tag: Retail Security
Lessons from the Fairfax Gold Burglaries
This week, police apprehended three suspects of the Fairfax Gold Burglaries mentioned in the previous post. At the time of their arrest, the burglars had robbed 26 Loudoun County homes, mostly during daylight hours, stealing gold jewelry, statues and saris with gold thread. Tom Jackman of The Washington Post reported:
A search warrant filed Thursday in Fairfax Circuit Court revealed that witnesses helped police identify two possible suspects: a Hispanic man in a blue jumpsuit or work uniform, appearing to be a maintenance or repair worker, and a Hispanic woman with pink- or red-tinted hair who knocked on doors soliciting plumbing work.Even though these particular burglars have been caught, there is still a lot to be learned from their crimes:
Some witnesses also told police that they had seen a small, blue sport-utility vehicle, possibly a Ford, parked in the neighborhoods where some of the break-ins occurred. The thefts often occurred during the day.
- The break-ins occurred during daylight hours when most residents were at work. By installing a webcam to monitor properties from their offices, PDAs or iPhones, residents could have captured valuable footage of the intruders and may have been able to order a police dispatch before the burglars fled the property.
- These burglars gained access to homes and information of the people who lived there by interacting with residents beforehand, disguised as service workers. Had these homes been equipped with video intercom security systems, the residents would have automatically captured images of the intruders at first contact, possibly leading the police to an earlier apprehension.
- This neighborhood did hold three town hall-style meetings to share information and speak to local authorities. This type of gathering is often useful for targeted, repetitive break-ins because it enables residents to share information and develop a suspect profile. In fact, the police apprehension in these burglaries was based on a tip from neighborhood witnesses who had been to these town meetings and knew who to look for. Hold a neighborhood meeting or use websites like groups.yahoo.com , blogspot.com or facebook.com to develop an online portal for your community. Encourage residents to post photos, video and information regarding suspicious activity and to check the site regularly.
- Always remember to keep your alarm system alarmed even if you are gone briefly during the day. These intruders spent a lot of time parked around the neighborhood and may be tempted to burglarize even during short intervals of absence. Walking in on a burglar is the worst-case scenario; eliminate that risk by setting your alarm during any absence of any length and locking your doors while at home.
Developing a Security Strategy
Developing a Security Strategy
Radio Monitoring with SNAP Technology
These days, many people have chosen to forego telephone land lines in their homes in favor of the simpler, cheaper cellular option. With this trend comes a shift in how we monitor security systems on those properties from the traditional land line to cell phones and radio networks. Although Urban Alarm can monitor your alarm system using cell phone technology, it often requires that you replace your alarm panel.
Another option unique to Urban Alarm is SNAP(TM) radio monitoring. Urban Alarm offers the only FCC licensed radio monitoring network covering the NW DC area that will work with your existing alarm system to provide you with even better security than telephone-monitored systems.
With telephone-monitored systems, it can often take 30-50 seconds to send an alarm signal, but with Urban Alarm's SNAP radio monitoring system the signal is sent instantaneously. Also, with traditional telephone-monitored systems, when your alarm goes off the alarm panel seizes the line, which can interrupt your ability to make an outgoing call (e.g., 911). With SNAP radio monitoring you have complete use of your phone line at all times.
So how does it work? You do not need to replace your existing alarm system to take advantage of Urban Alarm's SNAP technology. Our technicians will simply install a SNAP transmitter at your home or business and you will be instantly connected to our mesh radio network. With SNAP radio monitoring, your alarm system will always be 'online' and ready to send a signal to our Central Monitoring Station. Whereas phone lines can be cut, seized or interrupted, your SNAP transmitter sends a repeater signal through its mesh network so that each alarm signal takes multiple pathways to the Central Monitoring Station, ensuring that your signal is transmitted effectively and as quickly as possible.
Manage Your Security Alarm System and Video on Your PDA
- Arm and disarm remotely
- View sensor status and recent activity
- Watch live streaming video from their security cameras
- View video clips recorded by their cameras
- Access a complete, search-able system event history
Security Camera Color Wraps
Security video cameras in retail or commercial businesses can be a fundamental part of security. Sometimes making security cameras being visible to workers and guests is a desirable deterrent but other times it mares the aesthetics of a carefully designed space. On a number of projects we have color matched the cameras to be the same color as the wall. This has a nice effect of blending the security cameras into the space minimizing their aesthetic impact.
Security is often a balance of invasiveness and effectiveness. Physical barriers, fire detection, intrusion detection, and surveillance cameras are always going to walk this line. Color marched security cameras are just one cost effective way to get at this issue. Cameras may be matched to any color, pattern, or image.
The photos show an example of the security camera without color matching (left) and with matching (right).
Recent Robberies in NW DC
Universal Gear was robbed on Thursday the 14th in the middle of the day. This was a brazen robbery by 9 people and was captured by security cameras (not Urban Alarm's). The video has been posted on YouTube with a award for information leading to the arrest and conviction.
Shoplifting is always a problem but this was an in-your-face robbery that takes it to a new level. It highlights the importance of staying aware of your environment at all times.
I was struck by recent surveillance video of a NW DC robbery showing shoppers browsing less then eight feet from an armed robbery in progress. The shoppers were unaware of anything out of the ordinary.
Staying aware of anything unusual or suspicious is always important to your safety. If you observe something suspicious leave the store immediately (if practical) and call 911.
If you are a shop owner or manager, you must make sure you have video and surveillance warning signs. Silent panic buttons should be located behind the counter, in the manager's office, and any other back of store area (e.g., stock room, walk-in cooler). Panic buttons can also be located close to the floor where accessible in the event you are forced to the floor. Wireless panic buttons should also be on the keychains of managers or other employees.
New IP cameras can show much greater detail then traditional analog cameras. Strategically locating cameras can provide the most clear pictures of burglars. We have started placing high resolution cameras above the doors showing a clear picture of people as they exit. This can be a better quality image then people coming into the store since exterior backlighting reduce the visibility of peoples faces.
At the end of the day, surveillance cameras serve as a deterrent. Ones that show greater detail of perpetrators' faces can lead to the arrest and conviction of thieves and give shoppers, storekeepers, and their neighborhoods greater peace of mind.
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