Police response times in Southern California have become a growing concern due to several factors. Staffing shortages, increased call volumes, and administrative burdens have all contributed to delays. In this Arrest of the Month video, thanks to Stealth’s live video monitoring, dispatchers were able to quickly send officers to respond to erratic and potentially dangerous behavior at a SoCal client’s shopping center.
At approximately 2:00 am, Stealth security professionals monitoring a SoCal shopping center spotted an individual on the property behaving strangely- appearing to talk to themselves before aggressively hitting the exterior of the building multiple times. Audible alarms were activated, and local police dispatchers contacted due to the potentially dangerous nature of the activity observed. Responding officers could be seen on cameras responding to the property and safely taking the individual into custody.
A variety of factors have contributed to longer police response times, for example, in San Diego in 2022, Priority One calls, which involve serious crimes or immediate threats to life, saw an average response time increase of over 15 minutes compared to 2018. This issue is exacerbated for less urgent calls, with Priority Three calls, involving minor crimes, averaging a staggering 189.5 minutes in 2022, more than double the time in 2018.
The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) attributes much of this delay to a record-low number of available officers. As of 2022, the department had 1,629 officers available, the lowest in over 15 years, with many officers unavailable due to leaves, light-duty assignments, and ongoing training. This shortage has forced the department to reallocate specialized units, such as SWAT and motorcycle officers, to respond to routine calls, further straining resources.
With limited staff available, it’s important that dispatchers have as much information as possible when receiving calls, helping them to allocate responses accordingly. This is one way in which Stealth’s live video monitoring, which as demonstrated above, can help. Monitoring staff can relay detailed descriptions of activity, locations, and ongoing action when placing calls to dispatchers, allowing them to more effectively prioritize calls.
For example, one of Stealth’s clients, a multifamily residential community in Anaheim, California, faced growing security concerns that are all too common to multifamily residential communities. With local crime statistics on the rise, their security solution – security guards – was proving insufficient. This prompted them to innovate their security strategies. After partnering with Stealth for live video monitoring, they saw a significant improvement in the consistency of police responses.
Property management teams have long recognized the limitations of relying solely on traditional security methods like passive, unmonitored surveillance cameras. While useful, these conventional approaches can often be circumvented or ignored by intruders, trespassers, and loiterers. Moreover, surveillance footage may confirm a crime after the fact, but it lacks the immediacy of real-time intervention.
Live Video Monitoring: A Proactive Commercial Security Solution
This is where proactive security solutions, like Stealth’s live video monitoring, offer a distinct advantage. This advanced approach helps overcome the limitations of traditional measures by providing an engaged and responsive security strategy. By integrating sophisticated video analytics focused on specific activities rather than mere motion detection and employing a team of trained security professionals to monitor surveillance feeds in real-time, our solution delivers real-time surveillance with a significant difference.
At the core of Stealth’s system are our dedicated security operators, diligently overseeing key areas of your property. This allows them not only to monitor but also to interact proactively when they identify suspicious behavior. They can deploy audible warnings to effectively deter potential offenders or, if necessary, directly contact local law enforcement and provide live, detailed information about crimes in progress. This ability to offer real-time intelligence often results in a higher priority response from law enforcement agencies.
For commercial property owners and managers seeking a robust, proactive, and cost-effective security solution, Stealth’s live video monitoring offers a compelling option. Not only can it enhance security, but it can also provide significant savings of up to 60% compared to traditional security guard services. Contact us today and speak with one of our commercial retail and shopping center security specialists for details and a free quote.
Texas Private Security License Number: B14187
California Alarm Operator License Number: ACO7876
Florida Alarm System Contractor I License Number: EF20001598
Tennessee Alarm Contracting Company License Number: 2294
Virginia Private Security Services Business License Number: 11-19499
Alabama Electronic Security License # 002116
Canada TSBC License: LEL0200704
