Within six months of installing the first digital video recorder at the Proudfoot supermarket in Withernsea the store’s crime rates were virtually eliminated.
Now, two years on, the Proudfoot chain is planning to install digital video recorders throughout the other branches. Proudfoot is a supermarket chain of six stores, located in the north of England along the East Coast between Scarborough and Barton upon Humber.
Drew Fussey, Security Manager, is responsible for the security across all stores. His first task on joining the company was to improve the existing security system and reduce the levels of crime and loss suffered. It didn’t take long before Fussey developed a new security strategy. He recalls how the CCTV system was ‘antiquated’. However, the managing director was keen on putting in new equipment and had just installed a new standard time-lapse VCR in one of the stores the month Fussey joined.
“I felt we would be much better off using a digital recording system”, he said. “Even though digital was not as prominent as it is now, I still believed it was the best technology for recording CCTV.
Quick review
“One of the main benefits from our point of view was that a digital video recorder would enable staff to review recorded video quickly and easily. Whereas in the old days with a VCR it was so time consuming to find an incident on a tape that the staff probably would not have bothered. Also, it would eliminate staff having to deal with videocassettes!”
After a year of research into digital video recording, he persuaded the MD to go digital and Fussey specified the OCTAR digital video recorder from Visimetrics. The first unit was installed on the 16-camera system at the Withernsea store and ten months later, two OCTARS were installed on a 20-camera system at the Barton store.
Fussey thought it was the easiest system to use, especially by staff who had no experience of computers. “It is so straightforward I can usually show someone how to use it once and they remember. The archiving system is also easy for people to use. I’ve virtually never had a problem from any of the staff using OCTAR at either of the two branches where it is currently installed.”
Withernsea police say the digital system has stopped local criminals coming into the store and there is no longer a local problem. However occasionally they get the odd shoplifter from out of town, who is unfamiliar with the system.
Within the first month of installation there were four separate arrests and within the first six months, shoplifting has been virtually eliminated and the system has justified its initial outlay.
Shoplifting detected
Fussey said that when the system was first installed “the local bad lads would come in and do a bit of shoplifting when there was no security around. We’d come back in the next day and spot some items had gone. We have a system of counting certain products to see if they disappear, things that shoplifters tend to like, so we know when something’s gone. If it has, then we review the footage, see the item disappearing and call the police. They come in and review the recorded footage and, as long as they know the person, they will print a copy showing that person shoplifting and confront them about the crime. These four local bad lads admitted their crimes and were charged. These individuals no longer come in to our stores to steal.”
Fussey and the staff use it in other ways: “For example, take Mr 89 year old pensioner who’s doing a bit of shoplifting that you don’t really want to involve the police with. However, you do want the staff to be aware of him and keep an eye on him when he comes into the store. We would keep a print of him at the back of the store – to help staff recognise him and stop him in future.”
The Newby / JDS branch will be the third store to be fitted with OCTARs on a 20-camera system.
The system is networked making it easy to pass pictures or recordings of shoplifters to each store instantly. Both the Withernsea and Barton stores are networked to head office, where the company directors can also review footage using OCTAR replay software on any PC. It is proving to be a useful tool in keeping senior management informed.
“An incident occurred at the Withernsea store, where there had been a large scuffle with a shop manager. This was captured on OCTAR and reviewed at head office shortly afterwards. Later the footage was sent to the other branches across the network to show staff how brilliantly the manager had dealt with the situation.”
The system was also used to send pictures from shop to shop of a gang of shoplifters who were making their way along the east coast and netting GB pound 3-5,000 a day.
“It would have been almost impossible to do this with an analogue VCR. They were caught eventually.”
Fussey says the easy-to-use system has saved a lot of time.
“I don’t need to sit in the control room reviewing videotape for hours and hours.
“Typically I can review footage within five to ten minutes that would probably have taken four hours on videotapes.
“Before, video was something that you spent a load of money on, put in a corner and no one ever looked at. OCTAR, however, is put in a corner and never left alone.”
Withernsea town CCTV committee is now looking to upgrade to the digital system due to the success at the Proudfoot store and from good reports from other neighbouring towns.
