Self Storage- To catch a Thief

Our security guy just moved us to UniView tec hardware and NVR systems. They are working fine, but not saying you need to change. Here are some features you might check with your supplier on. I love features of this system. However, it is very illogical using it, feels like a programmer versus a user designed.

This is our new facility and we are planning for expansion. The NVR NR12816 is built for 128 channels, we have used about 60. We go with one camera per 6 units. Its a big selling point and the cameras are so cheap now. Another differentiator. Switching our other locations to this as we age out or add.

a. Put a bullet camera over your keypad in/out for a facial shot. Realize the PTI has a pin hole camera built in, I would go with consistent software. Also with this camera, you can both Record/hear the user, and also speak back to them. Again, keeping these functionalities to one system. Make sure you put a sign telling them, they are being recorded visually and vocally.
b. Use a Special license plate camera IPB2447M both coming in and out. Has to be a specifically built camera for License plates. Can see through headlights and taillights and glare. More pixels doesn't matter, it has to be specially built.
c. Motion sensors- by camera IPB436 be able to dial in the "size" of the object to register. At our current setting our Rottweiler doesn't register, but we do. When snow or blowing rain gets close to the lens, it will set off, because it looks large.
d. Motion Sensors- by camera you can highlight areas you want to register. At our front entrance cameras they project out over the road and across the field. We were picking up cars on the highway 200 yards away. Turned off the highlight in that area.  Picture the old game Battle ship on paper.  And crossing out on the Screen areas you "don't" want to tell you about motion.
e. Motion sensors- on another Topic, the person noted they had to look through their cameras to see who moved into a unit without turning in a contract. He spent a lot of time looking over his camera system. Get a system that shows a date and timeline, that shows "orange" highlight anytime there is recorded movement. It makes it a lot easier to review 24 hours of film. We used to have to look for was the rope handle in or out, leaves or grass in front of a door moved, lock broken into or not. A lot easier to look at the orange timeline and just look at those motion logs.
f. Motion sensors- this can be done on any system, just food for thought. My wife gets a ping on her phone every time the front gate opens. She can view all cameras anywhere in the world, even while we are in France/Italy/Belize. We can set the "back" cameras where someone might break in, to send us a motion ping, between the hours of xx to xx.

There is a reason for each of the above items, even with a PTI system. 1. Can you identify them?, 2. Can you find them?, 3. Did they actually go into "that" unit?, 4. Did your NVR memory bank time out, before you knew you had a break in? Without these, your city or county attorney won't prosecute.

One final note on NVR memory. By camera you can set the number of pictures per second. All of our cameras are set at 4 pics per second. The front gate/license plate cameras are set at 10 per second. The NVR memory capacity is determined by its capacity, but also by the number of cameras and the number of pics per second.

4 pics per second sounds like a lot, but it isn't. Did that person really walk into that unit? But they cut the lock and rolled the door up. That's not "entering". Did you catch them "entering"?

Story- Guy rides up on a bicycle (no license). Steals my "low" cameras. Has gloves, long shirt, full head ski mask, Goggles and backpack. Didn't drop anything on the ground. Caught them in one day. Make sure you have the right cameras and lighting.

That reminds me, I have to ask the city attorney to give me my cameras back.

Few other Odd bits of info:

Another note, this is both a surge protector and a battery backup for the camera system.

Below is the latest camera we added for one of our unattended locations.  This is at the entry way.  This camera will be used for many functions:

1.  Motion Sensor.  It will send me a message if someone is at the gate.  This one is turned towards the entrance at the moment.  We will set to send me a signal on my phone from 11 to 7 in the morning.

2.  It has a verifocal lense.  We can zoom the picture in/out and side to side on the NVR recording.  This is different than just enlarging.

3.  Picture or camera definition is measured in Pixels.  The more pixels the higher definition of picture and the more you can enlarge it to get license plates, tattoos, and facial images.  All of our cameras are now 4 meg and cheaper than when we started with 1 meg.  This camera however is a 4 "K" versus 4 meg.  At first you would think a 4K is lower than a 4 Meg; however a 4K is actually 8 megapixels.  This is not a License plate camera, but it achieve most of the features that a license plate camera, but allowing for a wider angle shot than a License plate camera which only covers an area half the size of your front grill on your vehicle.  It has higher definition.  Also it can be zoomed in further.  

*******************************

11/05/2020

It's Okay to cut locks in Missouri!!!!!

Had a customer who we put up for Auction, cut two of our locks off and break the latch.  Our security cameras did a great job, picking up the car license and documenting them breaking in.  Turned everything into the police along with video thumb drive.

General Trespassing and break in notes:

1.  Make sure you have no trespassing signs on your property, otherwise if someone comes on the property who is not a customer, they are not tresspassing.

2.  Make sure in your contract it states once lock out occurs, they have no legal access into the unit until paid.

A.  The person's mother called.  Said the officer stopped by their house.  Said if they didn't straighten out with us before he got off his shift at 4 pm, they would put out a warrant for her daughters arrest.

B.  The mother asked what they could do to correct and I told her nothing.  Its her mature daughters issue to fix.  She said she had not seen her daughter and could not get hold of her.

C.  15 minutes later the daughter or renter calls.  Says what can she do to correct this.  Can she pay.  She has not answered any calls or the Certified letter in the last 1 1/2 months.  Told her the work she has put us through, we would not drop the charges.  She then said she didn't realize it was breaking and entering, since she is from Missouri, and it is okay to cut locks off there.  She did not steal anything from us.  Told her she was stealing the rent.