Security Technology - Essay Example

?Personal Experience Essay Introduction Security technology is an important part of any business, enabling businesses to protect their assets while reducing the amount of physical labor and time that is required. This allows the business to reduce their costs, by requiring fewer employees, or allocating employees to other tasks. Security cameras are one aspect of business security that is commonly used across many different business types. Often a number of video cameras transmit their signals to a specific point, frequently a set of monitors. This system is known as closed-circuit television (CCTV) the name derives from the fact that although a television signal is produced it is not transmitted openly, and as a consequence cannot be picked up by exterior parties (Levine, 2000). The term CCTV can be technically used to refer to most types of video cameras; however, it is generally used to apply to those that are involved in security applications (Introna, 2000). In retail stores, CCTV systems are often used for security, monitoring both consumers and employees with the aim of preventing crime from occurring and for catching and prosecuting those that are involved in criminal acts within the store. I have worked at Best Buy since I was 17 years of age beginning in the sales department, and currently am the Security/Loss Prevention Manager for my store. This role comes with a high amount of responsibility and I take pride in doing my job well and ensuring that my staff do also. Throughout my career at Best Buy one aspect of technology which I have used extensively and consider crucial to my work is the CCTV network of security cameras which is present as part of our store security system. CCTV plays a significant role in maintaining the security of our store, and is helpful in a number of other aspects. Most importantly the CCTV system allows the monitoring of both consumers and employees behavior from a distance. Even though the presence of security cameras throughout the store is a well known fact, many people forget that the cameras are operating or hope that they are in a blind spot and act in a manner which they would not wish to be observed in. The most common example of this is theft. The CCTV network is very useful for determining when and where shoplifting or acts of fraud occur, and as the system records the footage, it can then play a role in identifying thieves, in proving that an individual stole from the store, as well as providing a key role in internal investigations into employee theft and dishonesty. However, the monitoring of theft and dishonest practice are not the only uses of this powerful technology, it is also used other purposes such as finding lost children, determine the locations of staff members during emergency drills as well as acting as a deterrent to theft. This essay will consider the technology involved in CCTV, its history and how it is used as well as the legal ramifications occur as a consequence, with particular emphasis on the role of CCTV in retail security. Finally I will discuss my own personal experience with CCTV and how it affects my role at Best Buy. History One of the early uses of CCTV occurred in London in 1961 at an underground railway station. The purpose of the system wasn’t security, but was to allow drivers to ensure that the doors of the railway car were clear before they departed the station (Keval & Sasse, 2006). However, CCTV cameras were in use as early as 1940 and the industry has been growing ever since (Mohammed, 2010). The use of CCTV as a means of surveillance for public areas as well as business has become commonplace, and there are many different purposes for CCTV systems. One common example is the use of CCTV as street surveillance, looking for drug related activity, for the identification of missing persons, as well as for identifying any criminal activity (Keval & Sasse, 2006). Within retail stores consumers are observed through CCTV in the in order to look for illegitimate activity or evidence of theft. Monitoring is not limited to the consumer, and CCTV coverage often extends to employee areas due to problems with corruption and internal theft (Introna, 2000). Evidence of illegal activity gained through any CCTV system can be used in a court of law or as evidence in any criminal investigation (Keval & Sasse, 2006). In Britain, the use of CCTV is extensive throughout the public areas of cities and towns. The cameras are networked and linked with a control center, which is often inside of a police station. This trend began in 1985, and the number of cameras is estimated at between 200,000 and 400,000, with the industry continuing to grow at 15-20% annually (Levine, 2000). This trend is not limited to Britain; indeed, governments throughout the developed world spend billions each year. In addition sales of systems are high to both individual people and companies (Sasse, 2010). An important part of a CCTV system is the control center, where security staff and other individuals are able to observe the feeds from all of the cameras. Some types of cameras allow for the pitch and direction of the camera to be controlled, as well as the zoom of the image. This gives the operator the opportunity to follow suspicious individuals with the camera, or to zoom in for a more detailed look at the situation. There are generally many cameras per operator within the control center and as a consequence the operators can become swamped with information (Surette, 2005). Control centers contain a range of different equipment which varies depending on function of the center, the industry that it is located in as well as generally between one control center and the next. Examples of equipment that is common include: one or many personal computers or laptops, several monitors located immediately in front of operators (‘spot’ monitors), telephones, radios, controllers for the cameras and the CCTV wall monitors. The size of a CCTV control room and the number of operators it hosts can