When you take a stroll in your town and you look around you cannot miss them. Every few steps, especially near banks and public offices, at gas stations and at chain stores, you will see unobtrusive but omnipresent little boxes peering on passers-by.

You know that those are Surveillance Cameras hopefully in charge of protecting the security and well being of all citizens. You trust the appointed Authorities that they will use the information collected by the cameras in legitimate ways, only to keep criminals in check.

However, when you think of it, it may give you some uneasiness, as if all your deeds, thoughts and intentions were no more private, as if you were by now to the mercy of some mysterious and nasty blackmailer. That is the power of deterrence.

The question can then be asked: is the mere presence of the little boxes (surveillance cameras) capable of influencing peoples actions? We would like to think that honest people are not affected, while those with something to hide are being kept straight, and if not, they will be easily caught.

It may not be always exactly so, but it has been affirmed that the security services of large organizations administering the information supplied by large arrays of surveillance systems, do not hasten to repair or replace the single pieces of faulty equipment, reasoning that they continue to perform their deterrence task even when unable to provide useful images.

Around these arguments a whole new business developed. What if, instead of installing complex, delicate and costly surveillance systems, only mock-up cameras, looking exactly like real pieces of equipment, were put in place in full display?

Their impact can even be enhanced by showing large signs, also easily procured, warning that the premises are under constant control, even if it is not true.

The problem is: can dummy cameras be relied upon to provide home security? Our personal view is that it would probably be too dangerous to put too much confidence unto a bluff.

Although they may have some value, better than no security provisions at all, for a short time, while planning for a more complete system to be put in place, it would not be advisable to build ones surveillance only on a fake camera.

Although most burglars would prefer to go for another easier prey without spending time on investigations, one can never be sure that some clever person will not interpret subtle signs to deduce the deception.

The subject of home surveillance for providing security to persons and property is too serious to be solved only with a cunning trick. But as only a small element of a larger well thought system, even a dummy camera could play a useful part.