Video Surveillance in the news

The Economy Of Security - Observations From Middle America

posted by by Andy WENDT 01/22/2007

It has been said that everything has its price but does this truly apply to security systems?

To be fair and balanced we should of course remember that every corporation or government entity is ultimately run by imperfect human beings that must make decisions based on real world financial limitations.

With that in mind, below are some observations from my small town:

This morning I heard on the local news that an elderly pedestrian was hit and killed just four blocks from my home by a police car over the weekend. The police car did not have an in car camera installed. The accident happened in a city where revenue generating Red Light cameras have been installed for years. Several eye witnesses have already disputed the officer’s claim that he had his lights and siren on as he traveled at high speed down the road in response to a call from assistance from a fellow officer. Unfortunately the lack of an in car camera will undoubtedly lead to countless allegations and denials in the wake of this life shattering and life ending tragedy.

Construction Site Camera Security:
Materials Theft Prevention

posted by andy Wendt 10/04/2006

Construction Theft is estimated at roughly $1 billion annually.*

As the value of raw materials increases it is reasonable to expect that if left unaddressed that construction site theft will also continue to increase.

The loss of materials and equipment from the construction site can lead to delays, down time, increased insurance rates, and damaged company reputations.

Camera Security Now offers a way to act in a pre-emptive manner to protect your assets.

By using a well designed video surveillance system as a part of a comprehensive security plan you can regain control of your assets and your construction site.

Security cameras will by their very nature deter theft and vandalism. Security cameras increase the likelihood of apprehension and prosecution. Construction Site Camera Systems by Pathfinder Surveillance, all offer remote view, playback, and notification by phone, pager, or e-mail if motion is detected after hours. The systems are relatively portable and with the possible exception of video cable can be easily relocated to the next construction site.

A camera security system for your construction site is not an end all to the problem of construction site theft but it is a key ingredient of your plan.

The Construction Site Security Plan should at a minimum address these areas:

Signs - Post signs in high traffic areas. Such as "Security Cameras in Use" , "No Trespassing", Contractors contact information, and signs that state a Reward Program for in information leading to the apprehension of anyone illegally on the premises.

Security Cameras - Security Cameras are a cost effective and versatile component of your Construction Site Security Plan as well as a great management tool. Security cameras placed in key spots can be both a deterrence and tool for law enforcement. Security cameras can also provide management information to help judge the productivity and safety of the work force.

Physical Access - All good security starts with good access control. Insure that perimeter is protected with a well maintained fence. Keep gates to a minimum and keep them locked with industrial grade chains and padlocks. Make sure all small equipment and tools are secured in a locked shed each night. Use a reputable security guard service and be aware that most losses occur between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.* as well as on the weekends.

Equipment Security - Make sure all your equipment and materials are marked with your company logo or contact information and. keep records of serial or inventory numbers. These simple steps will make it more difficult for your inventory to be quickly re-sold if stolen. Re-Key large equipment and consider GPS systems for trucks and other vehicles. Cluster your equipment and materials at the end of each day. This will allow for a more controlled and monitored environment for your camera system.

Communicate - Implement a simple mailer informing the immediate area about your project and your Rewards Program should they witness any attempted theft.

General Policies - Ask your supplier for a "Just in time" delivery on all expensive raw materials. Conduct criminal background checks on all potential new hires or sub-contractors. Maintain a strict zero tolerance policy for all internal theft. Insist that your security firm provide signs, marked cars, or other highly visible markers to denote their presence.

Restaurant Video Spy in the Sky
Preventing Robberies

Warning to Restaurant Owners: Some employees will get caught stealing. There will be terminations after a security camera system is put in place.

Robberies are less frequent when video cameras are in conspicuous places and proper signage is displayed on entry doors and walls.
Once a potential robber or thief sees that your place is under surveillance, they don't try anything.

DVR - Digital Video Recording Computers are now widely found in restaurants! They are easy to install, offer many features and could save your life.

Using color cameras inside your building is best because people will be more identifiable by the color of clothes they are wearing. Used in conjunction with the face shot at the entry point, you have an excellent record of all people and activities in all the surveillance areas of your restaurant.

"We got robbed just after we installed our Camera Security system." Explains John Bower who owns 2 Dominos Pizza restaurants in Harrisburg, PA. "The picture was so good and getting it to the police was so easy, they caught the guy!"

