By: Ana Sanchez Rivero, CAM
Now a days everything is smart? We have smart phones, smart TVs, and even smart watches! But smart cameras? Believe it! Most communities have surveillance cameras to deter crime or property damage. Something happens in the community and then we look at the video footage to see if it captured the event.
What if the cameras can be reactionary and not just preventative? Jason Mulvihill of Kent Services sat down with us this week to discuss Kent’s vertically integrated services. By introducing analytics, they now offer smart cameras. Analytics can turn a traditional, passive system to a smart camera. This allows them to provide real time information and is a proactive security measurement. Now you are thinking that this can be expensive or you will have to purchase new equipment, not so says Jason. They can go into most existing systems and add the analytics platform to the cameras. A community will most likely not have to purchase new equipment for it to be compatible with the software.
So what is video analytics? It is a platform that is installed in the camera equipment. The area covered by the camera is then masked. The cameras can distinguish whether it is an animal, a vehicle, or a person entering that area. If someone encroaches in that area, the cameras will detect it and send an event notification. The event notification is sent to the designated individual(s); whether it is the manager, a board member, or an onsite security guard.
The event notification feature gives real time information and allows the parties to receive information as soon as the event is triggered. For example, if your community has surveillance cameras in the pool area and your pool hours are from 9am to 8pm. and someone enters the pool area at 8:30pm, an email is sent to the designated parties. Lets say you wish to search for this event/incident. With this system, you now have the ability to search for this event, rather than spending hours reviewing video footage. Your security team, committee, or property manager can merely type in a certain time frame and it will take them directly to the event within the search criteria.
With the analytics platform, the cameras also become interactive. When there is an event, the command center receives a notification and can see the event occur in real time. The cameras will also be able to identify the location of the event. The guards at the command center, thru a speaker, can communicate with the perpetrator and/or call the police as soon as the incident occurs. This is an extremely effective tool and can prevent a crime from being committed or a tragedy from occurring.
This system can also work in tandem with Kent’s BMX software. BMX is a video tele-entry system. This system allows residents to provide a virtual key, which is a QR Code, for special visitors, such as their landscape crew, a nanny, or a housekeeper. The resident can control who receives them and on which day and time that individual is allowed to come in. Management can then run reports to determine who has received a QR code.
This system can also be used as a Smart Guard; where the camera system and intercom can eliminate the guardhouse position. This can represent a significant savings for many communities. As an alternative, the association can also restructure their budget and perhaps add other security measures, such as a roving patrol. There are a variety of ways in which this system can be implemented. This system also makes it easy to run reports to show when someone gains entry. For communities that have unmanned gates, an LPR (license plate reading) camera and an overview camera can be installed at the entrance to capture and record who is coming in.
For more information on these systems, you may call Jason at 305-815-2789 or email him at [email protected]. You can also visit kentservices.com. As always Allied Property Group is here for your management needs. Don’t forgot to listen to this entire interview on our podcast, Community Association Matters.
