The city of San Bernardino, California has one of the highest crime rates in the country, according to Neighborhoodscout.com. University Village shopping center is located in an economically challenged area of the city, across the street from Cal State University. The property became a meeting ground for the homeless, who would leave trash in their wake. Additionally, break-ins were becoming a frequent occurrence.
Because there was only so much the fire and police departments could do, property managers were forced to take matters into their own hands.
An Expensive Security Option
The center hired a security guard service to patrol the property. However, as crime continued to mount, the guard was spending more time at the center. The fee to pay the guard was quickly growing into the largest expense on the property’s monthly budget.
Better Results at Half the Cost
Property managers looked to Stealth for a better solution. What they got was a more robust plan that cut their security costs in half, resulting in a savings of approximately $42,000 a year. By having us actively monitor live security cameras in real time, they were able to eliminate the nightly guard and reduce the criminal activity considerably.
The following video illustrates just a few of the security issues plaguing University Village and how our security solution intervened to help deter serious and costly damage.
In the first video clip, a trained Stealth Monitoring security operator saw two vehicles pull into the back alley of the property. The operator activated the on-site speaker warning, which the suspects ignored. Minutes later, the pair was seen burning something on the ground. Our operator contacted first responders. The fire department arrived quickly to douse the flames.
Part two involves two homeless individuals who started a fire on the property, presumably to keep warm. Again, one of our monitoring operators was watching and quickly took action.
Finally, we spotted two people fighting and throwing punches at various points around the property.
Anytime people hang around your retail property for an extended period, it can cause problems. While loitering may seem like a harmless crime, it can make visitors to your property feel unsafe and could potentially keep them from ever coming back. Not to mention, it could lead to more egregious criminal activity.
Interested in learning more about our success with University Village or how our live video monitoring can help your property? Click here or contact us.
