Exposing bad behavior with hidden cameras. “Restaurant Stakeout” and other reality TV shows use video surveillance systems to expose employee theft and fraud. But how common is this behavior? You would be surprised! Look what the June 2015 edition of Fortune magazine tells us about employee theft:
Shoplifting, Worker Theft Cost Retailers $32 Billion Last Year
“A shoplifter swiping a book at Barnes & Noble or a Dollar General cashier stealing a pack of smokes might not be committing the crime of the century, but such transgressions across hundreds of thousands of stores in the U.S. add up to a $32 billion problem.
That’s about 70% of the inventory ‘shrinkage’ — a retail-industry term encompassing loss due to shoplifting, worker and vendor theft — retailers endured last year, according to a new study released on Wednesday by the National Retail Federation…
… According to a survey conducted last spring of senior loss-prevention executives at many retailers, shoplifting accounted for 38% of the shrinkage, followed by employee theft at 34.5%. A majority said shoplifting was a growing problem.”
Just imagine if half (or more) of that inventory shrinkage could be saved with the installation of strategically placed video surveillance cameras! In your typical Walmart, that amounts to tens of thousands of dollars per store per year.
Watch those dumpsters! One of the ways inventory shrinkage occurs is when an employee throws items into a dumpster, and then picks them up after hours. In non-gated areas, dumpsters are also used by unauthorized persons, causing an increase in disposal costs. Video cameras in disposal areas save businesses money!
Replace those legacy cameras. Sometimes antiques have value. Not so with surveillance cameras! Upgrading old CCTV camera systems enables a business to take advantage of the digital age. Video can be networked and viewed in real time, as well as streamed and stored in the cloud, allowing 24/7 remote access from your home, office or from your smart phone.
Today’s video surveillance technology can also be synchronized with the building’s access control and security system. License plate cameras added to a controlled access gate captures the identity of everyone who drives in. When the car drives over the loop wire – day or night – a picture is taken of the license plate.
Whether inside or outside, video surveillance systems are the silent watchmen – gathering data and recording it. If they don’t deter the crime, they provide the evidence to convict. The data can be retrieved with the click of a mouse.
Don’t have cameras? Don’t wait! Theft can be costing you thousands of dollars. Call Pro Technologies today to have us design a state-of-the-art video surveillance program for your business!