A vandal proof camera is a camera and housing intended to resist vandalism, making sure the camera will continue to operate in conditions where people attempt to break it or impair its function.

The camera is located in a smooth, tough housing, often dome-shaped, that will resist attempts to break, shatter, or tear it apart. A layer of thick protective glass or plastic is positioned over the lens, allowing the camera to be completely enclosed. Limiting exposure of camera components assures continued functionality. Signal wires and similar devices are tucked inside the housing and run through the wall, making it impossible for vandals to cut them or pull them out to interrupt the signal from the camera.

It may be possible to cover the material protecting the lens of a vandal-proof camera to make it hard to see, but often, the material is designed to resist coatings like markers or paints, and the sight of someone attempting to make something stick over the covering will alert a person monitoring the camera to a crime in progress. When the DVR is reviewed, rather than being viewed live, the resistance of the camera may allow it to snap some photographs before the vandal succeeds in covering it to make it impossible to see what happens next.

Working around a vandal-proof camera requires more skill and planning than a traditional security camera. This can act as a deterrent, reducing crime in an area, especially if all of the cameras fitted are of this type, eliminating blind spots and making it impossible to engage in criminal activity without being picked up on a camera somewhere in the vicinity.