Securing Your Retail Location With Cameras

One of the most difficult things about designing a system to go in a store or other retail location is that, with a bit of creative thinking and a large enough bag (or deep enough pockets), virtually anyone can steal anything they can hold in their hand. This presents a huge challenge to owners and designers alike: since everything in an average store is potentially at risk, everything must therefore be monitored. At this point it’s easy to imagine a skyrocketing price to defend one’s store, however with a little advanced planning it is possible to cover even a very large location very efficiently and cheaply.

The first (and most important) area to consider for a surveillance system in a retail location is the sales floor. As the area of the store vulnerable to shoplifting and (considering the sales staff must help customers) the most difficult to monitor, it is crucial to cover as much of this area as possible. Depending upon the size of the store this can be a daunting undertaking, however with a bit of thought and planning, even a large area can not only be covered with relatively few cameras. The first step is to identify areas where shoplifting is most likely to take place; any areas that management already knows are being hit should be prioritized, however the best systems will always anticipate others, as well.

Coverage should be emphasized on areas where small items are kept (such as candy, key chains, magnets, or anything else that can be easily slipped into a pocket), especially if those items are kept in difficult areas to keep visual watch over. Giving these areas their own cameras provides a triple-threat in terms of store security: it’s a visual deterrent to would-be thieves, provides coverage for a vulnerable area, and when combined with a line splitter and a nearby ceiling-mounted monitor showing the video taken by the camera, can even let customers know beyond the shadow of a doubt they’re being watched. At the same time, though, it is important not to neglect less-vulnerable areas, however in this case the aim would be for general coverage shots that can take several areas into account at once. For either tight-in or general-overview applications, the KG-602DSP dome camera would be ideal with its high-resolution, color imaging coupled with a versatile 3.6mm lens that can identify a face anywhere from up to 25 feet away.

Even with total coverage over the sales floor, though, it is conceivable that shoplifting would occur in an area that was more than 25 feet away from the nearest camera or in a blind spot, meaning that identifying a face from that footage alone could be very difficult. Especially in larger locations, covering every square inch of the sales floor can be an expensive and inefficient undertaking, but by pairing the standard dome cameras on the sales floor with varifocal dome cameras like the KG-602VF watching entryways the general coverage would be hugely bolstered. Because varifocal lenses can be manually zoomed in on a particular area, placing cameras equipped with them over entryways guarantees a tight, color face shot of every customer who walks in the door ensures that management can identify any given person who came in.

Away from the doors, though, varifocal dome cameras are also useful to monitor the cash registers for employee theft as well. Simply mounting one above each register and focusing each in to watch the cash drawer could do wonders to eliminate register theft, however retail locations (like bars) also face the threat of cashiers giving friends discounts or free items by purposefully neglecting to scan an item before it goes into the bag, or by scanning a less expensive item and giving them something else. Spotting these without keeping a constant vigil over the checkout area can be very difficult, however when pairing register cameras with Point of Sale Capture Boxes (which record each transaction, display the details onscreen, and store the data from each transaction in a database on the DVR) attached to each register, the process is essentially foolproof: if management has suspicions about a transaction, they can simply find a transaction in the database (by time, date, or sale) and review its details against what the cameras show actually happened.

Up to this point we have neglected the exterior of the building, though, but retail locations with outside storefronts would do well with cameras outside, too. For a basic level of coverage, simple black and white bullet cameras (the KG-190SWB would be an excellent example) would not only keep a watch over windows and their displays but also provide low-light security as well. Remember, the inside is covered with color, so outside this becomes a bit less important unless there is a specific reason why color is necessary. Along those same lines, if there is a drive-up area or parking lot to be covered, smart box-style cameras such as the KG-802 , coupled with auto-iris lenses, would not only provide a highly-adaptable camera for monitoring in varying degrees of light and dark, but when placed in a weatherproof housing for outdoor use would also act as a strong visual deterrent to would-be burglars.

