Where Have All The Night Watchmen Gone?

One rarely hears the term night watchman anymore. But up until the 1980’s, this was the name today’s security personnel answered to.The common image of a night watchman was a man, keys jangling on his belt along with a whistle, as he made his rounds through a deserted facility, following the lonely beam of hisflashlight. Advances in technology have all but retired his (or her) flash light but these same advances have added to the requirements and knowledge needed to become a night watchman, oops, a security officer.

IP Cameras Call for a Tech-Savvy Breed of Security Officers

Today’s organizations and institutions, whether they hire their own security personnel or contract with a security agency, are turning to IP technology to expand their security.

What this means for security guards, especially those in supervisory positions, is that they need to have a basic technological understanding of and familiarity with IP cameras, monitors, video management software, PCs and servers. And since the world of technology expands constantly, they need to keep abreast of changes.

Many organizations are also seeing a subtle blending of IT and Security operations. Let’s take a look at three specific sectors.

Hospitals

How ironic is it that hospitals, places that provide care and healing are also experiencing a surge of violence and theft?  But think about it - a hospital provides fertile ground for both.

• ·         Emotions can run high in crowded Emergency Rooms, accelerated by long waits and tight quarters.
• ·         Upstairs, frustrated  relatives seek instant answers to questions that rely on lengthy testing.
• ·         Back downstairs, the pharmacy, although under lock, and with access procedures in place, offers temptation to trespassers, or even employees with a drug habit or in need of money.

Having to monitor all the corridors and departments of a hospital presents a challenge. Ye Olde night

watchman would have needed to expend a lot of shoe leather. Today, thanks to the remote connectivity offered by IP networks and Video Management Software (VMS), today’s guards can monitor it all from the security desk.

Department Stores

In the watchman era, a plainclothes “store detective” might wander the floors all day, posing as a browsing customer.  Today’s theft  prevention officer can view live camera feeds from the women’s department,

housewares, toy department, cosmetics, and menswear without leaving her desk. And in the case of a large chain with many locations, thanks again to network connectivity and VMS, the corporate security officer at the flagship store or the company headquarters can view every one of its stores either as a live feed or recorded video.

This is possible because every IP camera has its own unique IP address, and resides on its own node on the company’s Ethernet network, just like any other device. So if a branch manager in Peoria, Illinois can  connect to the purchasing department in the corporate office in Chicago, or download an evaluation form from the flagship store in Los Angeles, the security department can use the same network to monitor sites.

Schools

It used to be that vandalism, burglary, and extensive graffiti were the major problems schools  faced.  But, for reasons, yet to be fathomed, schools from kindergarten through university, have become a destination for sick individuals bent on wiping out innocent victims.

The presence of watchmen patrolling the corridors would only add to the stress level of students. But by adding IP cameras to the school ‘s network a security officer  can sit in his office and keep careful but discrete watch over the gym, cafeteria, corridors, classrooms, parking lots and playgrounds. Should an intruder approach, security can be forewarned. Careful IP camera vigilance might also help in warding off bullying that often goes un-noticed by teachers and administrators.

Video Management Software Makes for A Safer Security Officer

The night watchman treaded on a path of uncertainty each time he made a patrol. He could never be sure what was just beyond the beam of his flashlight. 

Adding  Video Management Software (VMS)  to the IP camera system  takes some of the inherent danger and uncertainty out of the night watchman’s job, and affords the Security Officer a chance to organize and prepare for an incident as it unfolds.

What this means for today’s security officer is he/she needs to be trained on navigating the software to take advantage of its many features and options such as

Virtual Patrols

VMS allows security to “patrol” several areas at once without leaving his PC or control station. Live footage

from cameras in select locations can be viewed on one split screen monitor, each in its own little segment of the screen, or preset to scroll through the frames. This means the guards can take more virtual tours and fewer walking ones. 

·         Should a school security guard spy an open exit door in the empty gym or cafeteria on his virtual tour, he can alert another guard closer to the area while he scrolls through cameras in the surrounding areas searching for any intruders.

·         In a hospital, viewing a scene of escalating tempers might prompt the viewing officer to not only send several of his men to the scene, but also to call in the police.

·         In a shopping mall, a large gathering of youths might warrant the dispatching of several guards to the area.

Motion Detection, Cross Line Detection, and Alerts 

Cameras equipped with Cross line detection or motion detection can be programmed to automatically send an alert  to the monitoring screen. Both applications are similar in that they detect moving objects. The difference is that motion detection concerns itself with movement in a predetermined area while cross line detection sets up a virtual tripwire which when crossed by a moving object will send an alert. The officer at the  PC will be alerted when that particular camera’s viewing pane is suddenly highlighted, outlined, flashes, sounds an alert, or all four. The alert signal is programmed at set-up.

Subsequent cameras can be selected to follow the progress of the intruder, and depending on the software, the alert may automatically alert the police. Meanwhile it allows on-site staff to know what they will be facing so they coordinate and respond to the situation.

 And so today's security personnel has to be technology-savvy. Savvy leads to superior security. Not only does it make a guard's job safer but it expands his presence, and that expanded presence makes for safer facilities and businesses.

Next post we'll explore how IP-based Door Access control and IP-based Intercoms would also have lightened Ye Olde Night watchman's load.

Meanwhile, if you're interested in finding out more about how IP-based security products can make your workplace a safer place, Kintronics sales engineers are available at 914-944-3425 to answer your questions or design a system for you. Filling out a form at request info is another option.