CCTV Visibility in the Dark

[Vengeance]

The local area has upgraded security, cameras are everywhere and my personal "highway" had some work done on it by the government.
What was a trail completely submerged in darkness is now completely lit up in all directions for hundreds of meters.
I have to plan new routes but there are cameras in those areas.
That's why I wanted to discuss how well your average CCTV camera can see into the darkness.

[Xanatos]

Depends whether or not they have an IR emitter. Some of the houses here have security cameras which project an infrared beam so they can see in the dark. You can usually spot them from the red lights on the lens of the cameras, but sometimes they can be harder to spot - especially if they're one of those tinted domed cameras.

[Vengeance]

Could these cameras with an infared beam see me if I'm completely submerged in darkness.

[Vengeance]

I have a love, hate relationship with modern security

[Xanatos]

Could these cameras with an infared beam see me if I'm completely submerged in darkness.

Yes. That's the whole point of the IR beam - it acts like nightvision. You can get similar features on even cheap video cameras; I used one for my Church Op vid. Was operating in mostly complete darkness but the IR made shit actually visible.
Pain in the arse trying to navigate in the dark with a bright LED screen in your face though. Completely kills your nightvision, ironically.

[Sicarius]

I would not be too worried about cameras in a casual mission. As long as you have your mask on, of course, and crouch if possible. Most cameras(at night) are not live monitored and the footage will not be reviewed unless something notable occurred. So, avoid cameras if possible but do not fret if one sees you. If it is a regular path that you take as well, then take a different one or avoid the cameras.

If you are doing some real-world mission, AVOID CAMERAS AT ALL COSTS. Forensics are overrated at times, but with cameras, they can tell your height, weight, walking/running gait, little quirks such as keeping your arms a certain way, and more. A mask and covering as much skin as possible is extremely beneficial, so do so. If you must go in front of a camera, remain crouched or in a strange position to make it hard for them to analyze height and locomotive gait.

My NVG camera affects my natural night vision, but not too much I think. I still have to try it in the field though, so I will see.

[Vengeance]

Everything changes when i'm out as an operative compared to when i'm a citizen, i keep a different posture, keep my arms closer or further away from my body.
I like to think it's another personality that takes hold of me during the night.


About the cameras:
My town has had an increase in police activity in recent months.
It used to be completely unmonitored by law enforcement during the night, and i wanted to know why that changed.
I slipped into the police station a while back and found they have an entire wall livestreaming camera footage from all over town.

[Xanatos]

That does make things difficult... but where there's a will, there's a way.

If you're trying to infiltrate an area and passing by a camera is unavoidable, try infiltrating & exfiltrating from a different direction than your home base. Take the long route home. Change directions constantly. Find a way to break the LoS of the cameras, change disguises and proceed in another direction, perhaps even changing your gait or the way you walk. Make it difficult for the blues to track your movements.