Invest in Your Security

Why Every Retailer Should Invest in Security Cameras

Retail businesses face a lot of unique challenges. One of them is the constant threat of petty theft that can damage reputation, margins, profits, morale, and more. Security solutions from EZWatch are designed to prevent, deter, and ultimately lead to the prosecution of this type of crime. Our advanced cameras, DVRs, and accessories have led to countless successful identifications, arrests, and prosecutions.

Running a brick and mortar retail business makes it impossible to get by without serious security. Shoplifting and theft by your own employees can lead to steady and significant losses that cut deeply into your margins and profits. The only way to stop this kind of behavior is to invest in a highly effective (and highly visible) complete security camera system. The following is a step by step look at how retail loss prevention works, and why it’s so important the to the success of any retail business.

Shoplifting

The first thing that comes to mind when anyone thinks about loss prevention is shoplifting (both by customers and by employees of the store). Indeed, according to a 2006 study 78.4% of all “inventory shrinkage” stems from shoplifting and employee theft. Security cameras and a well trained team of loss prevention experts are still the first and best line of defense against this kind of theft. Often, the simple knowledge that the thief is under surveillance is enough to deter the theft. If your cameras are hung in the right places (where they are clearly visible but not overbearing) you’ll find that they’re worth their weight in gold even when they aren’t turned on. Of course when you do turn them on they become the most valuable weapon you could have in the quest to stop theft and limit loss.

The most basic precept of security camera layout in a retail establishment is putting one camera on the door and one on the counter. That way the two most crucial security points are covered: the cash register and the entry/exit. Of course there are a dozen other places where a well placed camera can do wonders for your bottom line, but these are the two most essential and no security camera installation is complete without them.

A camera over the cash register is the best way to prevent employee theft. This is a “bottleneck” location where the majority of the cash in your store will be at one time or anther. Of course that includes credit and debit cards and checks, fraud in which we cover later in this article. Additionally a small percent of margin loss occurs when honest mistakes are made at the cash register by employees and customers alike. When all of these interactions are recorded in crystal clear hi definition, you can use them to make judgements about the suitability of your employees and about performance.

Generally, however, you want the camera there to prevent employees from reaching into the proverbial cookie jar, opportunities for which are presented dozens of times a day. But a security camera, as mentioned above, is more than just a device to identify and apprehend. It also acts as a kind of conscience, and keeps workers honest just by its mere presence.

The importance of putting at least one camera on the door cannot be overstated either. The door is another obvious “bottleneck” where literally everyone who visits the store must both enter and exit (unless there is a back or alternate entrance, in which case there should be a separate security camera there as well). That means that every person who comes into your store and breaks the law will have to escape the eye of the camera at least twice - upon entrance and exit of the building (not to mention upon approach to the cash register, if they bothered).

With both of these major points checked off your list, you can start building out the rest of your complete system (which we highly recommend).

Some of the best retail security cameras are domed cameras that can be attached to the ceiling. There they can be seen by all, and they can keep a 360 degree panoramic capability, but they’re also not imposing or overbearing. They don’t make regular shoppers uncomfortable, in other words - only customers who might be thinking of shoplifting (or doing anything else illegal or that might interfere with your doing business). These cameras don’t need to be night vision, but you should make sure that they work in low light conditions (such as might exist at closing time).

If it’s not possible to get indoor cameras that get a good look at your entrance, or you just feel that you need a little extra outdoor security, we have a large range of bullet security cameras that will all get the job done in any weather. Weather proof cameras are absolutely essential for any type of outdoor security - you never know what the weather is going to be like. Outdoor cameras also derive much of their value from their night vision capability, which should be excellent, and strong enough to monitor the entirety of a given outdoor area that you need to keep under surveillance. EZWatch carries a broad selection of night vision, pan tilt zoom, and weather and tamper resistance outdoor cameras for you to check out (In Silver, Gold, and Platinum Editions).

