Technology at work: ONCE A HOT BURGLARY SPOT, RV LOT IS NOW OFF-LIMITS
Victims of theft often suffer from feelings of violation. Once the crime has been committed, feelings of helplessness on top of being violated tend to drive victims to react to prevent the same act from being repeated.
Earl Stoltzfus, owner of Stoltzfus RV and Marine in West Chester, Pa., knows these feelings well. Over several years, Stoltzfus’ business was routinely burglarized. Adding insult to injury, the burglars typically left a path of destruction in their wake, often severely damaging new, expensive recreational vehicles on Stoltzfus’ lot.
The typical items stolen were plasma televisions that were custom blended into the interior designs, custom-integrated sound systems, and other electronic gadgets that usually were removed by force.
After much frustration, substantial insurance deductibles and huge repair and replacement costs, Stoltzfus decided to contact Unlimited Technology Inc. (UTI), Chester Springs, Pa., a physical and electronic security integration company best known for its global security work with large chemical manufacturers around the world.
UTI is located near Stoltzfus’ business, and once he explained his dilemma, the UTI project team went to work designing a solution that would eliminate the likelihood of continued theft. Stoltzfus wanted assurance that anyone brazen enough to unlawfully enter his property would be met quickly by the local authorities upon activating the security system.
Starting with aerial photographs, UTI recommended centralizing the targeted RVs to one area of the lot. The idea was simple – enclose the vehicles in an area to which potential thieves would be attracted and provide perimeter detection of any attempted intrusion.
The systems integrator recommended recording after-hours activity via alarms on motion sensors. The cameras used to develop the recorded perimeter for intrusion are Panasonic WV-CW374 unitized enclosures.
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UTI employed Vision Systems Pro250 long-range and Pro18 wide-angle passive infrared detectors along with Red Wall Optex LRP5030 motion sensors for wide- and long-dimensional coverage. Passive infrared creates a day/night invisible fence based on motion at any time.
The recording device is an Integral four-channel DVX500. MicroTek M5-ML581000E 5.8 Ghz. wireless video transmitters are used for sending the video from certain areas to the DVR. The system was finished with voice drivers and strobes that audibly alert and deter anyone during initial entry.
A voice dialer also provides the alert for remote viewing of any incident. This can be via dial-up or over a network connection.
Shortly after the system was installed, it withstood the test of an actual incident. Early one Sunday morning, the alarms were tripped and the owners were notified of a possible burglary in progress.
The police were dispatched, and the thieves were apprehended after ripping seven plasma television sets from various RVs on the lot. The alarms were silent at that point, so the thieves went about their business, all the while not knowing the police and the owners were on their way.
They came face-to-face with the owners and the police, a chase ensued, and eventually the get-away vehicle was apprehended with the two suspects and seven plasma units inside. The two men were arrested, and the burglary ring with which they were involved has been largely silenced in the immediate area.
Stoltzfus eventually upgraded the system to further assure the integrity of the lot’s perimeter and provide a very loud, audible deterrent upon forced entry through the perimeter fence and areas where motion detection is installed.
No further incidents have occurred since the theft last summer. The security solution ended up costing slightly less than the insurance deductibles that were paid over a few years of theft.
Sidebar: On the Job
- Panasonic WV-CW374 unitized enclosures
- Vision Systems Pro250 long-range passive infrared detectors
- Pro18 wide-angle passive infrared detectors
- Optex Red Wall LRP5030 motion sensors for wide- and long-dimensional coverage
- Integral Technologies four-channel DVX500 DVR
- MicroTek M5-ML581000E 5.8 Ghz. wireless video transmitters
- United Security Products AD-2001 voice dialer
- Amseco VSD-208 voice siren driver
- Amseco SHX-51SB outdoor siren/strobe combination
Sidebar: Projects in the News
- Two digital video cameras and a digital video recorder helped the racing team MOJO capture first place in the 2005 Offshore Super Series, a highly competitive boat racing league. The custom-built boat that raced in the catamaran outboard category featured an onboard digital video recording system to aid in monitoring races featuring the HTRD400 DVR and cameras from Honeywell. One camera was positioned in the cockpit and a second one at the back end of the boat. The team credits the video technology with their biggest win of the year in Orange Beach, Ala. Because they had studied the video, team members knew how close they could get to other boats and obstacles without crashing, and how the boat would react in the water. Armed with this knowledge, in the last seconds of the race MOJO squeezed between two competitors to finish victorious.
- GE Security’s fire and life safety, explosives trace detection, intrusion, and video equipment and systems were deployed throughout the Torino, Italy, area during the recent Winter Olympics. In the athletes’ village, GE worked with its business partner, Securpoint, to supply GE DP2051 and DP2061 optical smoke sensors and fire control panels. GE’s KSA701 fire control panels, IP-networked to management software with a graphical user interface, monitored the hospitality area, which is to be converted into residences. The equipment will continue to protect visitors and residents in the future.
- The home of James Bond’s production company is being protected by Honeywell Security. The head office of Eon Productions in London will be secured with a Win-Pak Pro proximity access control system, the Fusion DVR and Galaxy intruder alarm that restricts access at the main doors and on each of the building’s six floors. West London Security (WLS) designed, installed and maintains the new security system. In addition to CCTV and an intruder alarm system, WLS specified access control with a dedicated site code and number range.
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