Video provides the tools for operational efficiency and risk mitigation
By Keith Abuele
Mitigating loss is a primary objective of retailers everywhere. Historically, this has meant taking preventive actions against shrinkage, employee theft, and Organized Retail Crime (ORC). Today, retailers are confronted with a new threat as a rise in active shooter incidents has presented new challenges.
Several incidents in the past few years, such as the shootings at a King Souper’s supermarket in Boulder, CO, a Federal Express facility in Indianapolis and a Walmart retail distribution center in California are examples of new threats that present safety and security issues for customers, associates and the general public.
These incidents are not isolated to retail, however, and it is a growing nationwide trend of both random and directed attacks making the daily news. The pandemic has also escalated tensions among store-going consumers, while simultaneously seeing the proliferation of self-checkouts, another asset retailers need to effectively manage.
Video Moves Beyond Surveillance
With mass shootings on the rise, shopper and worker safety is at the forefront of every discussion by end users in the physical security market. Video surveillance serves multiple capabilities beyond security and safety and has tapped into new intelligence including active shooter detection.
Layering technology and culling data from camera streams can augment detection and provide early warning of potential breaches and events, tracking suspicious activity such as intruders breaking glass or other predictive behavior by leveraging violence detection analytics throughout the premises.
Video management software helps retailers assess the harbingers of violence, identify the presence of firearms and configurations of weaponry, as well as detect shots fired. Using video surveillance and cameras tied to analytics quickly creates enhanced critical situational awareness – while next-steps are delivered to users in a formulated response approach. Coupled with protocols and tools to address active shooters and armed criminal violence, these analytics can provide preventive measures for retailers.
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