All of these cameras, both inside and out, will ultimately run back to a DVR, but it is important to choose the right one for the job; namely one that runs at a high enough framerate to catch suspicious activity with a high level of detail. Though the 1304NET could work for smaller installs (of four cameras or less), most locations would more than likely want to go for the PC-Witness Pro V\RT, which can be run at high resolution and a high enough framerate (up to 15 fps per camera) to allow even quick hands to be caught. As the heart of the system, it is important not to let this wing get cost prohibitive, however it is also important to remember the system is an investment that will keep money inside the store where it belongs. At the end of the day, a well designed, high-functioning system will not onlyprovide security, it can even prevent incidents from happening and, on a long enough timeline, even pay for itself in recouped losses.

Bar & Nightclub CCTV Systems

With an average loss of 25% ~ 35% due to shrinkage and wastage, combined with one of the greatest exposures to civil liability, it's no surprise that bar owners have a lot to gain by investing into a quality CCTV system. Digital CCTV systems, such as the PC-Witness Pro series, allow bar owners and operators the opportunity to dramatically reclaim lost profits by cutting dead weight, curbing poor work habits, and reducing civil exposure in addition to maintaining a more secure environment.

Bars, taverns, nightclubs... the problems are mainly the same, and typically involve employees who are outright greedy or may simply just have a sense of entitlement. Given such, the greatest source of profit loss is due to employees that intentionally over pour, give free drinks, or free brand upgrades to satisfy friends, generous tippers, or simply someone they wish to barter services with (free drinks = new brake job, repaired PC, sex, etc).

You don't have to be a criminal to be a big problem. Rounding off the next source of substantial profit loss is “wastage.” Typically involving employees that simply do not understand the negative impact of their behavior, wastage typically involves unintentional over pouring due to carelessness. An amazing stat, many surprised bar owners who recently purchased a digital CCTV system reported a discovered lost of 1 in every 5 to 7 kegs of beer due to careless bartenders that allowed themselves to be sidetracked after placing a pitcher under the tap.

In the bar industry, not only can problem employees cost an organization and exorbitant amount of money, but they can create major legal hassles while endangering minors and the general public. Digitally recorded surveillance video is the perfect tool for bar operators to prove to law enforcement that IDs are being checked at the door or helping to prove that an individual was already drunk when entering the establishment.

With a multitude of video surveillance cameras and DVRs on the market, the next question is what works best to address the problems of the bar industry. Here's a run-down:

Windows vs. Non-Window's DVRs:

For family run bars and taverns that do not employ outside the family, a non-windows based stand alone DVR will provide crystal clear video in the event of a robbery. Units such as the 1304-NET cost very little, are operated by a VCR style remote, require no maintenance (records to internal hard drive and auto erases the oldest video and replaces with new video), and may be viewed via the Internet.

Larger bars and nightclubs should always protect themselves with a quality Windows-based DVR featuring strong archiving capabilities. When considering your budget, it's almost always a good idea to sacrifice recording frame rate (if need be) with greater storage capabilities in effort to assist with exposure to law suits. Windows-based DVRs, such as the PC-Witness Pro series, feature rock solid reliability, point and click ease of use to promote everyday use, and extremely advanced functionality. Make sure that your next DVR allows you to view live and recorded video via the Internet, and that you can see multiple business locations via a single screen to assist with current needs or future expansion.

For the ultimate in positively adjusting your pour cost, nothing beats a Windows-based DVR with POS (Point of Sale) integration. With POS integration, you can watch what your bartender pours, and see what he charges on the register. This allows you to easily identify cases of theft and shrinkage.

B&W vs. Color Cameras

Above, we addressed much about internal related problems involving wastage and shrinkage. When selecting cameras, be practical while considering the even more immediately dangerous problems ... robbery, fights, and drugs. Typically, we find that bars and taverns have enough ambient light to allow quality low light cameras such as the KG-230EX to provide a superb picture. At the very least, you want to have a color camera on each entrance to capture a full and accurate clothing description of everyone entering. Provided that color cameras are placed at all entrances, either color or B&W cameras should be placed in common areas (pool tables, seating areas, etc) as well at each pour station to monitor employees.

