All the protests and calls for defunding the police resulting from the deaths of people in police custody have led to criminal justice reform policies. Unfortunately, it may have led to more problems than solutions according to the NICB Informer publication. Another problem that’s leading to concerns about police response to crimes is the shortage of police officers. Many police departments have seen their resources cut and their workforce shrinking.
With all the social justice concerns, it’s understandable that fewer people are signing up for law enforcement careers. To make matters more challenging, some cities have instituted a no-response policy. This means the police will not respond to emergencies unless it’s life-threatening.
It’s a serious problem that has some cities experiencing the worst crime in decades. One major city has experienced negative effects of criminal justice reform.
How One City’s Changes Have Affected Crime
Many states have passed laws that prevent law enforcement from doing high-speed pursuits. Some crimes have reduced punishment to prevent overcrowding in jails and to focus on more life-threatening crimes. This is what’s happening in Austin, Texas. The Austin Police Department has stopped responding to non-life threatening 911 calls.
Auto theft is one of them because it’s not a violent crime. Therefore, vehicles in commercial properties and multifamily residential properties are at risk for smash-and-grab, catalytic converter, or auto theft. Cities are working to take steps to minimize police interactions with citizens.
Texas Scorecard reveals the Austin police will no longer answer the following types of calls. The only exception is if there is a threat.
- Attempted property theft.
- Burglary including vehicles, commercial buildings, and residence.
- Car accidents as long as there are no injuries or tow required.
- Verbal disturbances.
- Suspicious people and vehicles.
If someone calls 911 about any of these, they will be redirected to 311. The article confirms these actions are the result of severe staffing shortages and police defunding. The City Council voted to defund the police department by up to $150 million, which is one-third of the budget. In response, the police department has dissolved its units focused on family violence safety and stalking, DWI, and criminal interdiction.
What is the outcome of these actions? The city saw the highest number of murders in a one-year period in its history. The city has been tracking this data since 1960. The problem is so dire that Texas Legislature approved a law to punish city governments for defunding the police.
Changing How Police Respond to 911 Calls
The Heartland Daily News quotes David Muhammad, executive director of The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, as saying emergency calls have been revised in the cities of Seattle, Washington and Berkeley, California. Muhammad says that 40% to 60% of 911 calls do not require the police to respond.
The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform analyzed over 1 million 911 calls in Seattle. They found 80% of the calls were for non-criminal events and only 6% involved felonies. As a result, Seattle transferred 911 calls to an independent Community Safety and Communications Center. Examples of calls being transferred include low-level welfare checks, mental health issues, and person-down.
Eugene, Oregon has created a program called Crisis Assistance Helping Out On the Streets (CAHOOTS) to dispatch calls to an emergency response team. This team includes a medic and an experienced crisis worker. There is no police involvement in CAHOOTS. In 2014, CAHOOTS took almost 10,000 calls. In 2021, they addressed over 16,000 calls according to the Eugene Police Department. The program handles about 3 to 8% of the calls that would have previously gone to the police.
Los Angeles Police is also working to offload calls to unarmed service providers per a Los Angeles Magazine article. These include non-violent mental health situations, panhandling, noise complaints, welfare checks, and quality-of-life concerns such as illegal fireworks.
Advocacy organizations have been requesting the police stop responding to mental health calls and traffic violations. They believe the handling of these situations by the police tends to be counterproductive or end in death.
Moreover, the Los Angeles City Council voted to reduce police hiring. This brought the officer count below 10,000. Additionally, the department is struggling to attract new recruits. The departure rate is 20% higher than the norm, states the Los Angeles Times.
The shortage of experienced police officers is so dire that the Los Angeles police is asking its retirees to come back. Portland, Oregon, is also doing the same thing in trying to bring back retired officers to supplement their lowest staffing levels in almost 30 years.
Meanwhile, the Salem Police Department is budgeted for 193 sworn officers. They’re down to 180 according to the Statesman Journal. They actually need more than 193 officers as an independent audit and a review of staffing led to the recommendation of 60 to 80 additional staff to be able to support the calls the Salem Police receives.
