Remote monitoring has long been used as a security measure to protect commercial properties and premises. With an operator carefully observing footage captured by strategically placed CCTV cameras, remote monitoring can provide a swift response to suspicious individuals and illegal activity.
Even with advances in technology and new security products coming to market like motion sensors, remote monitoring remains a firm favourite among many businesses. In fact, the global CCTV camera market is expected to grow 12.3 per cent between 2018-2026.
But despite the fact remote monitoring is incredibly effective at noticing security incidents, raising an alarm and taking immediate action, how can it actually prevent crime from happening in the first place?
- Act as a deterrent
First and foremost, CCTV cameras act as a deterrent for would-be criminals sizing up your property or premises. If they are caught in the act, there’s a strong chance that thieves will be identified by the authorities and brought to justice.
But we’re not just talking about the presence of CCTV cameras. Signs on site that state remote monitoring is taking place will provide even more discouragement, as criminals know that any movement or activity could be instantly picked up on and immediately dealt with.
The possibilities of remote monitoring don’t end there either. Modern CCTV systems can also be installed with speakers, enabling remote operators to issue audio warnings to intruders. Not many will proceed with criminal activity if they hear that their movements are being monitored.
- Stop incidents from escalating
Imagine a scenario where a suspicious individual enters your property or premises. With remote monitoring, the operator can alert the authorities who will then question the individual and take an appropriate course of action. Now imagine the same scenario without remote monitoring. The individual would be free to roam your property or premises and potentially commit a crime.
Although this is based on assumption, it goes without saying that remote monitoring can stop incidents from escalating into something more serious.
Seeing as several CCTV cameras are located on commercial sites, remote operators are also trained to distinguish suspicious looking individuals from members of the general public. By doing so, they can avoid false alarms while simultaneously taking action as and when necessary.
- Catch repeat visitors
Even if your property or premises has CCTV, several criminals won’t see this as a deterrent and will visit the site on a reconnaissance mission to discover ways they could go undetected.
But once again, this is where remote monitoring can be a crucial asset to your security set-up. As mentioned previously, remote operators are trained to spot and recognise certain individuals such as repeat visitors. If they keep coming back in unusual circumstances, this will only raise the operator’s suspicions.
Therefore, if and when a crime does take place, the remote operator will have a good idea about who the culprit could be. As soon as they appear, the operator will know exactly what to do, preventing a crime from occurring.