vary significantly, and is influenced mainly by the number of cameras that the system covers (Keval, 2006). The technology involved in CCTV systems has been steadily increasing as technology in general has been advancing. The desire for more efficient and reliable systems has been driven by increased rates and severity of crime, which in turn has caused an increase in the fear which people feel concerning crime. In recent years there has been a shift towards the use of second generation CCTV systems. In these systems the camera system is linked to a computer, which allows the evaluation of the images without the need for human input. This decreases the amount of time that is required surveying the images, reducing the requirement for humans. However, the system is not 100% efficient, and human observation will often find things which the camera system is unable to (Surette, 2005). Another innovation has been the use of redeployable CCTV. This focuses on the concept that the CCTV cameras are able to be moved in order to places where crime is more prevalent or likely (Waples & Gill, 2006). This also gives the ability for the positions of cameras to be changed on a regular basis in order to prevent criminals from predicting camera locations and blind spots and consequently taking advantage of them. An attempt was made in 2001 to incorporate a form of CCTV known as “smart CCTV” in a tourist district in Tampa, Florida. This system used facial recognition software that had been developed by Visionics Corporation. The system in which the technology was being used contained 36 cameras, covering a distance of several blocks across two avenues. The software was designed as an upgrade to the system which was being used and aimed to be more effective. It worked by comparing faces from the security feeds with faces from a criminal database. However, after two years the trial was abandoned as it did not successfully identify any criminals during the time it was in operation (Gates, 2010). This example provides evidences that there is still substantial room for the technology involved in CCTV technology to grow. Effectiveness of CCTV Systems CCTV systems operate through the idea of reducing the anonymity available to anyone looking to commit a criminal act and to increase the accountability of people for their actions (Levine, 2000). CCTV systems are widely used in the retail industry as a consequence of the high losses which are experienced as a result of theft (Goodchild, 2010). Even with the cost of installation, maintenance and staff the use of these systems is effective for these companies, resulting in a much reduced loss through theft (Beck & Willis, 1999). The effectiveness of a CCTV system relies heavily on how well the system is set up. If the recording is of poor quality, then the identification of faces can be unreliable which can have important legal ramifications. If people cannot be positively identified from their images, then any criminal prosecution will be unsuccessful (Keval & Sasse, 2006). For businesses using CCTV systems for security this can be problematic. Although many shoplifters are not prosecuted for their crimes due to the store wishing to maintain a positive appearance (Nelson & Perrone, 2000), identifying individuals is important for determining whether employees are involved in internal corruption or theft. Another factor is organized crime, which plays a significant role in theft from businesses, with criminals working in groups to reduce risk and increase the amount that can be stolen in a single time (Larocca, 2009). Identification of the individuals that are involved in this through the use of CCTV footage can provide important assistance in catching the thieves next time they target the store. There are many variations between different CCTV systems in respect to the setup of their video cameras, such as: the number of cameras that are used, the amount of area in which they cover, their visibility and their blind spots. All of these factors have a significant effect on how effective the system is. For example, cameras have a limited view range, generally extending in an arc from the direction in which the camera is pointing. This can be compensated for by either the manual or automated movement of the camera. Even so, the camera is unable to see a full 360 degrees around itself, and as a consequence the area immediately behind the camera cannot be viewed by it and is a blind spot. For many types of video camera used in these systems, the direction of the camera is often obvious, and as a consequence it is possible for thieves to determine the likely field of view. To bypass this problem some cameras are enclosed in opaque domes which prevent the direction of the camera being determined from the outside (Provent, 2011). Alternatively, the cameras can be arrayed in a manner which limits the number of blind spots there are, or attempts to place blind spots in unimportant areas. A prevalent sociological model for the manner in which humans behave when they are observed compared to when there are not is the Social Identity Model of Deindividuation (SIDE). This model suggests that behavior is related to how visible individuals are to others and how accountable they are to their actions (Reicher et al., 1995). When evaluating CCTV in this manner, it is important to take into account not only whether an individual is being observed, but also whether they consider that they are being observed and who they believe is observing them. If they consider that whoever is observing them is not in a position to punish them then they are less likely to show behavioral constraint than someone who considers whoever is observing them can cause significant problems for them (Levine, 2000). Legal Factors and Privacy One of the biggest issues concerning the use of CCTV is the issue of privacy. There is concern that the technology will have unintended effects on the population, including psychological effects based on the level of surveillance (Levine, 2000). This