"Making sure that people can see that there really are cameras in the restaurant is very important. Plus I have cameras pointing to every cash drawer." said Emad Hamdan of who owns multiple restaurant franchises including Gold Star Chili.

Recommendation: Use a Color Security Cameras with a 4mm lens for your typical restaurant dining room and storage areas.

Minimum Recommendation: 4 Security Camera System.

Either way, a surveillance system is becoming a necessity rather than a luxury for the restaurant industry.

Here are some ideas for the use of a security camera video surveillance system in a business:

1. Indoor Video camera records all customer faces and actions
2. Outdoor Camera can record cars (colors, make and model).
3. Video records all of your cash handling transactions.
4. Video shows you how long the waiting list is at peak times to help with scheduling staff.
5. Video keeps eye on all exits and entrances to the building
6. Video can show who vandalized your landscaping.
7. Video of your dumpster yields many surprises.
8. All Video is viewable from remote locations with internet connection.
9. View video from your wireless laptop computer from in your car.

Video surveillance in restaurants is on the rise for good reasons! Video surveillance is saving money, protecting employees, catching bad guys and deterring crime.

DVR Systems work best when configured with Microsoft Windows XP Operating system. Windows based DVRs, like GeoVision, offer the best quality at competitive prices.

GeoVision DVRs have Windows Compatibility for all recorded video.
Video can be easily viewed over the internet remotely from home or anywhere. Best of all, Windows based GeoVision DVRs require no special software to play back the video (.AVI File). Anyone with a computer can play back the recorded video. Email the legal watermark video clip to partner, attorney and the police whenever necessary!

Bar Surveillance Video
The bar is one of businesses most vulnerable areas of theft.

Bartender stealing is especially prevalent if you have a successful bar business with a popular bartender. You might not notice daily theft and skimming, such as free drinks to the bartender’s friends and stealing from the cash register.

Shrinkage, the average loss due to theft, spillage and waste, nationally is approximately 23 percent on liquor and draft beer, about 10 percent on wine and 2 percent on bottled beer*. That’s a lot of money. It could mean your profits for the year! Eliminating shrinkage can mean the difference between financial success and bankruptcy.

Theft alone is the largest source of losses in bars. Opportunities are plentiful for theft behind a bar. Bartenders work many hours without direct supervision. Those who steal from the bar do so because it’s easy, hard to detect, and nearly impossible to prevent Bartenders are tempted with cash .

The temptations posed by handling large sums of cash and dealing with a liquid inventory on a day to day basis can be overwhelming. At some point, even the most honest bartenders will contemplate stealing cash, and give out free drinks to friends or bar regulars.

Bar Video Surveillance can help Eliminate Dishonest Bartenders
You need to send a message loud and clear to your staff that theft will not be tolerated. Bartenders know they will be held accountable for their actions with surveillance video systems.

While you might not want to pursue criminal action against a bartender for embezzlement or a similar crime, video documented theft is solid grounds for termination. A mere wrist slap does nothing to discourage others from putting their hands in the till.

Consider the predicament that Bob had when he terminated his favorite bartender. "After installing the GeoVision camera system, it became apparent that Judy was taking money and giving away the farm. She was bringing in a ton of business, much of that was because of all the free drinks she gave away. I hated to let her go, it hurt our bar customer traffic at first. But after looking at the bottom line, we knew we made the right decision."

Caution: Most bars installing the GeoVision Bar Surveillance Video System fire at least 1 bartender after the initial installation.

___________________
*Source: Bevinco, Inc., a liquor inventory control service, with 100 franchises throughout the United States and Canada.

Fast Food Video - Who's at your drive-thru window?
DVR - Digital Video Recording Computers are now widely found in fast food restaurants!

Fast Food Video Surveillance Did you ever wonder what is going on behind your restaurant when the drive-thru buzzer or bell is activated?
Here are some ways that a video surveillance system can help your fast food business work more safely and efficiently.

1. Video records cars, colors, make and model.
2. Video shows you if the person you just waited on is still at the menu board.
3. Video shows you how long the line is.
4. Video records faces.
5. Video records all of your cash handling transactions.
6. Video show who vandalized the landscaping.
7. Video of dumpster yields many surprises.

