If you own or manage a retail store of any type, you know well about the threats you face on a daily basis. Internal loss and employee theft, armed robbery, break-ins, organized theft, vandalism and more ... are all very real threats that unfortunately become a reality for many retail stores across Western Canada. 

For high-end retailers, stocking and selling valuable inventory such as gold, jewelry, collectibles, and electronics, the risks and potential loss are even greater. Although it might be tempting, especially for new stores, to go with the cheapest off-the-shelf CCTV security option, this could lead to immeasurable losses in the long run - especially in the case of violent armed robbery that could compromise you and your employees’ safety.

The Cheapest Option

While installing a couple of CCTV cameras on your premises seems like a good solution, it is not ideal.  CCTV cameras that just record the comings and goings of store traffic are not a deterrent for theft, nor are they a serious security system designed to protect the safety of employees. 

In the event of a robbery, theft, or vandalism,  CCTV won’t do much to stop the crime from occurring. Criminals are becoming smarter and smarter, they have ways to bypass this kind of security ranging from disguising their identity to modifying/damaging the CCTV cameras. Many will even know how to break in without being caught on the cameras at all.

Another downfall of traditional/basic security is false alarms. False alarms happen all the time with conventional alarm systems and as a store owner, they leave you with a difficult decision to make:  Do you dispatch police immediately and possibly incur a false alarm fee? Or, do you check on your business first to make sure it's a real break in? By the time you get there it may  already be too late.  A staggering 94% of all alarm activations are false, and there are so many municipal bylaws in place that can impose fines on you, if you're a frequent offender. There are also many police departments that no longer even respond to conventional unverified alarms.

So what type of security solution does a retail store need?

The ideal solution for a retail business involves a number of elements that are integrated into an all-encompassing solution tailored to the specific needs of the store. This solution would take into account store layout, building type, location, number of employees, and type of inventory.

Sonitrol Western Canada specializes in these types of custom security solutions for the retail industry. What is needed is a CCTV camera system with a fully integrated verified alarm system, that can monitor all aspects of the store, with complete audio and video surveillance, door alarms, access control, and panic buttons. Sonitrol verified alarms take the guesswork out of alarms and garners a fast police response with an average time of only 3.5 minutes.

How do these elements come together to protect your store?

Verified Alarms

A Sonitrol verified alarm using the latest audio & video technology can provide 100% coverage of your business, allowing our operators to be able to hear and see what's happening in your business, often before criminals gain entry. This integrated technology allows us to relay real-time information to responding officers.  If there is a false alarm, we reset the system without bothering you or the police.

Audio Surveillance

With our unique audio alarm system, we can listen to break-ins as they occur.  Our highly sensitive audio sensors will detect a break-in from any point of entry, roof or wall, and identify any abnormal activity occurring in your business, activating our alarm at our monitoring station where expert operator’s will listen-in to determine whether a break-in is really occurring.

Access Control/Keyless Entry

While traditional keys pose a threat to your store’s security (keys can be lost, stolen, copied, and locks can be picked) a keyless entry not only can eliminate the majority of these concerns  but also provide you with the option to manage which employees have access to which areas of your store. If you are a high-end store with rare or valuable inventory, this allows you to further secure areas where this inventory is stored.

SonaVision

If a criminal is detected entering a secure area, push video technology immediately sends video through to our operators to view. The operator can then verify the break-in and will immediately dispatch the police. And your own supervisors can use SonaVision to remotely manage operations at your store in Western Canada, from anywhere in the world.

Sonitrol Western Canada, is an industry leader in customized, state-of-the-art verified electronic security solutions for retail stores. Police have always considered verified CCTV video / audio technology much better than conventional security solutions because of the low false alarm rate and high apprehension rate. These are significant benefits of a Sonitrol alarm system as well as: wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling protection, early detection and alarm verification, critical information for responding Police, and detection of conventional and unconventional break-ins. Deterrence of break ins should be your goal and criminals know how successful Sonitrol Verified Systems are at detecting break-ins and the fast police response they garner.... So criminals will most likely not even attempt a break in to a Sonitrol protect site... There are too many less risky sites to break into. Deterrence of a break in should be your goal... Go with Sonitrol.