Live surveillance monitoring is a proactive commercial security solution to help deter criminal activity. Examples of criminal activity include loitering, theft, property damage, assault, and trespassing at shopping centers, industrial properties, self-storage facilities, car dealerships, and other commercial properties.
In our articles below two police chiefs discussed alarm or call verification. When live surveillance operators see and report a live crime in progress, police departments can call it verified, which may lead to faster police dispatch and response. Live monitoring benefits include typically better coverage at a significantly lower expense when compared to security guards.
Contents
- Verified Alarms
- Live Surveillance Monitoring versus Security Guards
Verified Alarms
Police Security Video: Priority Police Dispatch for Live Monitoring
For many in the alarm industry a verified alarm simply prevents a needless dispatch to a false alarm. The term generates confusion between groups because of what they actually seek to verify — a crime or a false alarm. The same term is used in two different ways; sometimes broadly referring to false alarm reduction and sometimes narrowly referring to validating a crime-in-progress.
Deputy Chief Calvaruso said that if the police department was notified of an alarm, and the alarm had surveillance video, police dispatch would treat it like a crime in progress. The operators at the Akron Police Department were smart people. They have been trained to change their response techniques if a crime changed classifications to a crime in progress. Click here to read the full article.
Police Security Video: Dallas-area Police Chief Enforced Importance of Remote Video Surveillance
Police Chief Chris Vinson represented Highland Park Police Department. Highland Park was an affluent area of the Dallas – Ft. Worth Metroplex. The most common crime reported was Property Crime while the second most common was theft.
Highland Park’s crime rate was 43% lower compared to the national average.
Vinson also served as the chairman for the Texas Police Chief’s Association Alarm Committee. He represented 1,900 law enforcement agencies that ranged in size. Some were as small as a one man department, while some were as large with 5,000 personnel and departments.
He discussed how to define alarms and their priorities with the members he represented. This discussion led to a more uniformed response for the different alarms. Also, it helped set a standard for prioritization of alarms. Click here to read more.
Verified Alarm Response
False alarms are a huge industry problem. Cities deal with it in different ways but generally with fines that get expensive. There are some ways to reduce the error rate.
But the problem is not the definition of verified alarm. It’s that alarms are an inadequate security measure for commercial businesses. In comparison live video monitoring security is verified by definition. A Stealth Monitoring operator can see unusual activity, activate an audible warning to deter thieves, and call the local police about live crimes in-progress. Stealth video surveillance can see criminals on the property outside before criminals would trip an alarm and before the crime happens. Police can be called sooner when surveillance operators see them (not after they trip the alarm inside the building) and with better response because it’s not a false alarm. The result is stronger police relationships. Click here to read more.
Who’s Watching Your Cameras?
Congratulations if you’ve already bought video cameras. Video surveillance is an important first step to protect your property. Are you maximizing their use as part of a full security solution? Recorded video only documents thefts and damage after the fact. It can’t be used to identify masked and hooded individuals. It does little to deter crimes in progress. If no one is monitoring your surveillance system, your cameras might as well be pieces of expensive furniture.
Security guards can watch cameras late at night and weekends when you’re closed. But a guard is expensive and can only watch a few cameras at a time.
Instead leverage your cameras with proactive live video monitoring from Stealth Monitoring. We can both integrate your existing cameras and add additional high-resolution megapixel IP cameras. We can consult with you to design a full network for optimal property coverage, including entrances, gates, fences, parking lots, roofs, and buildings. Whether we use your cameras, our cameras, or both, our trained monitoring staff can watch your assets and property when you’re not there.
Stealth operators can activate speaker alarms and call the police when they see intruders … often before they cause any vandalism or theft. Plus the Stealth monitoring service is significantly less expensive than a full-time security guard.
Contact Stealth now to protect both your camera network investment and your property. Visit our web site and see actual video of criminals being apprehended.
