Security cameras are a common sight at businesses of all types. Their simple presence can help deter potential crimes, and the footage they record can be used for catching the culprits if a sign is committed. You might assume that you’d be aware of a crime committed on your property, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes, weeks can pass before you notice someone has subtly stolen from you. So, how long should you be holding onto recorded security camera footage, just in case you need it? Keep reading to find out more.
Every System Is Different
First and foremost, you need to be aware of your system’s capabilities. If you have an existing security camera setup, it may not record at all; some systems only provide live feeds for surveillance purposes. Other systems may only keep footage for 24 hours. If you have a security camera, but you’re not sure how long it saves footage for (or if it saves the footage at all), do some research and familiarize yourself with your security cameras. This may help you to determine whether or not the system is actually meeting your security needs, or if you’d be better off with an upgrade.
How Long Should You Keep It For?
If you’re installing a new system, or if your security cameras allow you to select how long it stores recorded video, you should be looking to hold onto that surveillance footage for a minimum of 30 days, and up to 90 days for most businesses. There are certain types of businesses that are required to hold onto their footage for much longer; financial institutions may be required to keep security footage for 6 months or more, while casinos often need to hold onto their surveillance videos for as long as a year.
However, if you’re a privately owned business that doesn’t have these regulatory requirements, between 1 and 3 months is usually a sufficient amount of time to retain footage.
Why Keep It So Long?
You might be wondering, “Why do I need to hold onto it? What are the odds that I won’t notice a crime being committed on my property?” The truth is, criminals can be quite subtle. Perhaps a shoplifter slipped something into a bag when no employees were looking, and the missing items weren’t noticed until your end-of-week inventory check. Or, maybe you have an employee who’s been stealing company files and selling them to a competitor for months. Having footage of their activities over an extended period would be extremely valuable in proving their crime.
If you’ve scheduled a security camera installation in Orlando for your business, make sure you know how long it can hold onto footage, and ensure that you store it for a sufficient amount of time.
