Security for self storage and removal warehouse facilities has come a long way in recent years.
According to Ant Hebblethwaite from the Doncaster Security Operations Centre (DSOC), speaking at The Movers and Storers Show, the era of AI (Artificial Intelligence) is with us.
DSOC provides security monitoring services for Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) installed in commercial premises, including self storage and removals. In the past it was thought adequate to have CCTV installed. Should there be an incident, such as a break-in or theft, the police could view the recording in an attempt to identify the culprits. But today, this is considered to be the absolute minimum in crime prevention. In practice, all it does is help after the event. Other than a general deterrent, it does little to prevent the crime from taking place.
CCTV monitoring, however, allows early intervention that can often prevent a crime from being committed. Should the monitoring team spot an intruder, or even someone acting suspiciously, it can alert the authorities early, often in time to apprehend a culprit red handed. With the addition of voice communication, the team can talk to the suspect to advise that they are in a restricted area and ascertain their intentions.
The role of AI
Bringing the service into the modern age, AI can dramatically improve the identification of suspicious activity. The AI cameras read the scene to learn what objects are (cars, bins, people, etc.). They can then identify if anything changes and alert the operators if necessary. “Recently we've been looking to see what more we can do with artificial intelligence,” said Ant. “It can show, for example, whether the person's face is covered or if the person is involved in suspicious behaviour.”
For example, is the person in a place where people are not expected to be? Are their actions atypical? Someone putting a bag in the boot of a car may not be suspicious, but if their face were covered, or if the volume of goods were excessive, this could represent a crime in progress. The AI system would tell the difference ...
Photo: Ant Hebblethwaite.
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