Thursday, August 30, 2007 Ng:Surveillance system By Wilson Ng Wired Desktop
THE downside of Cebu’s growing economy has been the perceived rise in the number of crimes. There have been some daring robberies in the last few weeks. However, as anybody in retail industry will tell you, several times more are lost every day through theft.
Most store owners and even restaurant owners will tell you that it is a persistent problem. Some stores I went to even try to deter would-be thieves by posting the pictures of people caught shoplifting and give the impression that security is tight in store. But even if there are dozens of shoplifters caught, you can see that the problem is something that is not easily solved.
One of the ways to deter robberies is the positioning of surveillance cameras.
We have it in all our stores (through the Internet, I can monitor all the stores while inside my office).
The idea is to deter people from stealing from establishments with video surveillance because people will be caught on the computer and there will be evidence. Many stores, as well as a host of gas stations prominently display signs which says, “This establishment is monitored by video surveillance.”
Last month, we lost two LCD monitors on display at our store at Ayala Center Cebu. The theft was caught on camera. The video showed three people coming in and trying to distract our clerks while one of them, a woman, took out the LCD monitor and put it between her legs. She had a very loose skirt and when she walked out, there was no sign — except for a slight limp — that there was an LCD between her legs.
Our people worked with the mall guards, and because there was video documentation, they were able to get very clear photos of the people involved.
Ayala malls also have a video surveillance system. Last week, one of the guards spotted the same group of people enter the mall. The guards immediately tailed the group, but apparently they decided not to steal anything. As they were about to leave the mall, the guards apprehended them.
For sure, they protested, but when presented with the video, they confessed. They have victimized a lot of establishments in Cebu, but other victims could not present any evidence.
Of course, I’d like to recommend the Ayala Center guards for being proactive and for doing their job. But in many ways, our surveillance system as well as that of the mall, multiplied the guards’ effectiveness and allowed them to do their jobs better.
An effective video surveillance allows you to monitor several areas and keeps a record of footages for future review, should something happen.
A video surveillance can give you the documentation that can prove the guilt or innocence of a person. It certainly cleared our store clerks of complicity because the video clearly showed that they were only intent on doing their jobs. I believe many of the culprits in the London Al Qaeda bombing were caught because of video evidence.
But the story that most impresses me came from a friend who has an office in Manila. This friend has an employee who brought a gun to the office to show off to co-workers. Another employee was fiddling the gun when it accidentally fired, killing a co-worker who was also looking at the weapon.
It did not looked good for the gun owner. His fingerprints were all over the gun, and it would not be the first time for overzealous policemen or the victim’s kin to immediately conclude foul play.
Luckily, the incident was caught by the office video surveillance system so showed that the person who was toying with the gun was the one who caused the accident, thus freeing the owner of the charge. It is a sad tale, but it would have been sadder if a person is wrongfully accused and convicted.
Technology like this, can provide the evidence that can convict or clear a person of a crime. It documents an incident so that there will be less guesswork. As they say, the truth shall set you free, and in this case, documented video is one of the better weapons that are available.
