DUBAI: Demand for home surveillance systems has led to thousands of shops selling unregulated CCTV equipment with clients possibly ending up with substandard gear, experts said.
The fear is that the cheap gear may fail at critical times or not be up to scratch with no support when they break down.
Abdul Rehman, general manager of Securcorp, a security systems provider, said: “Every electrician, every Tom, Dick and Harry is now fixing CCTV in homes. They may be selling fancy and cheap items today, but gone tomorrow. They have rubbished the market.”
Helping nab criminals
Dubai has about 30,000 surveillance cameras. They helped police pin down a three-man gang who raped a British woman, though the victim failed to identify the culprits in a police line-up after her drink was allegedly spiked at a club.
Last year, police asked building owners to install surveillance cameras on their premises following robberies in 12 homes in several localities by a gang of professional European burglars.
Colonel Ahmad Thani Bin Ghulaita, director of Crime Prevention at Dubai Police, stated recently that they aim to cover “each and every place in Dubai” with CCTV, smart cameras and next-generation artificial intelligence security cameras.
By law (No. 24 of 2008, Concerning Security Service Providers and their Users), all hotels and short-stay residences must have surveillance cameras in designated places. About a dozen other sectors including banks, money changers, jewellery manufacturers, petrol stations must follow strict guidelines for implementing CCTV and alarm systems. A permit to operate includes certification of CCTV systems by independent auditors.
Nabeel Ahmad, general manager of Citytec LLC, a leading security system integrator, said these entail huge investments, yet there are two problems facing the sector: possibly substandard equipment installed in establishments covered by Law No. 24, and the free-for-all home and personal-use CCTV market.
“In establishments covered by the law, the inspectors don’t check CCTV security systems based on a list of approved brands, so any camera or equipment with the minimum specs may be used, regardless of durability.”
He said while this helps budget-conscious clients get certified, the equipment may work for a few days or weeks. Because home-use CCTVs don’t require police approval or undergo inspections, the race to get a bigger share of this growing pie has created a “mad scramble”, he said.
A walk through Bur Dubai, Dragon Mart and Naif shows literally hundreds of shops selling cameras and “Net-Nannies”, which allow users to view in real time what’s happening at home.
Every telephone or mobile equipment sold in the UAE must be approved by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), but there’s no such approval process for CCTVs, said Srinivas G., general manager of Securax, a Dubai surveillance system integrator, which supplies to multinational companies and universities and have offices in India. Srinivas said the number of CCTV vendors here runs into thousands. “There’s no control. Many vendors are simply interested in quick bucks.
“They don’t invest in training or certifying their people. Even home-use CCTVs should be covered by inspections. A security surveillance system that is cheap and designed for inspection compliance could prove costly in the long-term. It should work over a reasonable period of time. Otherwise, what’s the point?”
CCTV dos and don’ts:
- Look for equipment with “CE” or “UL” markings
- Branded equipment does not always mean they are expensive; unbranded does not always mean cheap
- Deal only with experienced and licensed system integrators
5 reasons people install CCTV cameras at home:
-See what my nanny is doing
-See what my children are doing
-Make my home more secure
-Identify intruders/thieves
-Web-based CCTVs are cheap
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