Vandal proofing is another essential element in any security camera installations. One of the first things an organized thief will think about is the security cameras in your establishment - more specifically, think about knocking them out. Our vandal proof cameras don’t allow this to happen by frustrating the criminal’s ability to tamper with them. They maintain their shot and resist any and all attempts to interfere with their optics. Whether you’ve got indoor or outdoor cameras, vandal proofing is absolutely essential to optimizing your security - it can’t be overstated. Oftentimes security cameras are the target of random vandalism. In other words, they are destroyed or enfeebled just for kicks, not for any really criminal purpose. Protect your investment and protect your retail store with vandal proof cameras.

All those cameras are good for deterrence. But what makes them true difference makers is, of course, the ability to record. And that’s where EZWatch DVRs come into the picture of the complete security system.

All the security footage in the world will do you no good if you can’t record and keep it for a significant amount of time. Untold numbers of police investigations have been foiled when security camera footage wasn’t actually being recorded, or was only being recorded on a day to day basis (as in automatically deleted after 24 hours). Don’t let that happen to you - make sure you choose the right DVR for your business.

DVRs might not be the first thing you think about when you’re considering the installation of a security camera system, but next to the cameras themselves they are the most essential piece of equipment. At EZWatch we deal with three different kinds of recording devices. The first is a true DVR, upon which you can record many hours of footage from multiple cameras. The second is a PC DVR, which comes with installed software that turns your computer into a security workstation. It’s functionality is much the same as the regular DVR, but it needs to be paired with a PC. The third option is Capture Cards, which are smaller (and less expensive) but are a good alternative for many kinds of installations.

These options are further broken down into SIlver, Gold, and Platinum levels of quality, with the functionality and efficiency of the machine increasing with each upgrade. Platinum is of course the recommended level of quality - with Platinum you’ll be very well prepared.

With all this equipment in place you should see your margin loss and inventory shrinkage halted, or at least lessened. Security camera systems are among the only proven deterrents when it comes to this kind of theft, and they are relied on by retailers the world over, both big and small. Don’t let your products, profits and margins walk out the door. Stop them in their tracks with EZWatch security cameras.

Check Fraud

If you’re running a retail business, you are very likely well aware of the dangers of false checks and check fraud in general. What you might not be aware of is how powerful security cameras and security systems can be in stopping, apprehending, and punishing this kind of behavior. A security camera directly above the cash register, as discussed above, is the best way to combat this kind of fraud. If the camera is placed properly it is almost impossible for any potential passer of a fraudulent check to hide their identity. This alone will be a powerful deterrent. But in combination with the actual recorded footage it can also become your most powerful and unfalsifiable piece of evidence in court.

One of the biggest problems retailers face when it comes to check fraud is that it’s often not caught until it’s “too late.” In other words, before the criminal has skipped town or, worse, until after the recorded footage from the day in question has already been deleted because the recording equipment you’re using doesn’t have enough room to maintain a detailed record of a whole week or more of transactions.

With effective DVRs from EZWatch you won’t have this problem. If you choose the right equipment you can keep your security camera footage for a very long time, keeping a solid record of all activity that you can confidently depend on if you catch a late-breaking crime.

When it comes to this kind of theft and fraud, a security camera system should of course be regarded as only one part of the solution. There are myriad other solutions, which should not only be considered but quickly adopted, that will work in concert with an effective security camera system. These systems (which are not available from EZWatch) include software that keeps track of major criminal signifiers (like wildly fluctuating account balances) and lots of other high-tech crime stoppers that are essential to keeping your business safe from fraud.

Credit Card Theft

The steps retailers take to stop credit card theft and fraud are very similar to the ones taken to stop check fraud. The first and foremost line of defense is a high definition camera that keeps an eye on the all important cash register, and a second that keeps an eye on the entrance/exit of the shop. When you’re dealing with brick and mortar retail security, you have one major advantage that online retailers don’t when it comes to fraud - you can actually see the people who are doing it, and if you have the right kind of security camera plan, you deter, stop, and apprehend them.

As with all retail security, that means investing in more than just the cameras, the DVRs, and the complete video security system. There are dozens of excellent resources from which you can learn how to stop credit fraud with more than just the cameras. While EZWatch doesn’t offer that kind of security, we do offer the only surefire way to lay eyes on the criminal who has targeted your business. Invest in the future of your business by researching and choosing the right security system for you. And don’t fall victim to the mistake of relying on a single source - while cameras are among the most powerful and visible deterrents, there is, proverbially, more than one way to skin a cat.

