Chicago-area Mall Fights Crime and Safeguards Shoppers

  • Dec 03, 2014

With the National Retail Federation predicting the highest growth in holiday sales since 2011 with a 4 percent increase this year, Axis Communications announced that Chicago-area Stratford Square Mall is relying on Axis network cameras to protect public safety and minimize shoplifting during the holiday shopping season. Even though online sales are also on the rise, the vast majority of shoppers will continue to visit brick and mortar stores for their holiday purchases, making a robust and flexible security system essential. Along with an increase in sales, the holiday season can also bring an increase in merchandise shrink, adding more incentive for mall managers to have eyes throughout the facility.

The mall, which welcomes over 12 million visitors a year, worked with Tinley Park, IL-based IT services company Preferred Communication Systems to install the high definition cameras in 2013 throughout common areas in the 1.3 million square foot facility. While most of the more than 160 retail stores manage their own surveillance needs internally, the IP cameras provide critical support in hallways, play areas and the mall’s exterior. Because the cameras are network based, the mall can quickly and easily add or move cameras when the mall’s layout changes, and the cameras’ durability ensures the mall will have continual access to HDTV-quality video to monitor shopper safety, find lost children and help protect mall assets and combat crime.

“With our system, it’s easy to add more cameras, we have a great response time, and everything runs smoothly,” said Doug Kiehn, general manager, Stratford Square Mall. “We don’t have time for headaches. We don’t have time for downtime. We don’t have time for a camera not working.”

In addition to public safety, the cameras also enable the mall security team to cooperate with specific stores and the local police department in identifying and prosecuting criminals. The security team can pick up suspects on video as they leave the stores and head to the parking lot. They are able to zoom in on faces, tattoos and other identifying marks, which can be seen clearly in the HDTV-quality video. These images are often provided to the local police, who in turn, use them to successfully prosecute cases. They can also connect the local police to live video feeds to increase situational awareness in the event of an emergency.

The mall selected a variety of Axis camera models including the discrete AXIS M3014 Fixed Dome Network Cameras for their drop ceilings and the AXIS P5534 PTZ Dome Network Cameras to cover the entryways into the mall. The cameras’ powerful optical and digital zooms with autofocus and 360° pan allow security personnel to investigate incidents throughout the entire common area of the mall. For the seasonal holiday area where Santa and the Easter Bunny greet children, the mall relies on the wide-angle AXIS P3364-V to cover both the main area and the hallways leading up to it for maximum protection

Featured

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.