Shoplifting is one of the most prevalent crimes in the U.S. today. According to the National Association of Shoplifting Prevention, a private non-profit organization, shoplifting incidents average about 550,000 incidents each day, and those losses total an estimated $13 billion annually.
In addition, a study conducted by the University of Florida reported that retail security managers attribute more than 48% of their losses to employee theft.
For years, shop owners relied on analog video surveillance to discourage employee theft, deter crime and record store activity, but traditional analog cameras typically provide blurry, unclear images. That drawback can prevent a retailer from actually using a recording to solve a problem or provide prosecutable evidence in a criminal case.
Thanks to the Internet, store operators concerned about shrink, shortage and safety now have the ability to videotape all in-store activities, plus monitor their outlets in real time from virtually anywhere in the world using a computer, PDA or even a smartphone.
Digital video surveillance with Internet access offers more dependable capabilities, better picture quality with high compression and a variety of bonus solutions, such as license plate recognition and output alarms for emergency events. The video recordings also may be stored at remote locations for convenience and security and then delivered to law enforcement officials over the LAN or Internet as needed.
Prices for sophisticated surveillance systems have dropped in recent years, but retailers will still pay a premium for outdoor cameras that are constructed to withstand harsh weather conditions, such as snow and rain. The real return on investment is on safety, risk management, and customer and employee injury and incidents. You can’t put a dollar amount on the potential money that can and will be saved by having a great camera system.
Anderson Lock’s Access Control team, led by Jeff Parcell, recommend security surveillance systems based on store size, location, budget, and other factors. Anderson Lock techs install indoor and outdoor cameras, and integrate cameras with recording hardware and software.