is particularly important in America, as the constitution guarantees a right to privacy (Bickel et al., 2003). It is a growing trend that as technology increases in prevalence and becomes more sophisticated consumers relinquish many of their rights to privacy in order to gain access to the convenience of the new technology (Gordon, 2007). The use of CCTV for surveillance provides a close and continuous form of monitoring that is able to be reviewed at a later date (Introna, 2000). While this is advantageous for detecting theft or problematic behavior, it can be a problem from the perspective of employee privacy.In general the use of CCTV and other monitoring technologies has been considered an extension of the basic rights and roles of management, and as a consequence employees have been left with little ground to argue unfair treatment. There are few laws in place to ensure protection for the employee’s privacy (Introna, 2000). Common law provides interesting insight into the way in which privacy is treated. Monitoring of employees requires consent; however this can be in the form of implied consent. Implied consent is based on whether it is reasonable to expect privacy (Introna, 2000). Thus CCTV surveillance within bathroom stalls is illegal, but CCTV surveillance on the store floor is legal and employee consent is assumed. Many employers include a clause in their contracts stating the areas in which CCTV surveillance will be. Personal Experience CCTV plays a large part in my role of Security manager at Best Buy. Security cameras are located throughout with all doors being covered by cameras as well as key retail areas. We make use of risk assessments to determine the best areas in which to set up cameras, based on the value of the items and their likelihood of being stolen. For example, many thieves target goods which can be concealed which sell quickly, while others target items for person use such as foiod items and clothing. At Best Buy, our policy is to focus on deterrent of crime over prosecution and as a consequence one of the major roles of our CCTV system is to prevent crime from occurring. To do this the presence of the cameras is widely advertised throughout the store and they are easily visible. Security isn’t the only use for the CCTV system. There have been multiple occasions in my time at the store that we have used the camera system to find a lost child and reunite them with their mother. The cameras allow us to determine the child’s location and to keep an eye on them without being intrusive. I have found the system to be invaluable in many aspects of the store and it reduces the number of people that are needed on the floor at a given time. Conclusion Closed-circuit television is an important aspect of technology that plays a large role in security of a retail store, and in my own role as a Security manager at Best Buy. The technology involved has been developing rapidly since its early use in 1940, and currently cameras are able to be operated remotely, providing clear images that are recorded and able to be accessed at a later date. Second generation systems are being used in some places in which the computers are able to determine what segments of video are relevant and which are not. This can dramatically reduce the workload for individuals. There is still room for many advances in the field, but even as it stands the technology is invaluable in security and the prevention of theft. References Beck, A., & Willis, A. (1999). Context-specific measures of CCTV effectiveness in the retail sector. Surveillance of public space: CCTV, street lighting and crime prevention, 10, 251. Bickel, R. D., Brinkley, S., & White, W. (2003). Seeing Past Privacy: Will the Development and Application of CCTV and Other Video Security Technology Compromise an Essential Constitutional Right in a Democracy, or Will the Courts Strike a Proper Balance? Stetson L. Rev., 33, 299-1067. Gates, K. (2010). The Tampa “Smart CCTV” Experiment. Culture Unbound, 2, 67-89. Goodchild, J. (2010). Report: Global theft decreases in 2010. Physical Security Retrieved October 14, 2011, from http://www.csoonline.com/article/629120/report-global-theft-decreases-in-2010 Gordon, S. (2007). Business privacy-age of consent. Engineering & Technology, 2(5), 42-45. Introna, L. (2000). Workplace surveillance, privacy, and distributive justice. Computers and Society(December), 418-429. Keval, H. (2006). CCTV Control Room Collaboration and Communication: Does it Work? Keval, H., & Sasse, M. (2006). Man or gorilla? Performance issues with CCTV technology in security control rooms. Larocca, J. (2009). Employee theft raises prices, contributes to organized retail crime Retrieved November 5, 2011, from http://blog.nrf.com/2009/07/16/employee-theft-raises-prices-contributes-to-organized-retail-crime/ Levine, M. (2000). SIDE and closed circuit television (CCTV): Exploring surveillance in public space. Chapter in T. Postmes, R. Spears, M. Lea & S. Reicher (eds): SIDE Issues Centre-Stage: Recent Developments in Studies of Deindividuation in Groups. Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences: Amsterdam. Mohammed, A. (2010). Is CCTV security cameras an effective tool used to prevent crime in retail establishments? Nelson, D., & Perrone, S. (2000). Understanding and controlling retail theft. Trends and Issues in Criminal Justice. Provent. (2011). CCTV Overview Retrieved November 5, 2011, from http://www.e-provent.com/services/awareness-overview.html Reicher, S. D., Spears, R., & Postmes, T. (1995). A social identity model of deindividuation phenomena. European review of social psychology, 6(1), 161-198. Sasse, M. A. (2010). Not seeing the crime for the cameras? Communications of the ACM, 53(2), 22-25. Surette, R. (2005). The thinking eye: Pros and cons of second generation CCTV surveillance systems. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 28(1), 152-173. Waples, S., & Gill, M. (2006). The effectiveness of redeployable CCTV. Crime Prevention & Community Safety, 8(1), 1-16. Read More