If you leave valuable equipment outdoors at your business, you need strong perimeter security to protect against theft. By itself, chain link fencing isn’t enough to protect those assets, so you may have installed security cameras. But while the cameras are watching your property, who’s watching your video feed?
Unmonitored CCTV systems record criminal activity; they don’t stop it. And reviewing video footage after a break-in rarely results in an arrest or the return of your stolen goods.
Then there’s the problem of false alarms. According to the Department of Justice, 94% to 98% of alarms are false, comprising as much as 25% of all calls to police.
Why so many? In some cases, false alarms are triggered by overly sensitive or poorly defined video analytics. For example, if the system is programmed to sound the alarm when motion is detected, will it go off every time nearby tree branches blow in the wind?
Those kinds of false alarms are far too common. And, because their resources are limited, police in many areas now require dual verification before responding to property crimes. That’s why it’s important to have someone visually authenticate what’s happening before calling law enforcement.
Which leads to the question of… should you ‘do it yourself’ or hire professionals?
Most video surveillance systems include an app to alert you to a perimeter breach via your smartphone. While self-monitoring is better than none, there’s a big difference between doing it yourself and professional monitoring.
- With professional monitoring, an experienced third-party security company is on point around the clock, 365 days a year. If an alarm is triggered, their personnel visually ascertain whether a crime is in progress, satisfying police requirements for dual verification before calling 911. This allows you to instantly verify the presence of a would-be intruder and satisfy police response requirements for dual verification.
- With self-monitoring, you’re the one on call 365 days a year. (Essentially, you’ve added ‘part-time security guard’ to your job description.) It doesn’t matter whether you’re sitting down to dinner, out at a social event or asleep in your bed. When an alarm goes off, it’s your job to determine whether it’s a real event or a false alarm. If there is a break-in, you have to call the police. How quickly can you respond? What if your phone isn’t handy or you have no signal? And, given the high rate of false alarms inherent in many systems, how much of your free time are you willing to give up to this function?
Benefits of Professionally Monitored Perimeter Security Systems
One of the main benefits of a monitored perimeter security system is peace of mind. When professionals are watching over your premises, you can focus on other priorities and enjoy your time off from work.
Here are four (4) more advantages to having a professional monitor your perimeter and entire security system:
- Faster police response time, which increases the likelihood that police will apprehend criminals.
- No fines for false alarms. The monitoring service verifies a crime is actually in progress before contacting authorities.
- Lower insurance premiums. Most insurers will reduce rates for companies that use professional monitoring services.
- Regular maintenance for your security system is included in most companies’ contracts. No extra costs or unexpected downtime for repairs.
Taking Your Perimeter Security to the Next Level:
Even though professional monitoring speeds police response time, criminals may still be able to breach your perimeter and enter your property. That’s why AMAROK developed FORTIFEYE™. FORTIFEYE is the world‘s first integration of electric security fencing, video surveillance, and video monitoring to create the ultimate crime prevention solution for your commercial business or industrial site. It integrates multiple layers of defense to deter, detect and detain criminals:
- It starts with The Electric Guard Dog™ Solar Electric Fence. This 10-foot-high electrified fence delivers a 7,000-volt shock to anyone foolish enough to touch it.
- Contact also triggers ultra-bright LED lights, sounds a loud alarm, and focuses security cameras on the area of the attempted breach.
- Using video analytics, FORTIFEYE quickly identifies and alerts monitoring personnel to real attempts to breach your perimeter, while preventing false alarms.
- Video is automatically recorded and preserved on a hard drive. Add professional remote video monitoring by AMAROK to increase the odds of catching offenders in the act.
Because the fence, alarms, and lighting are all solar-powered, crooks can’t disable the system by cutting power cables. Your property is also protected if there’s a power failure.
Bottom line – wouldn’t you rather prevent a break-in than deal with the aftermath? If so, talk to AMAROK. Our security solutions are effective, affordable, and tailored to your specific business needs.