Considering the combination of exceptionally dim lighting, black lighting, multi-colored lighting, and strobe lighting of nightclubs, greater care is required in selecting the proper camera for these venues. High-quality is the absolute key. Again, color cameras on all entrances is of paramount importance. For high-energy dance floors with lighting effects, you may intentionally wish to use B&W as the lack of color may be less distracting to the eye. As coolness is key in popular nightclubs, we recommend a low-profile box style camera such as the KG-830EX which is not only extremely low light capable, but blends well into the décor.

You may already know our take on IR emitting cameras. If not, please see our article on why IR emitting is most likely not a good choice. This is especially so for nightclubs, as high-energy light displays can reek havoc on IR emitting cameras by tricking the camera's photo electric cell to rapidly turning on and off the IR emitters.

My overall suggestion: A video surveillance system is worthless if not used, or not capable of recording quality video for the environment in which it was purchased for. Invest in a good system, and it will quickly repay you in kind. Great features is good... but having great features and being easy to use is much better! Don't use it just in the event of an emergency... help it reduce your pour cost and raise your bottom line. Let it help you correct unwanted behavior, and always... always, archive important video that may be used to prove your case in a wrongful termination, workman's comp, or injury suit. Above all... make sure that your next CCTV vendor has qualified in house personal to help you with any questions you may have about your system. Vendors claims of free tech support mean absolutely nothing if they do not employ quality technicians who can help you when you need it.

Buying the Perfect CCTV system for your warehouse

Warehouses are unique in the scope of closed-circuit television systems for the same reason it so crucial that they be equipped with cameras: their inventory. Though homes and businesses do have assets that can be targeted by thieves, they both pale in comparison to a large warehouse with literally millions of dollars worth of inventory moving in and out on a daily basis, every bit of which a tempting target for an employee who needs an extra buck.

The problem is that even the most stringent inventory control can still suffer from holes. Especially when moving high-value commodities such as liquor or clothing, it is not at all uncommon for workers to help themselves to entire cases of products while loading trucks, or to simply wait until no one is looking and fill a backpack, either to keep for themselves or to sell online (for instance, on eBay or Craigslist). Of course, what’s easy cash for them is a major problem and extra expense for you. The main problem, and what makes warehouses so vulnerable to this kind of theft, is that with a large inventory moving on a daily basis, it can be easy for stolen units to go unmissed for days or even weeks after the original theft. At that point it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack when all of the sudden someone changes the haystack.

The presence of cameras can do a lot to ameliorate this. Even considering that, though, it can be overwhelming to contemplate the internal scale of a warehouse-based camera system. Even the smallest warehouse is a large building by normal standards, so how can it be possible to cover everything at an acceptable cost, especially if overages have already cut into profits? With a bit of planning, though, covering a warehouse can not only be simple, but also inexpensive. This is because, for a basic system, it is not necessarily the best strategy to cover every square inch of the building, but rather a simpler option would be to just cover entrance and exit points. From the perspective of a surveillance system, this can almost always be accomplished on a much smaller scale.

The main emphasis of a system such as this one would be the loading areas. Here, adding cameras outside over every bay (simple outdoor bullet cameras such as the KG-230CWB would be ideal for this application) would not only allow managers to monitor for theft, it would also help monitor the supply chain as well since these cameras would also provide visual records of the exact times trucks arrived and departed. Adopting this strategy not only means management may never have to hear a story about a box mysteriously falling off the truck again, it also means that incidental inefficiencies within the shipping process could also be identified and corrected.

Once that has been taken care of, a similar setup could be applied for the doors leading out of the warehouse as well, but in this instance identification of the employees walking out would be key. Mounting cameras indoors with the intent of getting tight facial shots (virtually any camera in the KG-602 family would excel at this, especially the 602VF) would not only allow managers to catch when employees come and go, but also provide valuable evidence as to, for instance, who seems to always have a backpack when they come out of the shop.

