Secom captures a total image of thefts

Digital camera technology installed by Secom plc gives a major oil company the upper hand against filling station customers who drive off without paying.

In a prototype CCTV upgrade on a busy Surrey forecourt, Secom provided cameras and recording equipment that ensure a clear view of activity at all pumps - and especially of vehicle registration plates.

After successful trials, the Secom solution is now being rolled out to other sites.

Patrick Howley, Property Services Manager for Total UK, says drive-offs are an ongoing problem for petrol retailers.

He says: "It is a constant battle to keep ahead of the criminal element".

"All our 500 sites have CCTV installations and we have to keep the equipment up to date".

"We are now looking at a rolling security upgrade programme, using the latest technology, targeting about 30 key sites over the next 12 months".

Terry Simmons, Secom National Accounts Executive, says: "Many petrol station operators are unable to pursue drive-offs through the courts because older CCTV technology does not always provide a sufficiently high quality of evidence".

"The system we proposed for Total UK is designed to provide top quality images that could lead to significantly more prosecutions".

The Secom solution is based on Megapixel technology, which gives a clearer image than traditional 'scanning' CCTV cameras.

Terry Simmons says: "The new cameras are rated at 3 Megapixels, and they are able to cover all activity - and number plates - at up to four pumps simultaneously".

"The cameras are fitted with day/night lenses and are linked to large capacity hybrid digital video recording equipment," he says.

Within weeks of installation at the Surrey site, says Patrick Howley, the Secom solution and new warning signs produced a significant improvement in drive-offs".

""We'd had a number of problems at this site, and the CCTV system previously installed was not adequate".

"One of the issues was that you could read registration numbers when the image was 'live', but not when it had been recorded".

"The new Secom system produces a much higher image quality before and after recording, so it is potentially a much stronger deterrent - and it provides valuable evidence to support any subsequent proceedings".

"It is achieving everything we wanted, and we are now going ahead with plans to roll out the solution at other sites".

Secom plc installs innovative tailored security solutions for commercial, public sector and domestic customers throughout the UK.

Its ongoing quality service includes 24-hour monitoring of intruder and fire alarms, and video surveillance systems.

Secom plc is the UK arm of a major global electronic security group, established in the 1960s.

The group operates in 12 countries and its 47,000 employees serve two million customers.

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