Integrated CCTV in garden centres.
Garden centres are notoriously difficult to protect. They are generally sited out of town and as a rule tend to back onto country side. As a result lighting is pretty much non existent and boundaries are easily accessible. Add to this the nature of the stock, easily moved, easily sold and generally quite expensive.
Lots of work going to waste.
Some of the stock can take many months or years to reach a maturity where it can be sold so is very difficult to replace. A major break in at a garden centre especially externally can be a substantial setback to the business. So historically what type of security measures has the industry taken? Well in truth probably less than most businesses that store the majority of their value externally.
CCTV security in garden centres.
CCTV Cameras have always had a duel purpose within garden centres, they act as a deterrent for shoplifters during the day and give added security at night when being used for monitored CCTV. But what about lighting and how do false alarms affect the system on those hot summer evenings after the site is closes? You have plants and trees blowing about in front of the sensors sending an untenable amount of activations through to the central station. To be honest none of these issues have ever really been solved properly. Now however there is a product that will work in all situations and it is starting to become an affordable solution.
FLIR thermal CCTV cameras can now solve the problems of lighting and false alarms when combined with intelligent analytic technology. Now its not cheap but when you consider the on going cost of lighting, increasing light pollution issues and the reliability which means false alarms are essentially eliminated then it does become an attractive prospect. FLIR are confident that within 3-5 years prices will compete easily with high end spec analogue cameras and also the prices of HD and mega pixel IP camera solutions.
Conclusion.
So in conclusion security will always be required at garden centres and now after many years of false dawns a real security solution is on the horizon that could be both affordable, reliable and stable.