Camera Repair After Vandalism
Vandalized Security Cameras
I recently had a client who's storage facility was attacked several times in a 3-week period. The thieves were bold enough to break into units in broad daylight. But this post isn't about how or what the thieves did, this post is about how to fix the issues caused by these deplorable people.
Fixing The Security Camera
The cameras that were installed were older, bullet-type cameras with a resolution of 700 TV lines. Compared to today's multi-megapixel cameras they were very low-tech. The thieves used a low-tech way to defeat them as well--spray-paint and cutting wires that were exposed.
As you can see, the original mounting had a lot to be desired with the exposed wire that can easily be accessed. The installer could have at least drilled a hole in the plastic cover and hid the wires inside.
Replacing The Security Cameras
The process of replacing security cameras in Grand Junction starts with finding a camera that will be compatible with the existing system at the highest resolution available. Some cameras will have multiple outputs at different resolutions. In the example here, these are TVI and standard analog compatible cameras.
Replacing the cameras is pretty simple. We start by removing the current camera and mounting base.
Mounting The Security Cameras
Next we remove the old video connector, in this case it's an inferior screw-on type BNC connector. These connectors are about $0.75 each, and are the cheapest way to terminate the cable. I STRONGLY recommend AGAINST any connector that screws on, or uses a two-piece crimp.
Here's the new connector installed. Additionally, you'll see a 2-gang outdoor rated box installed which allows the proper mounting of the cameras we install. The extra space allows us to store the excess cable.
After putting on the new connector, we install the cover with a hole drilled in the center, and mount the camera on the face of the cover.
After adjusting the camera, the repair is complete. No wires are easily accessible, and even if the camera is spray-painted, the lens can be easily, and inexpensively replaced.
Cost To Replace Security Cameras
The replacement camera shown runs between $80 and $100 each, plus labor. The total time to replace per camera is about 25-30 minutes if there are no problems during the replacement. On this repair, we had 5 cameras to replace, and the total time spent was 4-hours due to some technical issues we ran into with some of the wirings.
The ideal repair on this site would be to run all the wiring in a conduit on the top of the roof so it's inaccessible to people on the ground, as well as people inside the storage units. Also, we would mount the cameras above the gutter, as seen in the next photo so it's out of arms-reach, and less likely to be vandalized.
If you are a victim of vandalism and would like your security cameras in GJ repaired, or if you'd like a new camera system installed, please give Reliant Security, LLC a call!