Video surveillance in fast food restaurants is on the rise for good reasons! Video surveillance is saving money, protecting employees, catching bad guys and deterring crime.

DVR Systems work best when configured with Microsoft Windows XP Operating system. Windows based DVRs, like GeoVision, offer the best quality at competitive prices.

GeoVision DVRs have Windows Compatibility for all recorded video.
Video to be easily viewed over the internet for remote viewing from home or anywhere. Best of all, Windows based GeoVision DVRs require no special software to play back the video (.AVI File). Anyone with a computer can play back the recorded video. Email the legal watermark video clip to partner, attorney and the police whenever necessary!

Security cameras capture image of security camera theft suspect

Last Update: 02/15/2007 7:06:06 PM
By: Todd Dukart

A thief at an Albuquerque car wash was caught on tape by the very camera police say he was stealing.

Buck Buckner, the owner of the Rain Tunnel car wash on Lomas Boulevard near San Mateo, says he discovered that some of his security cameras were missing Sunday morning.

A couple of days later, when the tapes were received, Buckner says he nearly fell out of his seat when he saw the thief taking off with a camera, which is capable of recording in the dark.

“The system is idiot-proof,” he said. “I guess it invited an idiot to come up and try and steal a live camera.”

Police say the thief will likely be caught soon now that they’ve released his picture.

“This a clear view of a person. His whole face is shown. He's not covering up anything,” said police spokesperson Trish Hoffman. “And someone knows him out there.”

There’s a $300 reward leading to the suspect’s arrest.

If you recognize the man, you’re asked to call Albuquerque police.

Low Light Or Infrared Camera Technology - Which Is Right For You ?

posted by ANDY WENDT 10/04/2006

The question of how best to cover a low light area with an affordable video security solution is a pretty common one. However with a basic understanding of the technologies involved it is a question that anyone could answer for themselves.

One of the first things to keep in mind about the two technologies is that of course each has its place.

The place for Infrared Cameras:

Infrared (I.R.) is a good fit for areas with virtually no light that only need coverage in a limited or confined area. I often make the analogy that using an I.R. camera is like walking around into the pitch dark with a flashlight: The smaller the flashlight the smaller the visible area. It’s this simple concept that makes I.R a good fit for a limited area as it allows for respectable coverage without a big “I.R. flashlight”

Of course if that large area must be covered with I.R technology it can be done. Just be prepared to budget accordingly as the large banks of I.R. emitters necessary to cover large spaces can become quite costly.

But even if the budget will allow and all other aspects of your situation make it seam like an I.R. cameras is a good fit keep in mind that give any two identically secured areas the space with the least lighting is going to be the space most targeted by thieves. It could then be argued that if the primary goal of your system is to deter crime and reduce loss this instantly puts the “I have no light at all so I need an I.R. Camera” theory at a disadvantage as compared to a Low Light solution backed up by any amount of lighting.

The place for Low Light Cameras:

While I.R. cameras attempt to make their picture more useful by supplying their own I.R. light source Low Light cameras take the opposite approach and they attempt to take advantage of any ambient light available, including natural sources such as the light emitted from a star filled night sky, to provide their solution to the problem.

Low Light cameras can also more easily benefit from standard Varifocal lenses. For example if you have a gate you need to watch and it sits 100ft from your camera a Low Light standard body camera with say a 50mm lens could easily give you the close up shot of the gate you want. While standard body I.R. sensitive cameras can take advantage of the same lens they often hit the limit of their I.R. lighting long before the optical limits of the lens come into play. So again if the gate must be watched with an I.R. camera the same lens would have to be used as well as a very large bank of I.R. emitters necessary to light the shot out to the required 100ft range.

This in my opinion gives Low Light cameras at least a monetary leg up in large spaces. As it allows for coverage of the space using the same concepts that would apply given the camera was operating in non stop daylight.

Also if your need for a security system is great enough there is a chance that you are already asking about medium to high quality standard body cameras. And once in this market the Low Light technology often comes standard on the camera. Or in other words you get to spend your budget more efficiently as it is not eaten up by the additional I.R. emitters.

CCTV Security Camera Information for Non-Technical People

Get a good face shot!

Use Higher quality cameras at entry areas Doors, gates and other entry areas need a good quality, high resolution camera to record a good 'face shot.' The video from this camera should be considered a highly valuable since it can be used as evidence in identifying a person in a court of law.

