Some are out to steal equipment. Some are just doing it for fun. Whatever the reason, vandals can strike an auto dealership in a matter of minutes and cause thousands in damages.
On a recent Sunday night, four kids broke into a Houston-area car dealership after it had closed and played an expensive game of bumper cars. They managed to gain access to the dealership’s keys, broke into several cars and crashed them into more than 20 vehicles on the lot. The estimated damage was around $800,000. The suspects took off on foot but were eventually caught and arrested, charged with a felony of first-degree criminal mischief.
In California last summer, at least two individuals sprayed a powerful paint thinner on over
100 cars, causing thousands of dollars in damages. Last May, two dealerships in Henrietta, New York also suffered thousands in damages when someone shot out car
windows, as well as the showroom’s windows, with high-powered pellet guns. Fortunately, no one was injured, but customer and employee safety were a big
concern for the owner of the dealership since one of the incidents occurred during the day.
Incidents like these are all too common at auto dealerships across the United States. It stands to reason, since few other businesses keep their expensive inventory on display outside in the parking lot. This presents many unique security challenges.
ECAM’s proactive solutions are customized to help protect these valuable assets. Using a combination of video analytics and human intelligence, trained security operators watch strategically placed surveillance cameras in real time, to catch events as they happen. They can watch key access points, parking lots, showrooms, service lanes and even offices where keys may be stored. As an added benefit, Stealth has a dedicated team of analysts who can search through and review hours of video footage to investigate any issues that may occur, even if they happen during non-monitoring times.
Besides being a nuisance, vandalism can seriously damage your bottom line. In addition to the cost to clean up your property, you could be hit with expensive fees to replace inventory. Live video surveillance can help deter crimes before they happen, for up to 60% less than a traditional on-site security guard.
If you would like more information about Stealth’s proactive video surveillance solutions and how we can help protect your auto dealership, contact us here.
