Crime Prevention: How to Use Video Monitoring to Guard Real Estate

Typically, real estate investors buy properties that they then manage. In doing so, they become landlords whose responsibilities include maintaining the property. 

This responsibility also includes crime prevention. Commercial and vacant real estate properties often pose significant opportunities for criminal activity. So, how can you prevent this activity from striking your property? 

One answer is to use a video monitoring service. This guarding solution makes it much easier for property owners to protect their buildings from danger. 

The question is, how can you achieve high-quality security with your real-time video monitoring system? Fortunately, we can answer that question for you! Read on to discover our tips for protecting your property with an intelligent guard system. 

How a Video Monitoring System Works

If you’re new to security, you may wonder how this system works. What sets it apart from other security solutions on the market? 

First, a video monitoring guard service does not supply on-site guards for your building. Instead, it places security cameras in strategic locations with a real-time monitoring feed. This way, your building receives 24/7 alarm monitoring and protection. 

“But, what happens if somebody tries to break into my property? How does this system help if there’s nobody there to stop the criminal?” 

This objection is fairly common, and it’s understandable. At first glance, this system may seem inferior to on-site guards. However, it’s actually much more practical. 

Remote video monitoring systems provide 24/7 monitoring to any spot with cameras. This way, you can avoid the blind spots that a normal guard would have.

When these monitors see any criminal activity, they immediately call the authorities. This way, they greatly increase the chances that the criminal gets arrested, and the crime gets deterred. 

All of this explains how these systems work. However, their precondition is to have the alarm system switched on. Now, let’s talk about how to use them to ensure the best security for your building.

Use Thorough Camera Placement for Crime Prevention

Relying on video monitoring systems is an excellent way to deter crime and cut costs. However, a camera system is only as good as its camera placement. blind spots on your property leave criminals room to break into your building. 

That’s why you need complete camera placement on your property. Make sure no space remains invisible. 

First, place cameras around the entrances to your building. From there, start looking for any corners or nooks that may be hard to see. Once you identify these places, install cameras to monitor them.

Doing this alone can be a challenge. After all, not everybody can adopt the mindset of a criminal. Fortunately, you don’t have to do this by yourself.

Instead, you can work with our Swissguard security team to ensure the best camera placement. Our team will visit your property and survey it to find the most critical places to protect. From there, you can rest easier at night knowing your property is secure.

Remove Obstacles to Visibility

Depending on the type of property you manage, there may be landscaping around the premises. Landscaping has several benefits, including increasing the property value of a building. 

However, some landscape issues can also work to a burglar’s advantage. For example, let’s say you have several shrubs under windows around your building. A burglar can hide in these shrubs and use them as access points to enter your facility or house. 

So, survey your property’s landscape to determine if any threats like this exist. If so, find a way to remove them. This way, you can ensure that there are no places for criminals to hide from your cameras.

 Keep in mind, this doesn’t mean you have to chop down every tree and bush. Instead, make sure they are scattered around the property. This way you can prevent a burglar from using clumps of shrubbery as a hiding spot. 

Get Faster Police Responses

One tremendous advantage of a remote security team is the speed of police responses they can get. On-site guards can’t always call the police whenever they see something suspicious. Instead, they have to gather information to assess the potential threat. 

Remote security teams don’t have this problem. Since they have more visibility with their cameras, they can call the police anytime they notice suspicious behavior or trespassing. 

Furthermore, these guards can use their live footage to give police more detail about what’s happening on-site. They can even tell the authorities a suspect’s precise location. 

Some security systems even have AI that can recognize if a person has a warrant out for their arrest. For example, last month, one of our team’s security cameras caught a wanted criminal entering a small convenience store. In minutes, the police were on the grounds to arrest that individual.

Use Recordings as Evidence

A video monitoring security team will monitor your alarm system 24/7.  However, the camera feed does more than record what’s happening from moment to moment. It also records and stores footage, allowing you to access it later. 

So, let’s say that your guard service notices suspicious activity on your property. When they do, they call the police to come and investigate. 

It often happens that a burglar or criminal denies having done anything wrong on your property. Without video evidence, this situation becomes a “he said; she said” routine. 

Fortunately, if you have your cameras correctly installed, you won’t have that problem. Your security team can produce video evidence that shows this person acting suspiciously. This way, there’s never any question about what your monitors did or didn’t see. 

Work With the Best Remote Security Team

Using a video monitoring system is an excellent strategy for crime prevention. The question is, which team can provide the most high-quality security?

If that’s what you’re wondering, check out our services! Swissguard serves properties around the world at cheaper rates than US-based firms can provide. 

We offer 24/7 live surveillance from a team of security experts. We change our guards regularly to ensure there are always fresh eyes monitoring your property. This way, we can guarantee your property stays safe. 

If that appeals to you, then excellent! Contact us today to learn more.