If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you appreciate the necessity and value of good on-site security.
For many types of enterprises, such as shopping centers and apartment complexes, it’s typical to have courtesy patrols on the property to provide security and assist customers who may be looking for a particular store or need directions. Or they may patrol an apartment complex to make sure that only authorized tenants are on the premises.
It may be that your place of business is served by a contractor using uniformed security guards. While this is a step up from the less formal courtesy patrol, relying solely on a human presence for continual, 24/7 security and protection has its limits.
Big Brother is Watching You. (Or Is He?)
Security guards and courtesy patrols can provide a high degree of security, but there are several unavoidable drawbacks to having only guard-based security.
While a security presence on-site serves as an effective deterrence, an individual patrolling a property cannot be everywhere, all the time. An obvious answer might be to increase the number of guards. However, paying for security guard labor can be prohibitively expensive, especially if you want multiple guards on-site or if you need a guard on-site full time.
This problem becomes exponentially larger as the property gets larger.
For example, if you own or manage an auto dealership, commercial construction site, or a chemical plant, for example, you will need a security team to provide complete coverage of your property.
Yet, even with a professional, competent security service team, there will be gaps in coverage. And professional, competent criminals can exploit those lapses. Regardless of how diligent and alert a security guard is, if they are unable to see a security breach, they can’t respond.
In other words, patrols alone only provide limited security and at a high cost.
An Eye In the Sky
Video surveillance has advanced dramatically in just the last 10 years or so. The transition from tape to digital formats was a huge leap in both storage efficiency and visual quality.
In fact, as recently as 2017, Inc. magazine was touting the “revolutionary” advances that had just come to the forefront of the video security industry. They noted that among other technological features, the newer security cameras were now capable of 360-degree field of view, facial recognition features, and night vision capabilities.
Hardware has also become smaller, more durable, and less expensive. In fact, entire home video security systems can now be found on the shelves of stores like Home Depot and others. Affordability and portability are now the hallmarks of many video security systems.
These features and benefits have carried over into the commercial video security industry, as well. So, it would seem that simply installing the latest, state-of-the-art security cameras would be sufficient to provide comprehensive and 24-hour on-site surveillance.
Well, yes and no.
While the cameras may be on all day and all night (and even see in the dark) they can do nothing to prevent a crime or stop unauthorized access to property. A culprit who is not concerned with being “on camera” or has successfully covered their face to avoid identification may not be deterred by the presence of security cameras.
And, much like having multiple security guards on site around the clock, this type of advanced security system can be expensive. Many business owners balk at investing in high-priced equipment that will only record a crime in progress.
An Optimal Solution to an Age Old Problem
When it comes to live guards versus technology, there are many factors to consider. In an ideal world, the optimal solution would be one that provides the deterrence and intervention that a live guard provides, but with the full site protection that technology provides.
All things being equal, an effective technology solution will trump a human presence solution every time. Cameras need no breaks, don’t fall asleep, get sick, or must be paid. But most existing technology solutions still fall short of the ideal.
What would the ideal look like?
A system that had the capability for processing analytics to trigger a response to a security protocol breach, for example. An ideal technology security solution would have the capacity to detect the dwell time and direction of travel of individuals on camera. It would possess barrier detection and even on-board speaker technology accessible by real-time monitoring technicians.
In other words, a security system that gives you the best of both worlds.
Blue Eye can provide you with a solution that provides just that! And at a surprisingly affordable price.
Our solution is an Ai-empowered managed service platform that requires no up-front capital costs. With our service, you have permission-based 24/7 access to your cameras, accessible through your smartphone, computer, or tablet.
Give us a call at 855.258.3662 or email us at [email protected]. Let us design an effective solution for your business!