Sweethearting

Sweethearting is one the most pernicious and hard to catch theft operation in a retail store. Sweethearting is the practice of employees and/or cashiers giving discounts or free merchandise to people they know through knowingly ringing them up incorrectly. They may scan an item at a lower rate, or not scan it at all, or a dozen other hard to spot ways of slipping the merchandise out of the store. Sweethearting also refers to employees surreptitiously stealing small amounts of money and covering it up through accounting errors or fixes. The following are just a few of the ways that employees can steal your money through unauthorized sweetheart deals:

• Failing to scan, or properly scan, merchandise.
• Overriding your existing prices to provide steep discounts on high value items.
• Giving refunds for items not returned, or giving a refund in an amount higher than the value of the returned item.
• Improperly voiding a purchase, while allowing the merchandise to leave the store.
• Improperly invoicing or improperly handling invoices.

All of that is very difficult to catch even with the sophisticated and modern counter-theft software and electronics that exist today.

One of the only surefire ways to collect and archive key evidence of this happening is to get it on video. Here again the all-important security camera focused on the cash register is absolutely essential to security. It tracks and records every movement, so if you see or hear anything suspicious about sweethearting in your store, you can simply go to the tale of the tape and review the evidence for yourself.

For this kind of security work you need to have really excellent footage. That’s why HD security cameras are so often recommended when it comes to keeping an eye on the register. Here at EZWatch we have HD quality cameras and DVRs in bulk, and at great prices.

To sum up, there are more ways than ever for people to take advantage of your brick and mortar retail business. The cost of doing nothing to protect yourself is your margins, your profits, even your continued viability as a business. No system has proved more useful over a longer period of time that an effective security camera installation. And at EZWatch we have the right tools, the right equipment, and the right complete systems to help you stop theft in its tracks. Or, failing that, apprehend and recover what you might have lost.

Invest in security installations from EZWatch. You’ll be investing in more than your security - you’ll be investing in your future, and the future of your business.

Why Should Homeowners Buy Security Cameras?

People often think of security cameras as the exclusive province of retail chains, banks, government buildings, and other large structures. While all of those buildings definitely need great security, your home is just as important and just as deserving. Security cameras posted outside your home will deter criminals, keep an accurate record of any misdeeds that might happen, and of course serve as invaluable evidence in any investigation that might crop up. A complete system from EZWatch (including the camera, the DVR, and all the wiring and accessories you want) will do its part to keep you, your family, and your property safe from harm.

It starts with choosing the right security camera for you and your home. The first choice you have make is between outdoor or indoor security - or both. For homes outdoor security is generally the most important piece of the puzzle, but indoor installations certainly have their place. For larger homes a joint system of indoor and outdoor cameras might be the best solution.

Our outdoor offerings include cameras with excellent night vision capability. Our standard EZBullet Cameras can see up to 100 feet away in even the darkest night, and you can upgrade to something like our Prowler camera (120ft) or even the super-deluxe Ranger (300ft). If you need to survey a wide area with a single camera, you should take some time to browse our Pan Tilt Zoom offerings. Another great option is the Watchman camera, which has a superior wide angle lens that can keep an eye on a very large area.

Statistics show that even dummy cameras - security cameras that aren’t recording anything - have a clear effect on deterring crime. A fully functioning security camera from EZWatch combines that powerful deterrence with equally powerful recording power, meaning you’ll be able to clearly identify everything you record, even at night. In combination with some of our high quality home alarm systems, EZWatch cameras can help to make your home as safe and secure as possible. The sight of working security cameras and the reality of a powerful alarm system should be enough to send any would-be intruder packing.

Another reason that security cameras are great for private homes is the prevalence of sheds, barns, gardens, guest homes, and other out-buildings on the same property as the main house. These smaller buildings are often though to be easier targets, or simply places to easily vandalize. Security cameras trained on these out-buildings are a great way to catch criminals in the act, get the evidence on tape, and then catch or prosecute them. Homes that sit on large plots of land, or that simply have more than one structure, are often in particular need of an excellent security camera system. And at EZWatch, we have all the equipment and expert advice to get those systems up and running.