Safe Deposit Area & Security Camera Coverage
Answers by Dana Turner and Dave McGuinn, BOL Gurus
Question: We are adding cameras in our safe deposit box area. Should we position the cameras to cover the area inside the safe deposit vault or just the outside door? If inside, how do we address the privacy of customers who are accessing their safe deposit boxes?
Answer by Dana Turner: BIO AND CONTACT INFO
The answer depends upon the design of the vault itself, the approach to the vault -- and what you want to accomplish with this "silent witness". The camera should be positioned, in either case, to record the face of each person entering the vault -- employee or customer -- and the correct date and time of the entry.
If your surveillance addresses employees, you should place additional cameras as it's appropriate, to record all of the employees' activities while they're in the vault area. If your surveillance addresses customers, just recording the person face who's entering the vault is sufficient.
Answer by Dave McGuinn: BIO AND CONTACT INFO
Putting cameras inside your vault can create additional liability for your institution. If you ever have a renter's disappearance claim, renters could accuse you of having a film record and knowledge of everything they have put in their box.
Having cameras outside the vault, recording the person signing your entry form or entering the vault is a very good idea. This is a wonderful safeguard, to prevent a dishonest person from trying to forge your renter's signature and accessing his box. This type of person usually doesn't want their picture taken if they are doing something illegal.
Unfortunately, some large bank equipment suppliers are now promoting this new "Self Service or Self Entry" box concept. These companies are also recommending that institutions should put MANY cameras inside their vault to record ALL safe deposit transactions. Doing this will increase (not decrease) the "Unlimited Liability" that this "Self Service" procedure creates.
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