or siren.

Is Access Control security? Can it stop, detain, hold, arrest, shoot, evaluate according to the immediate situations, assess information, provide all the information necessary to prosecute, detain, arrest? Again, I say no way across the board. Access Control can slow down, possibly stop and maybe even detain but it cannot arrest, shoot, or tackle the perpetrator. These systems, although good, cannot evaluate the situation at the time something is happening. They must have some sort of human interaction to interpret the paper trail of recorded information that they leave in their wake.

Are Security Officers Security? Absolutely not. Even the best security officer cannot be in two places simultaneously. Security Officers are also human which means that they can be bought, make mistakes and/or possibly even be overpowered.

Is CCTV security? No. When's the last time that you saw a camera tackle a shoplifter? Stop an action that was happening? You haven't. The fact is that cameras are not security either. They are in fact an assessment tool used for the gathering, storage of, and transmission of visual verification of various types of incidents. But CCTV systems, by themselves, are not security.

So if none of the four central forms of "Security" are security by themselves, what are they? Individually, each one of them is a start toward providing security. Together each form acts as an enhancement to existing security practices. The Access control system identifies the individual(s) in a situation, while the camera associated with each point verifies and retains visual information pertaining to the action(s) of the individual(s). The cameras in this case also verify the actual identification of the individual(s) using the access control system. After all, give me your ATM card and let me copy your pin number and the Access Control System will give me all your money because it thinks I'm you.

An alarm system can report a problem. Some sophisticated systems can even give detailed reports of an incident. But cameras provide immediate and/or follow up visual assessment of the situation. Alarm systems tied in with Access control systems give immediate warnings of perpetrators trying to defeat the system's design but, it's the cameras that provide immediate and/or after the fact visual assessment information.

The security officer provides response level support to the Access Control system and the Burglar / Fire alarm system. With the addition of CCTV cameras, the security officer is able to respond faster with better preparation to all types of security infractions.

The final word is that all forms of "Security" are blind faith without the CCTV camera to back them up. We spent forty years in the dark, responding to bells, whistles and sirens. We spent forty years conjecturing what actually happened in areas that had been perpetrated. We spent forty years running as fast as we could to a broken wire, a flapping door, a false alarm from a dirty smoke detector. We spent forty years running as fast as we could through a forest with our eyes closed and we were smacked in the face by trees often. CCTV cameras have finally reached the level of sophistication and cost that security no longer needs to be, nor should be blind. The fact is, an alarm system, access control system, and/or security officer without the advantage of, at least, a simple CCTV system is no better security than a barking dog. Everyone hears it barking but almost no one will investigate until the dog drives them nuts.