Does your bar have a working CCTV surveillance system? We never like to think about it, but crimes do happen in bars – like this horrendous acid attack in England.

We hope it never happens on your premises. But if it does, you’ll want to be able to track the perpetrators and help the police bring them to justice.

CCTV has many purposes, which we discuss below. But the most important thing to keep in mind at all times is that a good CCTV system is about keeping you, your business, and your customers safe at all times.

Here’s everything you need to know about how a CCTV surveillance system will help to keep your bar safe.

Help Staff to Feel Safe at Work

Your staff deserves to feel safe in the place they work. CCTV can help make them feel that if anything bad happened.

In bars, staff often work late and in quite dim lighting. CCTV can help them to feel that there’s nothing to be afraid of at work.

It’s worth attaching a few cameras to the outside of your building too. These can monitor smoking areas, and the vicinity of your bar. These will help your staff to feel that they’re being looked out for even when they’re not actually inside the building.

Plus, it’s worth having these cameras set up to catch the faces of anyone leaving the bar in a hurry. Or anyone caught up in a fight or other anti-social behaviour on the street outside.

Protecting Your Staff and Customers

Beyond just making people feel safe, CCTV actively deters criminals from carrying out illegal actions.

If they’re worried they’ll be identified, and believe they might be being watched, there’s less chance they’ll do something bad.

In fact, CCTV systems should be designed to be noticeable and prominent. This makes them more effective as a deterrent.

Putting up signs in your bar to remind people they’re being monitored can be a good strategy. But you still need to make sure your CCTV is maintained and is working – unfortunately, you can’t control everybody’s actions all the time.

Of course, if something untoward does happen, investment in a good quality CCTV surveillance system is crucial. You need to be able to produce video evidence of such an event – and the video needs to be good enough to stand up in court.

CCTV systems producing poor image quality have been criticised in the past for undermining both criminal legal proceedings and the public’s feeling of safety.

Protecting Your Stock and Bar Till

It’s harder to steal from a bar than a shop, in many ways. But since your stock is expensive, it can still be a target for thieves.

Bottles of spirits, for example, could be lifted from an unattended stockroom and hidden in a coat. The loss might not even be noticed until the next stock take – which could be days away.

A CCTV surveillance system can be mapped out to cover back rooms where stock is stored, as well as the public areas of your premises.

We’re sure you’ve thoroughly vetted your staff. But while it’s highly unlikely, ‘fingers in the till’ incidents do happen, and you need to be able to trace offenders whether they work for you or not.

Having certain cameras behind the bar, positioned at an angle in which they can monitor the till can help to deter any tempted staff, and catch those who aren’t deterred.

Keeping an Overall Eye on Things

As a business owner, we know that you want to be there 24/7 to make sure things are running smoothly. But there are only so many hours in the day, and even the hardest-working boss needs a break.

With a CCTV surveillance system in place, you can check back over previous recordings for times you weren’t there. Or even from home or another location, using remote monitoring software.

It’ll also let you monitor front-of-house in real time while you sort things out in the back office. So if you notice anything unusual, or suspect there might be trouble ahead, you can head back to the bar floor to check it out in person.

So you can get on with what you need to do while keeping an eye on your business.

I Already Have a CCTV System

Maybe you already have a CCTV system. It might even be part of your licensing requirements from the local authority.

But if it’s a fairly old system, it probably needs maintenance – or even replacing – if it can’t record images of a decent quality.

As we’ve said, poor image quality can hamper justice – for your bar and its customers. Can you risk the reputation of your bar, by failing to help the police properly when they need more evidence?

We’re very happy to talk you through modern and emerging CCTV technologies, to help you understand what an upgrade could do for you and your bar.

Ready for a New CCTV Surveillance System

Having a good CCTV surveillance system which produces good quality images for later use is important for nearly every business.

We install security and monitoring systems across the UK. We can install complete systems to meet various needs, depending on size and monitoring requirements.

Our systems are used by a number of household names with national chains. You can be assured that your business is receiving some of the very best protection available in the country.

We also offer training courses to bring your key staff up to speed with best practice CCTV operation and monitoring.

We can also offer a range of environmental health, health & safety and quality management training and support through other companies in our Group.