Loomis Documents Cash Handling With Milestone IP Video Management Software
Milestone Systems open platform IP video management software is an important tool for Loomis Denmark to ensure transparency throughout the entire cash services process.
The transport and counting of cash, financial documents and other valuables is a business that demands ongoing attention to security, which is well covered by Milestone XProtect Corporate managing network cameras from Axis and megapixel cameras from IQinVision documenting every detail of the activities.
“For us security has the highest priority, for obvious reasons,” said Loomis risk manager Tom Andersen. “Our customers’ livelihoods are literally in our hands when we carry out our work, so it is therefore vital that there is a strong relationship of trust. And this relates not only to our customers but also just as importantly to our employees, who handle all the assets on a daily basis.”
Loomis uses a number of security measures, where video surveillance plays a big role. Every day over 100 cameras in the Glostrup location and a similar number in the city of Brabrand help to ensure that all procedures and security processes are being upheld. Thereby Loomis makes sure that every instance of cash handling is documented so any eventual irregularity can quickly be resolved.
The surveillance technology is based on Milestone Systems open platform IP video management software, XProtect Corporate, with network cameras from Axis and IQinVision. With just a few clicks, operators can control different cameras at the same time and view the live or archived video from any location. Loomis monitors all the entrances and exits, cash handling areas, receiving and deliveries, in addition to the outer perimeters of their premises.
April 1, 2008 is a day that Loomis will never forget. That night at 3:32 a.m. the police received a robbery alarm from Loomis: a group of men had busted into the cash handling company’s building by breaking a hole through the wall with a telescope laser, and managed to get away with around $11 million. The biggest robbery in the history of Denmark thereby became a reality, despite all of the security measures they had in place at that time. Loomis immediately went to work reviewing all their procedures and systems to improve their security even more.
“Of course the robbery sharpened our focus on security,” Andersen said. “ Our business always has to live with the risk of robberies but we can make it more and more difficult for any attempts by dividing our security elements and defenses into different levels that hinder and delay any criminal efforts so much that the police can manage to arrive and deal with it. One of our important components is the video surveillance, which is also a fantastic tool for the police to use as evidence in their work.”
When the robbery occurred, Loomis had operations at night for cash counting so there were employees present at the time of the incident. Today, Loomis only operates during the day, and another part of the increased defense of the building includes new alarms installed to warn when anyone is even getting near the building from the outside.
Loomis previously had an analog system that became outdated, so after a thorough review of their security needs in collaboration with SmartGuard, a Certified Milestone Partner, it became clear that the open platform IP video solution from Milestone Systems provided all of the right options.
When an employee is hired, they must go through a series of security procedures such as credit and police arrest record checks. Yet, even though Loomis takes all these precautions, it is still necessary to have an extra guaranty of accountability, which the video surveillance ensures.
Today, there are many cameras in the work stations. The zoom functions in the software combined with the megapixel cameras from IQinVision deliver the sharpest images of money bags being opened, and the money counting is monitored from different angles. The video information can be compared with the customers’ records so any eventual differences can be revealed and resolved. This saves time and provides thorough documentation and integrity for the asset management process.
“With the video surveillance we can document that we do our work properly and this strengthens our objective role with our customers,” Andersen said. “The video also helps us ensure things for our employees: should anything questionable come up, we can immediately go back in the recorded video and see that the task was handled correctly.
“The reason that we chose Milestone was precisely because the solution includes an intelligent SmartSearch function that lets us click quickly to the exact date and time for the scanning of a particular money bag and view it. We can also look for an object that’s disappeared simply by marking it in the images. The video monitoring makes it possible for us to live up to our promise of transparency and documentation for our customers. And the Milestone open IP platform also allows us to integrate the system with other innovative solutions over time. This creates a high level of flexibility, and is just one of the ways in which we have future-proofed our business.”