There is a universal truth in the business realm and that is the need for security. In the “good old days” this meant courtesy patrols, roving security services, or even employee security personnel.
Beginning in 1949, Closed Circuit Television systems, or CCTV, became available and added a huge advantage. However, the early CCTV systems were equipped with largely black and white, low-resolution cameras that could only be monitored in real-time, or stored on some magnetic tape-based storage device.
A New Level of Virtual Security
Criminal activity targeting brick-and-mortar businesses and apartment buildings is nothing new. But the variety and frequency of these crimes have been on the rise for decades.
Shoplifting is still causing massive losses in retail. Vandalism and graffiti continue to plague properties. And stores, apartment complexes, and industrial facilities are still regular break-in targets.
But today, there are rampant and changing crimes of opportunity ranging from stripping copper and other valuable metals from commercial properties, to large scale theft of cardboard waste, wood pallets, and other materials that can be quickly and profitably disposed of.
In addition to these ongoing and increasing threats, there is civil unrest that lends itself to vandalism, looting, and wholesale destruction and arson, along with the constant threat of various types of terrorist actions.
All these security threats must be identified in real-time and, if possible, prevented or mitigated.
Eyes on the Ground Versus Feet on the Ground
A common perception of many business owners and property managers is that video monitoring is good “to a point” but cannot replace security guards. The truth is that a video monitoring service, with the proper technology, is far superior to a security guard service.
While having people guard the lives and property of other people is probably as old as mankind itself, as a security system it has always had inherent disadvantages. However, these can be easily and affordably resolved with the software and technology offered by Blue Eye.
Some Disadvantages of Security Guards
While the benefits of having a live security presence on-site are numerous, there are serious disadvantages, as well. One of these is the need for sufficient insurance coverage. According to insurance provider Cochrane & Co.,
“Liabilities arise when a guest becomes injured through the actions or inaction of security staff, such as the use of excessive force on the part of security personnel or injuries resulting from insufficient or negligent security staffing and operations.
It’s important to understand that there are two major categories of liability to consider: direct liability, where the liability falls upon the person or persons committing an act, and vicarious liability, where employers or venue owners are held liable for the acts, actions, or inaction of security personnel hired…”
In addition to potential liability concerns with hiring security staff to work on-site, there are several other disadvantages with using only security guards:
- Lack of sleep can impact performance during overnight shifts
- Poorly-trained guards can compromise effective security at a property
- Concern for their own safety can discourage engagement by security guards
- Limited coverage of large properties without multiple guards
- Around-the-clock, on-site security is prohibitively expensive
There are, of course, obvious advantages to having a human presence on-site to provide both security and resident assistance. In many instances, having a security personnel available to escort individuals off a property, or to intervene in employee situations, are functions that obviously cannot be performed virtually.
Advantages of Video Monitoring Services
As a business security solution, video monitoring services are far more reliable, efficient, and often more cost-effective than physical guard services.
Among some of the more obvious advantages for business owners and property managers, video monitoring services cannot be threatened. In addition, video surveillance monitoring has no issues with fatigue, boredom, employee turnover, and other human frailties.
There are several other advantages of using a video monitoring service including the following:
- Ability to monitor every area of a property simultaneously
- High-definition video evidence of all activity and events
- Supports for on-site security personnel and facilities managers
- Cloud storage for archived data
Virtual surveillance through video monitoring provides clear visual access to every vulnerable location of a property.
This means that, unlike having only security personnel on-site to monitor these areas, nothing is missed and everything is captured for review.
[h3] Taking Your Video Monitoring Service to an Intelligent Level
At Blue Eye, our solution provides the best elements of both security approaches.
This statement begs the question, “Is there such a thing?”
Actually, yes. With a real-time, interactive surveillance system, you can have advanced security and surveillance technology that transforms your security camera network into an interactive security system.
The enhancement of AI software technology then turns your security cameras into detection and breach sensors that allow your system to analyze and even anticipate threats.
Blue Eye’s advanced, proprietary managed service platform provides state-of-the-art technology and performance that will provide your facility with a highly enhanced security network.
When a criminal threat or security breach is detected, an alarm is immediately sent to our command center. There, our highly trained Video Surveillance Technicians (VSTs) respond to the threat in real-time by assessing the situation and taking appropriate action.
This can range from issuing a verbal warning that is broadcast over the loudspeaker system, to calling the police or your contracted security service. By using both artificial and human intelligence, this approach allows for effective security solutions, all while utilizing the cameras you already have installed.
With AI-enhanced video surveillance from Blue Eye, remote personnel safely maintain video monitoring in a secure environment, while having the ability to dispatch security or police to the property, if needed.
In fact, using the direct audio system actually thwarts incidents almost 99 percent of the time. Consequently, we rarely need to dispatch the police.
At Blue Eye, our proprietary AI software detects potential threats in seconds, alerting our highly trained Video Surveillance Technicians who then react in real-time to deter potential crimes.
If you would like to learn more about our unique approach to provide security for your site, call us at 855.258.3662 or email us at [email protected] and let us design an effective solution for your business!