CCTV security for small manufacturers against theft

Hello Bala Pullat

Yes.

Some of those stolen/missing products are very costly.

Get the CCTV system installed after normal staff hours.

The cost will be a bit more, but well worth it.

An employee/insider who is stealing from the employer, is not one to keep on the job, and you need good evidence so he/she may be fired.

Advise nobody else of your intention to install the CCTV security system, use pinhole cameras, working via wireless back to a secure receiver/recorder.

Reason for keeping it to yourself, is that there may be one or more "insiders" who are working together.

Kind Regards....

Over here it seems better to have the staff know about the cameras. To save expenses one can install some dummy cameras and move the real ones around.

One of our customers had a problem with a test system going down during the night shift.

We suggested they place a camera to view the tester 24/7, 2 nights later one of the night shift workers was seen opening the doors and tampering some of the test needles inside the fixture, a few hours later, they went back and ractified the problem.

The following day no problems could be found with the system, the camera picked up the cause, and that person lost their job over it.

it doesnt worth much. you can save it by unexploy guards.

the guards will be out of work

its not difficult to set up this set.

There was some sabotage at our plant a few months ago. We had large pumps that were inexplicably kicking out in our effluent pond. They would reset just fine, but but there was a potential for serious safety problems, huge fines, process downtime, and environmental headaches. We could not determine the cause. A lot of money was spent replacing motors and drives. Finally in a "Hail Mary" attempt to determine the problem, cameras were put in to monitor the equipment. Lo and behold, it was a fireman from our plant's fire department shutting off the equipment. He was disguntled because we were laying them off and contracting with an outside company to provide the same service for less. Since then, cameras have been installed at other sensitive areas of the plant.

The first question is how much is being taken? Or estimated to be taken on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis in $$$. The ROI on such a system is based upon loss vs. system cost. A simple system can run between $2,500 and $10,000 depending on the manufacturer and if you do it yourself or have professionals install it with training. I prefer the latter for 2 reasons. 1) Very few people really understand how to install this type of system (we have more service work from this than any other source) and 2) They can train you on the system and how to review the video and if need be, burn CD/DVDs for later use or prosecution.

Run the numbers & identify what you really want watched. The # of cameras definatley affects the price you pay.

Hi, Bala Pullat!

First of all, installing CCTV after thefts have been noted is not good for employee morale. It makes everyone aware that he/she is a suspect, and causes resentment among those who are innocent of theft.

Secondly, the thief might be somebody in management. It is difficult for an ordinary employee to sneak out enough product to make an important loss difference, even over the course of a year. As a private investigator undercover as a stock worker in an electronics firm, I uncovered two chief managers shipping undamaged goods out to 'repair' locations via an accomplice in transport, who took it to their fence. The same day, the repair and transport records disappeared.

This doesn't mean that CCTV is a bad idea. On the contrary, aside from a competent undercover PI, it's the best weapon available.

Cameras should be pinhole, hidden, and installed without the employees (any of them, including management) knowing of the installation. They should be installed wherever the work is ongoing, and in every department that can steal from the company.

The signal should be routed to an area where the tapes can be reviewed without anyone knowing they even had been made. If anybody is hired to watch them, that person should not be seen by the other employees as someone who 'disappears' during the work day, but rather is around to ostensibly take care of other duties...to avoid suspicion by the bad guys that they might be being watched. That person should also be somebody who is 'tight-lipped'; i.e. never talks about what they are doing in the realm of camera security.

After the thieves have been caught and arrested or fired, the general staff can be informed of the existence of the cameras. Tell them you didn't want them to know about it in advance in case they might be insulted that you thought they were dishonest when all you were doing was trying to catch the thieves.

From then on, make sure that everyone knows there are cameras in the building. Tell them that you don't want to say where they are so that if any NEW employees try dishonest dealings with you, they can be caught instead of hiding away from the cameras. It is enough for everyone to know, after the thieves are caught, that the cameras exist.

Good places for hidden cameras are cracks in ceiling tile, peeping over wall trim, acting as screws in screwed-in installations, through electrical outlets and lamp fixtures, in stairwells and lunch locker areas, over the cash outs, etc. etc.

Bad places are inside washrooms, change rooms, or anywhere else an outcry can be made about invasion of privacy. Just outside the doors of these places isn't too bad, however, since you might see a difference between appearance of people on the way in and on the way out, and what they are carrying.

Don't forget to place them in places where invoices can be faked or destroyed in case your thieves include white-collar criminals.

Mark

Absolutely.

Contract with a plant security professional. Do a covert install and after surveillance has identified the cause announce that are considering installing security devices and then you may have a round-up.

i was in security in the past and found that real cctv is the best route let your people see it installed it keeps them honest prices are low this days get a card for your computer to record and control all available on the internet

nick

qc.ca.

Hi, Bala Pullat!

I'm curious to know which method you employed for installing your CCTV against theft. Let us know and whether it helped catch the perps.

Mark