Aside from internal theft, though, since most warehouses are located in remote, industrial areas, and have large, featureless walls, they are also prime targets for graffiti and other forms of vandalism. Though it doesn’t affect the company books quite as directly, the fact of the matter is that having to clean or repair the building after even one episode of vandalism can be just as expensive as losing a few boxes of product. Bearing that in mind, it’s usually wise to equip the outside perimeter of the building at the same time that cameras are being installed in theft-sensitive areas, not only to take advantage of the economy of scale of the installation, but also to proactively deal with an outside threat.

Here, depending upon the situation, IR cameras can sometimes be appropriate (when trying to catch the vandal), but their limitations make them impractical for long-term use. A better option is usually to use box-style cameras (for instance, the KG-802), which can not only intelligently adapt as lighting situations change but are also highly-visible deterrents when put in their weatherproof housings. The idea at that point is that one can not only catch a vandal, but maybe even stop him from trying in the first place. Even when coupled with internal cameras, though, a warehouse system including anti-vandal cameras can usually be out the door at around $7000.

Recording for a warehouse-based system is generally the last thing we would want to consider, simply because the number of cameras that the building necessitates is largely the determining factor as to what kind of DVR would be right for the system, and in a situation such as this one where the emphasis is the coverage itself, the cameras should be stars of the show. Smaller systems on warehouses that aren’t experiencing any serious losses may do well with a simple four camera system and a1304NET standalone DVR, while a larger warehouse (or a warehouse with larger problems) would benefit more from the power and robustness of an industrial-quality PC-based system, such as the PC Witness Pro V\RT system, which can handle up to sixteen cameras recording at a high framerate. The important thing to remember, though, is never to fall victim to a cookie-cutter CCTV system. Your building is not exactly like your neighbor’s, so your surveillance system shouldn’t be exactly like his, either. Additionally, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that the system is an investment – curbing thefts and vandalism will serve to keep money from seeping out of the company.

Surveillance for Schools and Universities

Big or small, the benefits that can be had from having surveillance cameras up around a school, college or university can be huge. Not only do they provide added security (and, by extension, peace of mind) for administrators and students alike during times when classes are in (for instance, helping watch for students sneaking out of class or providing valuable evidence should a fight break out), they can also watch for vandalism and theft when school isn’t in session. Perhaps most grimly, though, the staggering instance of violence on school campuses both in the United States and abroad has made surveillance cameras a necessity for many schools.

Unsurprisingly, though, many administrators have no choice but to place surveillance systems on the back burner indefinitely, most often due to time or budget constraints (especially in the case of public schools), or sometimes even thanks to the unfamiliar territory surveillance presents. Even with the tightest budget and busiest schedule, though, a school or university of any size can achieve the level of security it desires that will last for over a decade to come.

This can primarily be accomplished with the use of mesh technology, as seen with the PC Witness Pro series of NVR\DVRs. To explain how this works, consider a large university with a campus spread out over several acres of land that needs to place cameras on several buildings around campus. Conventional wisdom dictates that the school would have to figure out some way of running cable the entire distance between the buildings to be monitored and the base DVR where recording takes place, however with mesh-capable systems this is not the case. By simply equipping each building to be monitored with an internet-capable DVR (even one as simple as the 1304NET for basic surveillance) and an internet drop, it is possible to use the campus’ existing local area network to allow a remote mother station (an NVR\DVR like the PC Witness Pro V\RT, for instance) to consolidate all cameras on the network to one location (in other words, the daughter systems will use the internet to "talk" to the mother by transmitting the video taken by their cameras). This offers two distinct advantages: firstly, since we’re using the internet to accomplish this, the daughter and mother systems can literally be anywhere in the world and still mesh, and secondly, since the remote cameras have their own separate DVR, should the connection between the two DVRs ever be lost, recording will still take place locally, maintaining the cohesion of the security system on a local level (a feature not even IP cameras can offer).

