Man vs. Machine...who does it better?
As business owners have embraced the Internet of Things (IoT) to improve their business processes, most businesses now include some video surveillance (aka camera system) to help them protect their people, property, and possessions. Many larger companies also use physical security (aka security guards) to provide protection during unmanned hours. Can the video camera system be exploited to replace the physical guards using remote video monitoring, or is there a need for business owners to deploy both a surveillance system AND a manned guard? Let’s look at the pros and cons of each option.
In simple terms, “remote video surveillance” means that someone is watching surveillance system camera feeds from an off-site location. At the lowest level, this “someone” could be the business owner; using a smart phone with remote viewing enabled, he or she can pull up live feed or set up parameters to receive event-related alerts such as intrusion (line crossing), suspicious activity, and more. If you like to sleep with one eye open, this may be a good choice for you. In recent years, developments in security camera technology have popularized remote video monitoring through Central Monitoring Stations; video feed is transmitted in real-time and watched by trained security professionals at an off-site location. Business owners can receive 24/7 protection much like they are accustomed to receiving on their door intrusion alarms. This could allow sleep with both eyes closed, if owner knows that the Central Station is equipped to provide immediate response to suspicious activity. Alternatively, a business owner could rely on the tried-and-true methodology of manned guarding - having an actual person making rounds on site, physically inspecting for forced entry or suspicious activity. Each of these options has benefits and limitations, and it is important to evaluate which is the best fit for your business and your budget.
Manned Guarding
If your primary protection concern is to prevent injury or harm in crowds of people such as a concert or sports venue, a security guard may be your best bet. A security guard acts as a visual deterrent, and can quickly respond to disrupt a crime as it unfolds. There are disadvantages and limitations, however.
· Expensive – the cost of a guard, or multiple guards if a site requires it, can be significant
· Time of response – the guard can’t be everywhere simultaneously, so response time will depend on location of guard and location of incident or event.
· Human Resources issues – as with all employees, there is an employment burden for every FTE. In the case of a guard, this could even include potential liability for wrongful detention or legal actions as a result of a guard’s actions
Remote Video Monitoring
If your priority is protecting assets and property or you have a disperse site or multiple locations, remote monitoring may be the right choice for you. A much more cost-effective solution, it uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to assist monitoring operators to respond quickly and effectively. Unlike human guards, a remote video monitoring site cannot be intimated and disarmed, so surveillance is never delayed or disrupted, and a single central monitoring station can protect multiple sites simultaneously. Some potential disadvantages to video monitoring may include:
Initial start-up costs for monitoring equipment and site design – in addition to surveillance cameras, there may be both hardware and software required to send video to the central station. Once installed, fees are usually assessed on a per camera/per month basis, and are dramatically cheaper than manned guards
False alarms – AI analytics produce some false alarms, and human operators must set appropriate parameters to neutralize false alarms to allow for a response to actual events only.
Which solution should I choose?
The recent disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic has created an increased demand for security guards in places such as supermarkets, hospitals and testing facilities, where business owners feel that a physical presence is essential to provide customers and staff with a sense of safety. If physical harm is your priority, and a physical presence best mitigates the risk, this may be your best choice, however one set of eyes is greatly inferior to meet most security objectives, and a remote monitoring solution can usually provide much more, and deliver this at a much lower cost. With a wide range of vendors providing state-of-the-art intelligent video analytics technology, remote video monitoring is projected to get better every year, and may well be the affordable, reliable, solution your business needs to take you to the next level.
Some use-case examples of deployed remote monitoring solutions are highlighted below:
Car Dealership: create a time-based alert to the sales staff when a potential customer spends over 90 seconds in the showroom area that houses high value cars
Manufacturing Facility: A multi-building, multi-acre campus is protected after hours through a series of “intelligent fences” – restricted areas, virtual walls, and time-based loitering functions, eliminating the need for most of their overnight guards
Apartment Complex: Property Manager is alerted when people gather in a restricted area for more than a few minutes, greatly reducing the number of tenant complaints about noise.
Gated Garage: An urban apartment complex was experiencing unauthorized people entering the property as vehicles entered or exited an automated door, and then vandalizing cars, stealing bicycles, and accessing the residence areas. Using AI-verified alerts when a person loiters outside the garage and virtual walls, the problem was eliminated