How Do Solar Surveillance Trailers Deter Crime?

How Mobile Solar Surveillance Trailers Deter Crime

When you're looking to secure a construction jobsite, parking lot, or other commercial facility, security cameras are always an option worth considering.

Modern video surveillance cameras are capable of capturing highly detailed images regardless of weather or lighting conditions, and some can even operate regardless of power or internet availability. 

But in most cases, that's where the value of surveillance cameras ends. Let's be honest: It doesn't take much for experienced criminals to thwart a traditional security camera setup.

All that's required is some form of disguise, and it would be impossible to identify who broke into your property. 

That's why the security industry has evolved its approach to surveillance technology. Passive recording devices are on the decline, being replaced by superior, proactive surveillance platforms. 

Mobile solar surveillance trailers have become an established option for those seeking a security system that is a deterrent to crime rather than just a recording device that provides little more than video evidence. 

Below, we outline how the many unique features of solar surveillance trailers make them the ultimate solution for crime prevention.

Visible Presence

One primary way that a mobile solar surveillance trailer can help deter crime is through its highly visible presence.

Trailers can stand up to 20 feet tall and are often equipped with prominent surveillance cameras and flashing lights.

Alongside the trailer itself, many businesses will install signage indicating that the area is under surveillance as a supplementary presence.

A strong, visible presence is often all that is needed to make criminals think twice. Knowing that they are at risk of being recorded creates a psychological barrier that significantly impacts crime rates.

Statistics that back this theory up include the following:

• Visible security cameras can reduce crime by up to 50% in certain areas, according to the Urban Institute
• A study by the University of North Carolina found that 60% of convicted burglars said they would avoid a property if they saw visible security cameras.

So in a typical deployment scenario, such as at a construction jobsite, placing a mobile solar surveillance trailer at the entrance with visible cameras and warning signs can significantly reduce occurrences of theft and vandalism.

24/7 Continuous Monitoring

A mobile solar surveillance trailer, like standard security cameras, is just a piece of surveillance technology that provides video streams of your sites.

What extends their effectiveness is when the live video streams from a surveillance trailer are monitored in real-time by a team of trained security professionals who monitor sites for suspicious activity.

This constant vigilance reduces the opportunity for criminals to act without being detected, as they know there is always a watchful eye on the premises.

When a mobile solar trailer is equipped with the latest video surveillance camera technology, such as multi-view cameras and wide-angle lens cameras, it delivers comprehensive coverage with minimal blind spots.

This comprehensive coverage ensures that all corners of a property are monitored, leaving no room for criminal activities to go unnoticed.

Again, several compelling statistics speak to the benefit of live video monitoring, including:

• The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that continuous monitoring can reduce property crime rates by up to 30%.
• A study by Rutgers University found that areas with 24/7 surveillance experienced a 20% decrease in crime rates compared to areas without surveillance.

For instance, large-scale public events can benefit from the continuous monitoring a solar surveillance trailer provides, as law enforcement agencies or security personnel can monitor activities in real-time, preventing incidents before they escalate.

However, video monitoring can be imperfect. Imagine trying to continuously monitor several security cameras for activity over a long time period. Fatigue and waning attention spans are likely to result in incidents being missed.

Live monitoring has to be driven by automated intelligence, which brings us to our next key deterrent feature - AI video analytics.

AI Video Analytics for Advanced Detection

Video analytics technology is a software-based solution that can be applied to surveillance cameras to deliver a range of automated functionalities such as motion detection, object detection, classification and more.

Although video analytics is not unique to mobile solar surveillance trailers, and can be applied to most modern security cameras, the solution does play a significant role in enhancing the deterrent factor of a surveillance trailer.

the utilization of video surveillance technology minimizes the requirement to have somebody monitoring your security cameras 24/7. If a suspicious activity is detected, the software will alert the user who can connect to the camera and verify the threat.

This makes the process of detecting criminal events easier and more reliable.