That said, the question of where to physically place cameras around campus still remains. Even though mesh technology can save on installation (since all cable runs would be relatively short, no costly trenching or poling of cable across campus would be necessary), the cost of an all-encompassing surveillance system can get costly very quickly even for a small school. It’s possible to escape this with a bit of forethought, though, since it’s rarely necessary to cover every square inch of a school.

One quick and easy way to monitor a campus is by simply covering the entry and exit points. Simple bullet cameras placed on the outside of the school (the KG-190SWB would provide an expensive but high-quality solution to this end) would not only monitor students as they enter the building but also watch the perimeter of campus as well, while as an alternative (or possible addition) color dome cameras on the interior catching face shots as students walk in (for example, the KG-602DSP) would not only provide easily-verifiable evidence of students’ attendance, but also catch students leaving, as well. Using this method, even a fairly large campus can be secured very cheaply and easily without any aid of mesh technology: simply hard-wiring each camera into a single DVR would prove more than sufficient.

The possible layout above does assume that all buildings are relatively close (say, within a few hundred feet) of each other, and that’s not always the case. Especially once we start considering colleges and universities, even a relatively small campus is still very large by normal standards. It is in these instances that mesh technology makes surveillance systems much more feasible than they would be otherwise since potentially thousands of feet of cable ceases to be a necessity. When securing individual buildings, it’s still easiest to focus on entry and exit points as described above, however it is easy to branch beyond that if it is necessary to monitor points of sale, dining areas, information desks, or other sensitive areas of interest. In cases such as those, all that would need to be done would be to add more cameras (usually domes or bullets as the case may be) and provide a DVR that could handle more cameras wiring in (for instance, a PC Witness Pro LT system). If there are open quads or exterior areas that need to be covered bullets may still do the job, however to see longer distances varifocal lens cameras (Such as the KG-230VFX or the KG-802) may also be necessary. Like interior cameras, these would usually be mounted on the building that houses the local DVR they would plug into.

Regardless of how many cameras are on each individual building, all that would be needed back at the main office would be a single NVR\DVR (ideally the PC Witness Pro V\RT
, or RT for added power) to accept the incoming feeds from the remote DVRs and consolidate all recording into one location. Additionally, since in this scenario both the daughter and mother DVRs would be internet accessible, administrators will have the option of logging onto any single DVR, or onto the mother DVR to view all cameras at once, and since each building has its own independent DVR, recording is completely insulated from network blackouts.

At this point, the interesting thing that sticks out is how very similar providing surveillance for a very small or very large campus is. On a small scale, one need only provide cameras for sensitive areas around a building or cluster of buildings, on a larger scale one simply takes several different and remote small systems and networks them together to make a centrally monitored large system. The basic principles that govern the two are remarkably similar, and appropriately their ultimate goal, the safety and security of campus and those who learn there, is the same. Perhaps most importantly from the outset, though, is that either system can provide that security at an attainable cost in a reasonable timeframe that should be able to keep even the most stringent budget plans and schedules satisfied.

Restaurant CCTV Systems

Just like bars and nightclubs, the security issues that restaurants face come primarily from inside the business, and with the potential for up to 25% of profits to hemorrhage out on a monthly basis due to employee carelessness or theft, an increasing number of restaurant owners are turning to camera systems for help. Though outside threats such as robbery or break-ins are also a constant reality, not only do internal leaks cause a large loss in revenue and inventory, they do so on a daily basis and, if allowed to go unchecked, can do irreparable damage to the revenue stream of any restaurant.

Despite this, the catch-22 with adding cameras is that, if overages have already taken a bite out of profits, the cost may be difficult to bear, and especially for nicer restaurants that need to preserve the ambiance and décor of their dining areas, adding cameras to the interior of the building might just seem unfeasible. It’s a delicate balance to strike, but with just a little planning a surveillance system in a restaurant can be an effective, unobtrusive investment that keeps money in the business without making customers wonder why Big Brother is watching them.

