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CCTV cameras everywhere!!

General Hostel Operations

stozza started this discussion 15 years 11 months ago

From a search of the forums, I see that this has been touched on but not really discussed at length.

How many cctv cameras are too many? Obviously cameras in reception are normal. Kitchens often have them as a threat to those not washing their dishes. But what about other common areas, and hallways.

Do you think that people would be offended if there were cameras watching them all the time, in all the common areas and hallways. Do people even notice them anymore.

In the UK CCTV is everywhere, we are always on camera, but I can't help feeling it would be intrusive to have cameras in your home...and a hostel should be a home away from home..

What do you guys think?

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nyrie

15 years

i think that some security cameras are a good thing, especially if you have a bar in your hostel, and around entrances in case anything dodgy happens, but they do get a bit intrusive when they are everywhere.
in our city, the police are trying to make a rule that all the clubs and pubs (we have one under our hostel) must have a monitor at least 50cm wide above the entrance, so that patrons can see themselves clearly as they come in. it is meant to be a detterant to anti social behaviour. i dont know how well it will work, but it would be nice if the goons that think of these ideas put some money into it, instead of us having to fork out.

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Scotch Argus

15 years

For me CCTV should only be where needed - eg if you have a bar and crowd problems associated with it. Or if there is a history of thefts or suchlike which is driving the need for it. If you don't have these problems I think the presence of cameras, whilst perhaps a deterrent, make the place seem like there is a security problem to other guests, as why else would you need them. I think people would prefer not to feel like they're being filmed all the time. As far as I've ever heard the most common use of CCTV is for staff to watch guests having sex in public areas when they think no-ones watching.

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gordo

15 years

i think a lot of it also depends on the kind of guests you get. i dont know if we just attract more animals than most places but ive found that if you give people an opportunity to screw around, they will.

our cinema room for example is dark and fairly isolated - ok, its in the middle of the building, but its behind a couple of doors and theres no through traffic. we've had a couple of incidents in there and theres no way of knowing what actually happened after the event.

i think common areas shoudl be covered if you get partiers, because things DO get broken. its a communal area in a hostel, there is no privacy; thats the point.

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PatrickO`D

15 years

To heavy of a reliance on cctv can be a cruch to staff and security. cctv is there to help, but hostel security will ultimately come down to the initiative of the management. If the GM is not in the habit of doing a regular walk through, then do not expect the staff to do it.A Walk through also has a guest service benefit since it will show the guest that the GM & staff care enough to step away from Facebook for a couple of minutes. This is still a "people" industry, the technology is a tool not a silver bullet.

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stozza

15 years

Wise words for sure. I think computers are in fact the worst thing that has happened to our people industry in terms of staff, and indeed managements involvement in the hostel. We have noticed this and have recently made some changes to increase the number of walk throughs by staff.

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alizajamess

9 years

Clever words beyond doubt. I believe computers are in reality your worst factor containing took place to men and women industry with regard to workers, as wll as managements effort within the hostel. We now have recognized this kind of and also have recently made many changes to improve the quantity of CCTV walk throughs simply by workers.

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rjd1983

9 years

In my experience, when guests have had something stolen from their room, they are immediately asking if there is a camera that covers their room. If you don't, they get upset at you, and berate you for lack of security.

We also have a bar downstairs, and have to have CCTV in it. We also have CCTV outside, and now and then police ask us for camera footage from outside, for a crime they are investigating (nothing to do with us). They kind of half expect us to have CCTV covering the street.

With CCTV, we have our night staff leave the camera window open so they can see any problems at night, at glance.

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Uli

9 years

I am very happy to say, that our hostel is able to work without any CCTV cameras.

We have a sales fridge, where everybody can help himself and just write it down on a list at the fridge door - and I am surprised how well the system works. It's a trustful atmosphere - and we had never been dissappointed.

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