The city is seeing an increase in homicides and aggravated assaults. Based on news reports, it’s not realistic to expect the city to come up with the budget to support the training and hiring of more officers. Salem Councilor would like to implement a program like Eugene’s CAHOOTS but has not been able to get a vote to support a proposal or funding.
What do all these changes mean for commercial buildings and multifamily residential properties? The changes in police staffing and what they’ll respond to indicate that companies need to invest in security and safety if they want to protect their businesses and residents. Besides, security and safety play a critical role in marketing, resident and tenant retention strategy, and property reputation.
Security Guards Cannot Fill the Gap
Security guards have even fewer things they can do to address a crime in progress or a problematic situation. Some security guards cannot chase suspects. Additionally, many states have laws that prohibit security guards from having a gun on the job. The requirements for security guard training also vary by state as some states don’t even require training. The training security guards receive is almost nonexistent compared to the training for law enforcement officers.
For security guards to have their eyes across an entire commercial building or multifamily residential property would require hiring more guards. The cost of guards multiplies with every addition, making it potentially cost-prohibitive. Some security guards have been arrested for injuring or killing a bystander. They can and have been held liable.
How Video Surveillance with Remote Monitoring Can Fill the Gap
Because of their multiple built-in layers of security, companies are opting for security technologies like video surveillance with remote monitoring. The advantage video cameras with virtual monitoring have over security guards and traditional alarm systems is that trained human monitoring operators can handle any situation because their lives are never at risk. The operators are not located on your property.
In the most effective video security systems, human operators don’t work alone. They work with video analytics, which is a technology that scans the scene for potential matches of pre-programmed scenarios. Whenever it spots a match, it alerts the monitoring operator who can investigate and respond.
As previously stated, remote video surveillance comes with multiple layers of security. The appearance of cameras can be a deterrent. If the suspect does not turn around and leave, then the monitoring operator can issue a warning over an on-site speaker. They can follow the intruders and adhere to the security plan for stopping them.
If the intruders don’t stop what they’re doing, then the monitoring operator can call emergency personnel to get law enforcement sent to the business or multifamily residential property. The monitoring operators can describe what’s happening and provide identifying information while tracking the suspects. Unlike security guards, security cameras with video analytics and trained monitoring operators can watch over the entire property all at once.
Video surveillance with remote monitoring delivers more benefits in addition to preventing crime. They can help with liability claims and find opportunities for improving operations. Liability cases are hard to win without evidence. Thanks to the video recordings, you’ll have evidence you need to show that your business isn’t liable.
Unlike security guards, security cameras with remote monitoring can help decrease liability. This is because there are multiple layers built in including video recordings, human monitoring and response, analytics, and more.
While you could try to have your employees manage video surveillance, it could prove difficult because they have everyday responsibilities requiring their attention. They’re also not trained to know how to watch for problems and react. While it’s critical for all employees to receive security training, it’s not professional-grade training. The purpose of employee training is to prevent them from creating a security hole and know what to do in an emergency.
When you work with the right video surveillance company, the technology plus monitoring costs far less than you think. Working with a professional monitoring company can result in an ROI within months.
How to Get Started with Video Surveillance with Remote Monitoring
The way video surveillance with remote monitoring works is that a security company designs a system and installs high-definition video security cameras around the property for maximum views. The use of high-definition security cameras can help ensure the footage captures identifying information that can lead to solving the case.
ECAM can help commercial properties and multifamily residential communities with live remote video monitoring. The trained security operators are monitoring cameras and may use a speaker warning system to avert crime and unwanted activity in real-time. Audio voice-down communications could provide instant preventive against criminal activities as intruders will know they’ve been caught.
Every industry has different remote video surveillance requirements. Be sure you look for a company with experience in your industry. It’ll increase your choices of optimizing your investment to result in a fast ROI.
To learn more about video surveillance with remote monitoring, pick up Security Systems 101 guide. Please feel free to contact us with your questions.
Texas Private Security License Number: B14187.