The starting point of restaurant coverage should always be the points of sale. This is because one of the most common forms of employee theft happens here; a waiter doesn’t feel his tips for the night were good enough so he takes a few extra dollars from the till. Simply stationing a dome camera with a varifocal lens (such as the KG-602VF) above each register would be ideal as they could be focused to provide a tight field of view, allowing them to watch bills as they enter and leave the register. To preserve décor, though, using a pinhole camera such as the KG-700P1 would also be a means to the same end. Managers who have noticed serious deficits in their cash drawers would also benefit from a point of sale capture box, which adds a text overlay of the details of the transaction (amount due, payment method, change due, and soforth) onto the footage from the camera to provide a rock-solid visual record of every transaction during the course of an evening.

After the registers have been covered, the next two priorities should be the kitchen and any storage areas. This too is to guard against employee dishonesty; cameras in the kitchen will ensure that cooks don’t sit down on the job, while cameras monitoring storage ensure inventory doesn’t go home with employees at the end of the night. Here, since customers don’t see these areas, using dome cameras (the 602DSP, for example) would be a great remedy to issues in these areas; everything that happens is recorded, and since the cameras aren’t hidden employees are left with constant incentive to stay honest. The only trick here would be freezers; though they may not be very camera-friendly, simply covering the entrance and exit points works just as well to record who went in and what they came out with.

Aside from these three, one area that’s commonly overlooked is the actual dining area. As the public part of the restaurant, it might not seem that this is an area that needs coverage, however even well meaning employees can occasionally take a chunk out of the bottom line. For instance, consider a waiter who gets distracted by some friends who happened to come in, causing him to forget a table and bring a customer’s entrée out fifteen minutes after it was finished. Though this kind of an issue isn’t as malicious as register theft, it can end up costing just as much money if that customer is dissatisfied enough not to return. By covering the dining room, management can not only watch out for this, but also use the footage obtained to critique existing employees and to help train new ones. Even given this, because customers constantly see these areas, tastefully blending cameras into the décor is crucial.

Though dome or bullet cameras would work fine from a technical standpoint, even the low-profile KG-600DSP or KG-190SWB may prove to be too large to be acceptable. In this case, the use of covert or pinhole cameras would provide the same crisp picture that a standard camera would, but in a much easier to conceal package. Cameras such as the KG-700P1 could be easily hidden in a variety of places given their tiny size (one square inch), while at the same time disguised cameras such as the PIR or Smoke Detector Cam would allow cameras to be hidden in plain sight, making the layout much easier while keeping customers from ever knowing they’re there. When pursuing this option, though, it’s always wise to consult an attorney about the legality of hidden cameras in your city and state before you buy any equipment; you wouldn’t want to purchase something you couldn’t actually use!

Even considering the delicate layout of the cameras, the heart of a restaurant surveillance system will be the DVR, where all recording will take place in a digital format. The reason for this is that the DVR controls the framerate (the number of pictures recorded per second), and, especially where cost is concerned, getting the right framerate for your individual restaurant is crucial. For instance, a system that only monitors the serving floor may not require as high a framerate as a system that monitors points of sale, where fast cash counting can take place. Additionally, the size of the system may also determine the DVR for you. A small, family-run restaurant that never experiences register theft and only wants to monitor for general liability purposes would do well with the standalone 1304NET DVR and four cameras, while for a larger restaurant with multiple rooms and several registers a larger, PC-based system such as the PC Witness Pro V\RT would accommodate more cameras while also doing so at higher resolution and higher framerate. In either case, though, it’s important to get what’s needed for your specific restaurant, not necessarily what’s the most expensive (or, on the other hand, the cheapest). Think of shopping for a system like interviewing new staff: it’s not just how much they’ll work for, it’s how much they’ll bring in and how well they’ll do the job.