Maximize Your Family's Safety With Security Cameras In These 4 Easy-To-Overlook Spots

The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that approximately 10.4 million households experience some form of property victimization, such as a stolen vehicle or home burglary, each year. Anybody who lives in a home is at risk of experiencing a property crime, whether you rent an affordable apartment in the city or own a quiet cottage in the country. Security cameras help you protect your property -- and your loved ones -- by keeping an eye on what happens in and around your home. You may already have cameras monitoring your front porch and back deck, but here are 4 other places that can benefit from video surveillance.

Tree House

An empty tree house provides a convenient spot for predators and burglars to hide. In 2015, a mother in Kansas City, Missouri was upset to learn that her 13-year-old daughter was engaging in inappropriate behavior with a 31-year-old teacher from the daughter's middle school. The teacher and student used a tree house in the student's grandmother's backyard as a meeting spot.  

Stop tree house trespassers from hanging out in your children's play area by installing video cameras near its opening. Consider placing one camera directly in front of the entrance, near the ladder or rope that leads to the tree house, and another camera inside of the tree house. The cameras will capture anything that goes on near the tree house and hopefully deter everyone from teens to criminals from committing illegal or unethical acts in the wooden structure.

Shed

A typical shed houses power tools, lawn equipment, and other important household items. Burglars might break into your shed with the intention of stealing the possessions inside or simply use the shed as a warm, dry place to hide as they stake out your home. A shed also attracts criminals who are on the run, such as a Florida car thief who hid in a Hillsborough, New Jersey shed until he was captured by police. 

Let uninvited guests know your shed is off limits by placing video cameras in prominent locations on or near the shed. Hang a video camera in a tree that sits beside the shed, or place a camera angled toward the door in one of the corners of the shed. Make sure the camera also captures the windows of the shed, as criminals may attempt to enter via one of those rather than the door.

Gazebo

Even though a gazebo is typically open on every side, with little room to hide, brave criminals may still attempt to sneak in and take off with your patio furniture or barbecue equipment. In fact, a criminal duo in Akron, Ohio made two visits to a woman's gazebo to steal her belongings in August 2015.

If a large tree or above-ground pool sits beside your gazebo, a burglar has a place to hide as he makes his way toward the high-value items in your gazebo. Let burglars know that your possessions aren't up for grabs by installing video surveillance beside your gazebo. Hang a weather-resistant camera that rotates back and forth from the gazebo's roof, or attach a security system to a stake, tree, or pole near your gazebo. 

Garden

If you think your biggest concern is keeping rabbits and insects from munching on your produce, you may be surprised to learn that human thieves might also help themselves to the goods in your garden. Thieves stole vegetables and gardening supplies from the Boys and Girls Club of Elgin, and unfortunately, stories like this are not uncommon. 

You can place fencing or wired mesh around your garden, but criminals may still find a way to access your homegrown goodies. Keep hoes, rakes, and bags of soil locked in the shed or garage, and place a least one security camera near your garden. If you wish to conceal the camera, you can do so by hiding it inside of a semi-open spot behind the scarecrow's button-down shirt or straw-stuffed head.  

Some criminals will steal anything they can get their hands on, even gardening tools and lawn ornaments. A top-notch video surveillance system helps prevent thieves from taking off with your personal possessions and also lets you keep an eye on loitering and other unwanted activities.

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