Enhancing Camera Systems With Audio Surveillance

Combining audio surveillance with CCTV cameras

Is it even legal?

But hold your horses! Before wiring up the whole house, it’s important to consider the legal aspects too. You see, recording conversations without permission is against privacy laws. Just imagine that you manage to get the burglars on tape as they’re standing on the lawn discussing their plan to rob your house, but when it comes to presenting the evidence to the police it’ll be you who end up behind bars.

There are numerous loopholes of course, depending on the state you are living in. In Oregon, for instance, you must ask for the consent of all parties before starting the recording, which pretty much defeats the purpose. However, conversations happening in public spaces – like in a park – can technically be recorded by a machine without need for affirmation, because very little privacy can be expected there. But again, your home doesn’t qualify as a public location, therefore this loophole is useless.

In the end, we highly recommend further researching the laws of your state or asking a lawyer regarding audio surveillance, since it falls under federal wiretapping regulations, and you could find yourself in trouble if the neighbor reports you.

Home security monitoring & advanced cameras

Naturally, home security companies are aware of the thin ice that they are standing on when selling products capable of audio/visual recording. As a homeowner, there are two surefire ways to avoid accusations of wiretapping. You see, the law says that audio surveillance is only illegal if the other party is unaware of it. In other words, this bullet can be dodged by setting up a sign on the front yard that clearly states that your home is protected by cameras and audio recorders.

The other method is to deploy cameras with two-way communication and motion sensors. When the device sees unauthorized movement, it sends you a notification. At this point you can activate the speaker, and warn the trespassers that the security system records everything, including their voice. After such an announcement you have every right to turn on the audio surveillance so they can pick up the fleeing burglar’s footsteps.

It’s important to mention that home security companies like Frontpoint Security or GetSafe offer a monitoring service where the agents take initiative when the alarm is set off, and they attempt to intimidate the intruders in a similar fashion. They also activate the audio recorder if necessary, sparing you from the trouble of self-monitoring.