Wide Angle Cameras for large surveillance areas

Once you can get a good shot of a persons face, you should use a wider angle camera lens for the interior surveillance spaces of the building. Using color cameras inside your building is a good idea because you can readily identify a person by the clothes they are wearing. Used in conjunction with the face shot at the entry point, you have an excellent record of all people and activities in your surveillance areas.

Use Bullet Security Cams and Dome Security Cams!

They're Low Cost, High Performance, can be used indoors and outdoors and available in Color or B&W. Dome cams and bullet cams come in many low cost models. Good quality B&W cams start at less than $80 and good color cams start at $150. When it comes to budgets, having a low cost black & white camera is better than no camera at all.

Black and white cameras have advantages over color security cameras

Most B/W cameras can see in lower light and have higher resolution than color cameras. If most of your surveillance goals are at night and your budget is limited, a black & white camera may actually be your best solution.

Professional and Standard C-Mount Cameras

If your budget permits, a c-mount camera offers a big advantage over other cctv cameras.

C-Mount or CS-Mount?

C-mount and CS-Mount lenses offer similar performance, the only real difference is the way the lens mounts to the camera. And that's not a problem since the adapter to convert 'C-Mount' to 'CS-Mount' comes with the camera. This enables the camera to use either C-Mount or CS-Mount lenses.

Lenses can be changed!

They simply unscrew from the camera body, just like the way lenses are removed from traditional cameras. There are lens options from 2.5mm up to 500mm providing many different magnification options.

In general, an 8mm lens is like a 4mm lens magnified 200%. A 16mm lens is like the 4mm lens magnified 400%

Outdoor Housing

C-mount cameras can be used outside when put in an outdoor camera housing like the photo to the right needed to protect the camera. Heat and Fans are necessary in the 'extreme climate areas.'

Varifocal Lenses

You can also use a varifocal lens on a c-mount camera body. The higher millimeter of the lens the further distance viewable. C-Mount cameras can use a varifocal lens. This is a huge advantage because you can adjust zoom and focus. With Varifocal lenses the focus can be varied from 5mm to 20mm or more.

Even after installed, the varifocal camera lens can be adjusted to choose a variety of focal distances and angles of view. An example of where you might use a varifocal lens is outside (or inside) a warehouse or parking lot where you need more distance than 35 feet.

Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ)

Pan-Tilt-Zoom Cameras also known as PTZ cameras are excellent devices to use when you want to 'look around' your surveillance area.

PTZ cameras allow you to pan an entire room, tilt up and down and zoom in on anything or anybody within the sight of the lens.

PTZ cameras can be set to automatic or manual mode or both. In automatic mode, hundreds of points can be set for the camera to look at. The duration that the camera looks at a given set point can be adjusted from less than a second to as long as you would like.

There are some variances in different models. Some have 17x zooms while others have 50x zooms or more.

About CCTV Security Cameras: Closed circuit television also known as CCTV is the industry standard in surveillance security cameras. CCTV can be a single network of cameras or multiple networks of camera linked together via switches, internet, dvr or wide area computer technology. CCTV Video data is analog. The analog signal can be converted to digital via CCTV Digital Video Recorders. Once the video data is digital it can be managed just like any other computer data and can be stored automatically on computers and network storage devices.

School Security Cameras In the News
Front Door and Visitor Registration Area Needs Better Monitoring CCTV School Children Front Door of School
Many schools are not constantly monitoring the front door and the visitor registration desk. An automated security camera system can solve that problem immediately!

Danger Zone: Unregistered visitors can easily sneak past the registration window at some schools. Even if a person signs the registration form, often it is illegible.

Not having a record of all visitors is a serious security flaw that could let unwelcome, un-registered, un-seen and even dangerous visitors in some of our school buildings.

Security camera surveillance at the visitor registration desk along with computerized check in is the most comprehensive solution to accurately register visitor names and faces.

Save the Face
If there ever was an incident at the school, the school will have a security camera face shot and name that can be distributed to the authorities immediately. All video from cameras can be converted to 'still shots' in that can easily be used in email and on websites.

All schools should have at least one (1) camera in the school. One (1) camera at the front visitor registration desk could save a life.

School strikes back with video security cameras
A former student of the primary school was prosecuted successfully after the principal identified him from surveillance video data.