Learn how remote, mobile video surveillance can maximize safety, security, and sales at your automotive dealership.
Auto dealerships. It doesn’t matter whether they sell new or used, carry Ford or Chevy, have 50 cars or 200, they all have the same basic layout: a small- to medium-sized building surrounded by an oversized parking lot filled with row after row of for-sale vehicles.
All dealerships also have the same basic problem: a very large open space filled with hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of dollars’ worth of merchandise left out exposed. The same layout that is so convenient for dealerships and customers is also all too convenient for thieves and vandals.
Even if it were feasible to hire a large security team to patrol the car lot constantly, security guards would still be vulnerable to frequent blind spots with such a large area to cover.
Enter the mobile security unit, the car dealership security solution that can provide a 24/7 comprehensive overview of your entire outdoor inventory. Properly placed, mobile security units can help you to prevent and prosecute criminal activity in a way that is both timely and cost effective.
Cameras have been a regular part of security systems for decades, but—until recently—their role has been to help with crime only after the crime had already been committed. Limited by the technology of the time, cameras recorded video footage that could only be retrieved onsite later.
With the evolution of the cloud and artificial intelligence, the role of security cameras has been able to move from reactive to proactive.
With the right cameras and connectivity, you can livestream video footage and receive alerts whenever things aren’t as they should be. LVT’s advanced detection allows you to set perimeters and specifications that will notify you as soon as something goes amiss on the property. Unlike simple motion detection, advanced detection can differentiate between animals, objects, and people.
Proactive monitoring allows you to take immediate action when something isn’t as it should be. These instant alerts enable you to immediately contact law enforcement, which responds significantly faster to a crime in progress than one already committed. In the case of LVT Units, you also have the option to activate loudspeakers and flashing lights, warning wrongdoers away before they do any serious damage.
Video surveillance doesn’t take a coffee break, doesn’t get sleepy or bored, and can see everything at once. With the right technology, cameras can even see in the dark using infrared or thermal imaging. Integrate advanced detection with the video surveillance and the tool becomes even more powerful, pinpointing suspicious activity while ignoring irrelevant movement such as stray animals or wind-blown branches.
With acres of valuable merchandise at stake, this comprehensive, unblinking tool makes all the difference when it comes to auto dealership security.
Mobile security units offer a number of benefits, ranging from their flexibility to their visibility.
Flexibility
As inventory regularly comes and goes, car lots are constantly changing. It makes sense to have a security solution that can adjust just as quickly. Mobile security units are—as their name implies—mobile, able to be relocated as needed for a better vantage point.
Scalability
LVT Units and the LVT Platform are designed to be easily scalable, able to grow with your business as operations expand at your current lot or with the addition of any new lots.
Connectivity
Completely self-contained, LVT Units are equipped with solar panels and cellular connectivity. As they don’t have any external wiring or need for outside utilities, these mobile security units do not require any costly infrastructure additions to your property.
Using the LVT mobile app, you can access your live video footage and alerts anytime, anywhere. Thanks to its connection to the cloud, the LVT Platform also gives you access to your archived footage from anywhere with an internet connection.
Visibility
While able to fit within a single standard-sized parking stall, LVT Units large with towering camera mounts and flashing lights. There’s nothing subtle about them, but, according to the Loss Prevention Research Council, that’s a very good thing: people are significantly less likely to commit a crime if they can see a security measure, get that its purpose is to stop crime, and fear the consequence of following through with any wrongdoing. (Consequently, this frame of mind is called See-Get-Fear.)
With the option to deck LVT Units in law enforcement coloring and equip them with flashing lights and loudspeakers, these mobile security units fit the See-Get-Fear model perfectly, effectively deterring crime at a much higher rate than traditional cameras.
Configurability
Each LVT Unit can be equipped with up to three cameras, with camera options ranging from pan-tilt-zoom cameras to panoramic cameras to bullet cameras. Each camera comes with its own set of strengths, allowing you to choose a configuration that would help you best protect your inventory.
In addition to avoiding the cost of a multi-person security crew patrolling your lot at night, mobile security units offer a number of cost-effective benefits that could make all the difference when it comes to automotive dealership security.
The Cost of Crime
While it may be obvious, it’s worth pointing out that each time a mobile security unit deters a wrongdoer, it saves the cost of the car protected from vandalism or theft. With cars typically being worth anywhere from $6,000 to $100,000 each, this is no small number to ignore.
In those instances where a crime is still committed, video evidence can potentially lead to the recovery of vehicles and the prosecution of wrongdoers to stop them from committing future crimes against your dealership.
Insurance Savings
Auto dealerships with robust security measures, such as video surveillance systems, are often able to save on insurance costs as they are seen as a lower risk than those without security measures.
No Infrastructure Needs
Each LVT mobile security unit is completely self-sufficient. This means you don’t need to install costly infrastructure for power needs as each unit has solar panels. You don’t even need Wi-Fi accessible for the cloud connectivity as the units use cellular connections. Avoiding those costly start-up fees can make a world of difference as you are trying to configure your system in a way that works best for you.
Another bonus to the lack of infrastructure needs: You can try an LVT demo at any time without any costly commitments. Ready to learn more about LVT as a company? Visit our site for more information.
A Safer Image
A recent survey showed that the presence of an LVT Unit increased feelings of safety and security in both employees and customers. These feelings of safety and security encourage repeat customers and a better environment all around, strengthening your business on every front.
When customers or employees witness a crime at a place of business, it forever alters the way they see that business, often causing a dramatic loss in patronage. By deterring wrongdoers with obvious security measures, you save the cost of the wrongdoing and the even more expensive cost of a damaged reputation.
