Closed-circuit television cameras are being used more than ever in the hotel industry, but they're not a solution for all problems related to crime or loss prevention. And in some cases, they might do more harm than good.
As technology improves and the cameras and equipment become more widespread throughout several industries, prices have declined.
"A color camera now costs what a black-and-white camera cost several years ago," said William J. McShane, director of loss prevention and life safety for Affinia Hospitality and chairman of the lodging security council for the American Society of Industrial Security. "Digital recording has come down in cost, and the storage capacity has increased."
Affinia recently switched to digital video recorders, which improves its ability to store, retrieve and transfer data. The company has between 15 and 30 cameras per hotel, depending on the property's size. Larger properties often have more cameras.
The 591-room Fairmont Hotel San Francisco uses 50 to 60 CCTV cameras and recently upgraded to a hard-drive digital system for improved monitoring and storage. Perry Miller, director of security and safety for the hotel, said CCTV is valuable because it assists law enforcement.
"We just assisted the police department in closing three cases," Miller said. "It's easy to copy a disk and give it to law enforcement or the insurance company to review."
