In an article in SDM Magazine they discuss the fact that Video Alarm Verification is becoming important to verify that a crime is occurring. It's especially important in those cities where police will respond only to verified alarms.

As more municipalities across the United States report that police will not to respond to an alarm signal unless an intrusion has been verified, a new opportunity that has arisen for central station alarm monitoring companies is video alarm verification. One municipality that has enacted such a policy is Las Vegas, although police there still will respond to all panic alarms.

In response to the local ordinance, Las Vegas-based central station alarm company A-1 Security Ltd. has been offering video verification to its customers at a charge of about $100 per month, which also may include conventional alarm monitoring. When an account subscribing to the video verification service experiences an alarm, a video image of the site is automatically sent to the central station, along with the alarm signal. By viewing the associated video signal, central station operators can confirm whether an intruder is present and, if appropriate, dispatch the police, advising them that the intrusion has been verified. “All of our operators have knowledge of the system and can handle an alarm,” notes Bud Wulforst, president of A-1, adding that operators often can help police by providing descriptions of the perpetrators. Police also tend to respond more promptly when they know an intrusion has been verified, he says. Story

technorati tags:Video Alarm Verification, Alarm Monitoring, Security System

Workplace Crime Costs Businesses Big

In an article by The Business Journal of Jacsonville you can see just how bad business crime is. Business owners will protect their home with a security system yet they fail to protect there livelihood. A video security system is invaluable to businesses in protecting from becoming a victim.

Crime cost businesses in the Jacksonville area more than $1.8 billion last year, a figure more than double the cost of residential crime in the area in the same period.
A study conducted by the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research found crime in 2004 cost Florida businesses $27.4 billion.

technorati tags:Business Crime, Workplace Crime, video security system

Video Verification Can Be a Silver Bullet

In an article I recently came across on Security Info Watch, Video Verification is Not a Silver Bullet, Rich Anderson poses the problem - "Why cameras don’t get false alarms out of the picture?" The two main reasons that it may not be perfect are not having adequate video coverage and whether the person found in the facility is supposed to be there or not (i.e. - night janitor, etc.).

The point where video verification can be a Silver Bullet is if complete coverage can be provided. This can be done by having outside perimeter coverage of all points of entry. Usually, on a small facility this can be done fairly easily. Although, for larger facilities it may be more costly, it can be accomplished as well.

Mr. Anderson states, for alarm verification, video can help particularly in small facilities like retail or tenant offices where 100% coverage can be achieved with relatively few cameras. “We have a lot of high-end customers in Manhattan. They see the value. It also protects my response people by letting them know they are walking into a potential problem,” said Craig Decher, vice president of DGA Security Systems in New York.

With the right DVR you can view the activity on the internet and go back the start of recording to see that an intruder has actually entered the property. So, with the right equipment Video Verification is the right solution and the prices are not out of reach of most businesses.


technorati tags:Video Verification, Video Security System

Construction Site Theft in Colorado

Construction company owners have got to protect themselves from thieves. In the end, these thefts trickle down to us as the cost gets rolled in to make up the losses.

Sometime between the night John Carey left the Gypsum Costco construction site Aug. 8 and returned early the following morning, thieves stole and damaged $500,000 in equipment and concrete. The construction theft - some say the biggest in Eagle County history - surprised Carey, site superintendent for Robinson Construction Co. "It's the biggest one I've seen in 32 years," Carey said. "There's been a couple through the years - nothing like this. It took quite a few people to do what they did in that amount of time." Thieves stole over 100 pieces of equipment - including hand tools, power tools, generators, welders and a band saw - from the construction site. Story

technorati tags:Construction Site, Theft, Crime

Business Against Crime Network

San Antonio, TX has a really innovative program to help combat Business Crime. I don't know how many other cities have similar programs, but this is a good step in the right direction.

BAT-NET is a Business Crime Alert Program
Provided by the San Antonio Police Department
for Businesses in the San Antonio Area.

BAT-NET is an acronym for Businesses Against Theft Network. Originally focusing on shoplifting and internal theft problems of businesses, BAT-NET has now expanded to include all crimes that affect both large and small businesses in San Antonio. These include robbery, fraud & scams, hot checks, embezzlement, property loss, and a wide range of business-related crimes.


technorati tags:Business Against Crime Network, Business Crime Prevention, Business Crime

Copper Theft in Vermont

Copper theft doesn't look like it will let up anytime soon. See what happened in Vermont as reported by WCAX-TV 3.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. Police are looking for thieves who stole about seven thousand dollars worth of copper wire from a Portsmouth (New Hampshire) company.

The copper was stolen from BayRing Communications this week. It was the latest in a series of copper thefts in the region, as the price of copper continues to rise.

I can't see where there is possibly enough police on the street to deter a crime like this.

technorati tags:Copper Theft, Crime Prevention

Copper - a Major Target for Thieves

Just look at small example of all the headlines of thieves stealing copper. If you own an air conditioner, you better make sure it's protected.


War on meth far from over
The Olympian, WA - 46 minutes ago
... Identity thefts, burglaries, vehicle prowls, auto thefts - even the theft of copper wire from construction sites - often are the work of meth addicts. ...

Northern Ocean Police Blotter Asbury Park Press, NJ - 1 hour ago ... CENTRAL AVENUE: One thousand pounds of copper valued at $2,000 were taken from an ... 1 with theft by unlawful taking or disposition for taking $180 worth of ...

Western Monmouth Police Blotter Asbury Park Press, NJ - 1 hour ago ... CENTRAL AVENUE: One thousand pounds of copper valued at $2,000 was taken from an ... 1 with theft by unlawful taking or disposition for taking $180 worth of baking ...

Coastal Monmouth Police Blotter Asbury Park Press, NJ - 1 hour ago ... WEST BERGEN PLACE: A homeowner reported July 24 that numerous copper pipes were ... man Artis D. Edwards, 44, was charged July 25 with burglary, theft and criminal ...

Crime, emergencies
Pascagoula Mississippi Press, MS - 4 hours ago
... were taken. Jackson Avenue, Michael Middleton reported theft of copper tubing from an air conditioning unit. Washington Drive, Narvie ...

technorati tags:Copper theft, Copper targeted by thieves