31

Mar
2016

To Catch a Thief

March 31st, 2016 | by admin admin | in |    0   

Ever wonder how we catch criminals at Radius? Follow along on a shift with a fictional CSO—central station operator. That is, the security professionals who respond whenever an alert comes into our central monitoring station. They’re the ones who monitor the security cameras and call the police, if needed.

10:17 p.m., Saturday night. TJ shifts restlessly in his seat at the Radius central monitoring station. The evening has been quiet--too quiet for a Saturday night, especially with the rain. Some teens hanging around outside a condo, a security guard arriving early for his shift, a woman walking her dog in a parking lot. Nothing suspicious.

10:39 p.m. The remote guarding video alarm comes in. Construction site. Downtown condo. Two suspects cut through a fence. One heads for the trailer. The other briefly disappears from view. TJ immediately notifies police. His supervisor, Dan, activates an SBA (suspicious behaviour alert). Sirens and strobes flush Suspect 2 into view. Suspect 1 ignores the SBA and breaks a window on the trailer. Dan and TJ track both of them on multiple live cameras, and relay information to the dispatcher. Five police units are on their way.

10:41 p.m. While TJ’s adrenalin is pumping, Janet is coping with incoming alerts of her own. A couple of false alarms—a family of raccoons, some cleaners in the wrong area of a building. Then comes Eileen MacComber’s medical alarm. She can’t breathe properly. Her oxygen unit might be malfunctioning. Janet reassures her an ambulance is on its way.

10:44 p.m. Police arrive at the construction site and seal off exits. Officers search the site with K-9s. TJ spots Suspect 2 hiding behind a crane and directs police to him.

10:47 p.m. Dan, manning a PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) camera, sees Suspect 1 heading towards the original hole in the fence. He's lugging a bulky bag. The thief notices the officers on site and races to the fence. But a K-9 grabs his leg first.

Cheers burst out in the Radius monitoring room. TJ takes a deep breath, relieved. Another apprehension. High-fives all around.

Time to grab a coffee, and let the client know the site is safe. There will be time later to review the footage, and ensure protocol was properly followed. But for now, two suspects are in custody and Eileen MacComber is safe. Dan and his team pause to savour their success. Until the next alarm comes in.

Note: This blog discusses general safety and security topics. It is not intended to provide comprehensive advice or guidance. In all matters of personal safety and security, we encourage readers to research topics in depth and consult a security professional about specific concerns.

Radius Security Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, Surrey, Langley, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Ladner, Delta, Tsawwassen