CCTV Security Audio Warnings Received Loud And Clear

By Farsight Security
11 Mar 2021 5 min read

 

In February 2021 Farsight CCTV operators issued 7,088 CCTV security audio deterrent warnings nationwide – a 2.3% increase from January. Our remote monitoring team escalated 769 incidents to blue light emergency services resulting in twice the number of arrests made in January.

As the country remains in the grip of the lockdown, Farsight has seen a continued spike in groups of young people meeting in restricted areas such as construction sites, industrial estates and even empty school grounds to avoid being seen in public spaces (and the potential fines for being in breach of lockdown rules).

With an increase of 50% in intrusions during lockdown alone, construction sites have been blighted with the constant threat of trespass, plant theft, criminal damage and even arson which cost  £400 million a year according to the Chartered Institute of Building.  That’s without the addition of so called ‘urban explorers’ trespassing on private sites to perform their reckless stunts on scaffolding, cranes and site equipment – which can be dangerous places to play around in.

More sinister that that though, we have seen continued escalations in criminal incidents and theft attempts by organised gangs.  In particular, a barrage of catalytic converter and LED headlight theft attempts from car showroom forecourts across the UK, a surge in UK farm intruder incidents and a spike in pallet theft attempts at industrial estates up and down the country. Read more about the trends we are seeing as a leading remote monitoring security provider below:

What are live CCTV security audio deterrent warnings?

Security Audio

 

Audio warnings are announcements made via a site’s security system. These announcements can be heard at the site but are issued by security operators based away from the site, normally at a remote monitoring station. 

CCTV camera

The CCTV security audio deterrent warning process:

  1. A security detector installed at a site detects unusual activity.
  2. The CCTV cameras will start to record footage.
  3. This footage is then sent to the remote monitoring station where the security operator will review it.
  4. The security operator will work to identify the cause of the alarm and at the same time start to monitor live footage from the CCTV cameras.
  5. If the operator sees an unauthorised individual at the site they will speak into a microphone.
  6. The operator will say a warning into the microphone, which is transmitted live to the site.
  7. The intruder will hear the announcement.

It’s important to note that, in this case, the audio warning is a live announcement:

The announcement is made in reaction to an alarm and it is not pre-recorded. A live announcement makes the intruder aware that they are being monitored live and that the police will be notified if necessary.

What is said in a CCTV security audio warning?

Because we only ever issue live audio warnings here at Farsight, we are able to tailor them to the situation.

Our standard audio warning is:

<<Your attention please, this is a security announcement. You’re being monitored on live CCTV. This is private property, please leave now or further action will be taken>>

An audio warning, in the majority of cases, will deter the intruder and return the site to full security again.

See how audio warnings work in this video:

 

Why are CCTV security audio warnings so important?

Audio warnings make security a preventative solution. Without audio warnings, CCTV footage would simply be recorded and reviewed retrospectively – after the damage has been caused.

Audio warnings will deter intruders from a site – they will become aware that they have been spotted and that the CCTV footage could be used in evidence. Not only that but they will be aware that the police will be notified if the situation escalates. As a result, thousands of pounds could potentially be saved, which could have been lost due to damage and theft by the intruder.

Security operators will issue an audio warning rapidly. Security operators are trained to react quickly, according to a response agreement.

Do CCTV security audio warnings actually work as a deterrent to intruders?

Between Jan – Dec 2020 the Farsight CCTV operators issued a whopping 119,901 audio deterrent warnings and escalated 9,950 incidents to blue light services and keyholders.  Of course, not all sites monitored by CCTV have audio systems included, but where these are present, a high percentage of incidents are deterred before they can progress with audio warnings.

In some cases, however, brazen intruders can remain on the site despite audio warnings from our security operators. It’s in these incidences that we see the importance of  CCTV remote monitoring beyond giving audio warnings.

If an intruder does remain on site security operators will continue with the site’s agreed response plan. This may include contacting key holder’s to make them aware of the situation and calling the police alerting them to the intrusion. This process is carried out with the upmost urgency in real time, demonstrating proactive security at its very best giving site owners complete transparency and peace of mind that their security is in safe hands with Farsight…

 

Let’s Talk about improving your business security

If you want peace of mind that your property, people and assets are being protected by proactively preventing incidents – we can help. Or if you are an installer looking to partner with us, we would love to speak.

Our remote monitoring experts are on hand to answer your queries and tell you about our cost effective remote monitoring packages, simply complete the contact form below. Alternatively, feel free to give us a no obligation call on 0845 371 0101 or you can request a call back.


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