cctv heat indicator seems pointless if you can just change your look, right?

So the heat indicators in GTA 6 tell the cops what they know about you. Your face, your car, your clothes, whatever. Makes sense. But the CCTV one is bugging me.

From what I understand, it means you've been caught on camera. And during a robbery you can wipe the footage from the store's system before you leave. That part I get. But what's the actual consequence if you don't wipe it? If you swap your outfit, ditch the car, split up from your partner, does the CCTV indicator even matter anymore? The cops already have your description from the other indicators, so what does the CCTV add?

Maybe it's just a reminder that you need to wipe the footage before you bounce, otherwise the cops get a permanent record of you at the scene. But if you're already changing your appearance and vehicle, that record is useless. Unless the CCTV footage is tied to something else, like a specific location or a witness ID that doesn't go away when you change clothes.

I think it's probably just a nudge to wipe the footage, and if you don't, the cops get a better description of you that's harder to shake. But honestly, it feels like a redundant mechanic if you're already planning to change everything. Maybe it only matters for a clean getaway where you don't want any heat at all. I'll probably just wipe it every time out of habit and never think about it again.

Source: r/GTA6 · Curated content.

Car guy take: clothes are easy to swap, your ride isn't. If that camera caught your plate rolling up to the job, a new shirt does nothing. You'd need a respray or fresh plates to kill that trail. That's probably what the indicator is really tracking. Your FACE is whatever, but a plate on camera ties you to the scene. So yeah, wipe it or budget for bodywork.

a plate on camera ties you to the scene

true, and the rp angle makes it scarier. on serious servers camera evidence is what builds cases. the chase that night is whatever, its the folder with your characters name on it three weeks later that gets you. one clip plus a witness statement plus your plate popping up twice and suddenly theres a warrant with your whole rap sheet attached. so if gta6 runs cctv anything like that, the indicator matters way past the getaway. faces and clothes decay fast, a case file doesnt. wipe or dont is really asking "do i want this job to still exist next tuesday." clean getaway andys will wipe out of pure habit. everyone else learns the hard way when some detective connects jobs across the map.