Can You See What's Happening In Your Store???

"Employee theft is the predominant source of shrinkage,
accounting for almost 50% of the total losses."
- National Retail Security Survey, University of Florida

Don't let a lack of a Video Surveillance Security System allow employee theft cut into your profits!

The use of closed circuit television (CCTV) security systems to prevent crime is a growing international phenomenon. This article details the ever expanding use of video surveillance technology in the United States.

The United States is also experiencing massive growth in the implementation and use of cctv security camera equipment. Military sources refer to closed circuit tv as the 'force multiplier'. An apt name when we consider the sheer impossibility of any jurisdiction affording the number of law enforcement personnel it would require to have a 'cop on every corner'.

The success of cctv security camera systems in reducing crime in the US is apparent. According to an article in the New York Times - New York City Police Commissioner Howard Safir directly attributes a 44% drop in crime statistics in one regional housing installation project to the security cameras. Huge reductions have also been reported in traffic violations (running red lights for example) and in the areas of vandalism, theft, assault and public mischief.

The demand for closed circuit tv equipment is reflected in the statistics available from the industry's suppliers. Businesses in the US spend approximately $100 billion dollars a year on the purchase of high-tech security equipment - over 50% of the total sales of CCTV products are to industrial or commercial clients.

Worthy of note, however, is the estimated growth in the residential video security market. Approximately 20% of all homes in the US have some type of security system installed using closed circuit television monitoring and security alarm equipment installed. An estimated 95% of home owners report that these security systems are an effective deterrent to intruders and make them feel safer. Statistics reflect that a home without a security system is 2 - 3 times more likely to be broken into (depending on the value of the home).

The CCTV System is also used by employers to deter or capture on tape suspected employee and customer theft or wrongdoing. The technology has been determined to be perfectly legal and the business owners justified in using such methods.

Losses to businesses in the US due to crime have reached the $200 billion level annually. Sadly, a high percentage of such losses are attributed to employee theft.

It should be noted that CCTV systems in the US are also used extensively in the workplace to deter and detect cases of sexual harassment - effectively protecting employees from unwarranted abuse.

Safety issues of a more practical nature can also be addressed through the use of cctv security systems. Management can identify and correct potentially hazardous situations preventing many industrial accidents and injuries.

As far back as October 1999 it was estimated that the United States had well over a million video surveillance security camera systems in use. If industry sales are any indication - that figure may well have doubled in the last 3 years and will continue to show exponential growth.

As prices drop and the availability of high quality video surveillance equipment expands this trend will continue. CCTV system sales in the US are expected to reach $7 billion this year.