Some of the key stats that attest to the value of video analytics software include:

• Research conducted by the MarketsandMarkets group estimates that the market for video analytics software will grow from  $4.2 billion in 2020 to $11.2 billion by 2025, highlighting the growing adoption of this highly effective technology
• A study published in the International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering found that video analytics reduced false alarms by 90% and improved detection rates by 85%.

A surveillance trailer with video analytics capability deployed at an industrial property would detect an unauthorized intruder in seconds, allowing remote security personnel to take immediate action to mitigate the risk of criminal damage. 

Real Time Response

The delivery of live alarms and alerts from a mobile solar surveillance trailer allows for one of the most important elements of proactive surveillance - a real-time response.

Whenever suspicious activity is detected, the video monitoring team has the ability to dispatch either local law enforcement or a mobile security patrol to intervene.

Being able to respond to a security event can help with both catching criminals in the act or with preventing the crime from occurring at all.

Prevention is always better than cure, and in the case of video surveillance preventing a crime from happening is significantly more valuable than simply recording the event.

A key statistic that highlights the benefit of real-time response states:

• A study by the University of California, Irvine, found that real-time monitoring and alerts can decrease the likelihood of property loss by up to 20%.

For example, on an industrial property, a solar surveillance trailer detects movement in a restricted area during off-hours.

The units send an alert to a mobile security security team, who can quickly assess and respond to the situation, preventing potential theft or property damage.

Security Features: Lights, Alarms, and Voice Address Systems

Reverting to our earlier statement that prevention is always better than cure, a mobile solar surveillance trailer can accommodate a number of enhancements that have a big impact on crime prevention. 

Most trailers can be equipped with additional security features such as lights, speakers, and sirens, all of which contribute to the shock and awe effect of the system's overall security profile.

Just imagine a criminal attempting to break into your property at the dead of night, when suddenly the sky is lit up with flashing blue lights and a live audio warning that they have been detected is issued.

The impact of this is so powerful that it, in our experience, it prevents up to 9 in 10 intrusion attempts. Official studies also indicate the benefits of visual and audio alerts:

• The Journal of Applied Security Research reports that audible alarms can reduce burglary attempts by 60%.
• According to a study by the International Foundation for Protection Officers, flashing lights and audible alarms increase the perceived risk for criminals, thereby reducing criminal activity by 30%.

A typical deployment scenario for this solution is at a construction jobsite. If a person attempts to breach the site, built-in video analytics can alert security personnel, who can activate flashing lights and a loud alarm, causing the intruder to flee.

High-Quality Video Recording

We began with a powerful statement that simply recording video footage is not enough of a deterrent to prevent crime and that the future of video surveillance depends on a proactive approach. 

This is a statement that we wholeheartedly believe in, but we absolutely recognize the benefit of capturing high-quality video evidence of situations that do occur. 

Criminals still consider the power of documented evidence and are aware that their actions in a surveillance area will be forwarded to law enforcement for investigation. 

Video recordings also significantly impact internal theft. Employees who know they are being recorded are less likely to take company property.

The statistics also emphasize the ongoing benefits of recorded video evidence:

• The Police Executive Research Forum reports that video surveillance footage is used in 25% of all criminal investigations.
• The Urban Institute found that high-quality video evidence increases the likelihood of arrest and prosecution by 50%.

So while at WCCTV we live by the motto 'a passive approach to video surveillance only serves to fuel criminality', we can't deny the fact that video evidence is still a valuable part of the overall toolkit of a surveillance trailer.

Summary

Mobile solar surveillance trailers effectively combine several key elements, including visibility, live monitoring, remote response, and the ability to capture reliable video evidence to create the ultimate crime deterrent.

The benefits of solar surveillance trailers aren't limited to crime deterrence. Be sure to explore our other articles, which highlight their environmental benefits and how they help lower overall security spending.

Ready to invest in a security solution that prevents crime, benefits the environment, and helps lower operating costs? Speak to WCCTV today. We have over 20 years of experience providing US-made surveillance trailers.