Well so out of nowhere after 10 years at this someone bored has decided to attack our building, repeatedly vandalizing parked cars outside and even trying to hotwire one vehicle. Everyone has reported to the police and I called and asked for additional patrols, but they have not been caught, they keep coming back and renters are now grumbling about cutting their leases and abandoning them.

I am looking at trying to find a camera system, its an old triplex so wiring is problematic. Also the cameras would I assume have to be mounted high enough so our oppressor(s) can't trash them.

But the biggest problem has been almost everything now requries internet access. The tenants all have Internet, but it would cost more monthly to also have building internet for just the three apartments, and would mean raising rents which is also not an attractive option.

First, what kind of systems are people using for small buildings, and second what about the possiblity of getting cameras and running them off a tenants internet service, and sharing the footage with them in return?

Does this sound like a workable answer or has anybody tried this and seen problems with it. Would like to hear feedback or opinions

Can the camera be set to play for more than one subscriber at the same time? If so tell the tenants that you are willing to put up a security camera system that they can all monitor.

Or maybe just one would be more than happy to hook the security system to his own internet. Offer to the one who is the most unhappy about the vandalism.

Private security for a couple nights. Or do it yourself. Why aren't the tenants taking care of the problem? Is the damage being done every night or Fri/Sat mostly. Just pick the most likely days. If they are doing it again and again you'll catch them.

Don't rely on police or the courts to do much.

Have the dogmen drag them off into the woods.

You can get cams that just dump to memory cards. You can get trail cameras that just take pictures. Some are cellular, like the Spypoint brand that I use.

But putting up cameras and piggybacking off a tenant's internet shouldn't be a big deal. You are doing it for them as well as yourself.

They make versions that replace security lights so there would be your power.

I use SIMO hotspots now $6 every couple of months. Electricity use nominal. I connect to a Eufy solar cam. The ones that look like a wall light are especially sneaky!

You can get an extra solar panel for cams that face north.

You first need to understand what you are trying to accomplish with a camera. Assuming you get a recording of some random homeless person (most likely suspect) what then? You won't have a name and it's unlikely the police will recognize him/her so it really only provides evidence once they catch whoever is doing it. The value of video by itself to solve it is low.

If you are trying to catch the person, then you need to be monitoring the video. As mentioned above, you can get a camera that sends you alerts when activity is detected. You can even set a timeline, say only activate between 10PM and 5AM. But then you have to be available to take the alert and call the authorities quickly when you see it happen (most vandalism is completed within 7-8 minutes so even then the chances of the Police being dispatched to catch them is slim.