Page 22 - Security Today, April 2019

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0419 | SECURITY TODAY
IP SURVEILLANCE
this can be resolved much more effectively.
For instance, when a customer claimed that he could not possibly
fit 20 gallons of gas in his Ford Escort, Harrison said the incident was resolved with a simple callback after reviewing some revealing video. “We viewed him filling gas cans next to his car before putting them in,” Harrison said. “We asked, ‘Did you forget your two 5-gal-
lon gas cans? We have you on video.’ That ended the dispute.”
Collecting Compensation
Surveillance video can even be used as evidence to collect costly dam- age to equipment or store property. Harrison relates how at one lo- cation a truck driver ran into a 3-foot high, LED diesel fuel sign, destroying it, before driving off.
“When we emailed the trucking company high-quality surveil- lance video of the incident with their truck/trailer number and com- pany name clearly readable, we were promptly compensated,” Har- rison said. “That alone paid for the store’s surveillance system.”
On another occasion, Sprint Food Stores had a storage building roof torn off by a truck just before dawn without the driver stopping to talk to anyone, according to Harrison.
“Because our infrared cameras provided clear identifying infor- mation on the truck, we were able to quickly file a claim with the truck company and recover 100 percent of damages,” Harrison said. “There was no delay in receiving payment because we had proof.”
Streamlining Operations
Compared with the chain’s previous approach, implementation of
the advanced system has significantly improved management. “Video can be reviewed and archived remotely as needed, which eliminates the need to spend hours every week traveling to burn
DVDs for video storage,” Harrison said.
He notes that the remote viewing of store video also gives the
chain’s operations manager a window into how each store is doing without having to travel to each on a daily basis. A quick glance, for instance, can help to verify that employees are in uniform, at their work stations, and serving customers without long lines.
The surveillance system also has an optional video analytics software module that could help Sprint Food Stores more effec- tively merchandise retail items, according to Harrison, who notes that the chain is not currently using this option, but may do so in the future.
“The video analytics module would basically pinpoint where in the store people are traveling, where they stop, and where they spend time, over time,” Harrison said. “So you can tell which products interest people the most, and how to improve product placement and merchandising.”
When convenience store owners are ready to take theft/fraud pre- vention and operational efficiency to the next level
with advanced video surveillance systems, they will
often find that the most effective choice is to partner
Scan to watch a DuraShield® Video
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with a flexible vendor capable of installing a turnkey solution that integrates with their equipment to fully meet their needs.
Del Williams is a technical writer based in Torrance, CA.