Property damage caused by the homeless population is a major problem in most major cities. It is a problem that plagues business owners and property owners.  

Chronic homelessness is a complex problem and is mainly the result of drug addiction. Most people who live on the streets do so as a choice because it provides them the easiest access to continue to live their lives as drug addicts. They commit crimes and rarely face consequences because in most cases, trying to find and prosecute them is a waste of time for business owners.  Even if a homeless person is found, arrested, prosecuted, and incarcerated, they will likely be back on the streets in a matter of days and can continue the same behavior as before.  

As fellow business owners and owners of commercial properties in areas with homeless populations we have also been impacted by this issue and it is something we are passionate about.  We fully understand that our solutions will not "solve" the problem of homelessness. That is not our goal or intent.  Our goal is to drive the homeless population from a specific geographic location and move the homeless people causing property damage or loss of business to a different location.  We have developed ways to make it uncomfortable for people to loiter, sleep, or commit crimes near our surveillance solutions. We do this using a variety of techniques including the options listed below.

1. Lights - We used flood lights, strobe lights, and movement tracking laser lights to deter people from coming into a predefined area

2. Audio - There are a variety of auditory based techniques that we deploy to deter people from staying in an area. These can include playing annoying sounds, playing operatic or classical music over and over, playing high pitched frequencies, or just playing audio warnings.  

3. Smell - Our trailers can deploy noxious scents at specific intervals or on demand to deter activity in an area. These scents are highly effective at clearing people from an area. We can also deploy tear gas or pepper spray from a remote controlled apparatus to stop crimes in progress. 

4. Live guards - most major metro areas have guard companies that are experienced with removing homeless people from properties.  We work with these companies to provide onsite security.

In difficult cases, we have to use multiple methods over a period of several months to clean up an area and change the habits and patterns people involved with illegal activity in an area.  We use a systematic approach to make an area an uncomfortable area to inhabit and then we consistently keep this pressure on an area until the problem resolves.  

If your property is experiencing vandalism or other problems due to homeless people, contact us today to learn how we can help. 

• Section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019 prohibits federal agencies and their contractors or grant recipients from procuring video surveillance and other telecommunications equipment from several named Chinese manufacturers. 
• The Trade Agreements Act (TAA) regulates that several technical products and services (including hardware and software products and services) be manufactured or substantially transformed in the U.S. or a TAA-approved country.             
The big take away here is that the NDAA applies to federal government agencies and their contractors.  Many sources falsely claim that the NDAA bans all cameras made in China.  There are several well known and reputable Chinese companies that produce NDAA compliant cameras. The 2 main camera manufacturers that are prohibited under the NDAA are Hikvision and Dahua.  This is largely because these companies are linked to the CCP. 







Before the NDAA was enacted, Hikvision was the largest camera manufacturer in the world.  While the NDAA has damaged Dahua and Hikvision's  reputation and revenue, these companies still remain among the most widely used cameras in the world for 1 simple reason:  Their products are arguably the best value with a good combination of high quality and low price.  


GoView takes a balanced approach to this subject. We understand that there are organizations that cannot and should not use products made by a country openly hostile to the USA. For this reason we produce fully NDAA and TAA compliant systems for federal government use. We also understand most organizations are not governed by the NDAA or TAA and as such can choose their suppliers based on best value, lowest cost, highest quality, or any design parameters they choose. Many companies, local governments, state governments, and other organizations have chosen to use NDAA standards when purchasing surveillance technology.  We fully support this choice and we have many products that still provide an excellent value and are NDAA compliant.   


It is always important to look at the motivation behind scare tactics which is usually to influence your purchasing decisions. Here are 2 questions to consider when it comes to choosing a surveillance camera for your project.  These points assume you are not required by law to use NDAA or TAA cameras (98% of organizations worldwide)


1. Is your reasoning for purchasing an NDAA compliant system based on your concern about network safety or information security?  In most cases the GoView surveillance system runs 100% independent of your network.  The security cameras are on a private LTE connection and are not using your company network.  Further more we "airlock" the cameras on a separate ethernet port that is only accessible from the server on the trailer and the cameras are not accessible from the internet. This means that no data is being transmitted from the camera to the internet and there is no way to access the camera remotely except through the main server on the surveillance system.
                  
2. Is your reasoning philosophical or because you do not want your dollars supporting a geopolitical adversary? We respect and support this decision criteria. Due to the interconnected nature of economies and technology it can be very challenging to consistently apply this policy.  To be consistent you would also likely need to narrow your search to just TAA approved cameras, which is a much smaller list. As an example: Axis cameras, which are the typical go-to camera for the federal government, still uses parts made in non TAA countries and as such only some of their products are fully NDAA and TAA compliant. To purchase fully TAA compliant cameras, you would be limited to about 10% of the camera models currently in production.

3 Main Types of Battery Technology

Depth of Discharge (DoD)

When you start discharging a battery beyond a specific limit, it begins to suffer damage. Depth of discharge measures the percentage of the initial charge that can safely be discharged without causing harm.

Lithium Batteries

Modern lithium-ion batteries have a depth of discharge of 98%. So you can discharge almost the entire charge without damaging the unit. This provides optimal conditions for use with most of the stored power available.

AGM and Gel Batteries

Like other lead-acid batteries, the depth of discharge is about 80% when new and 50% when older. This makes them less competitive compared to lithium-ion batteries.

Winner: Lithium-ion batteries have the highest depth of discharge and a longer operating time.

Introduction:

Educational institutions face big challenges when it comes to protecting students and faculty. In today's fast changing world this has become an utmost priority.  Violence at our places of learning has unfortunately reached crisis levels and needs all of our available resources to reduce the threat.  In this climate, mobile towers have emerged as a game changing technology that have been proven to reduce violent crime and property crime. This provide a safer environment for students, staff, and visitors. 

Mobile surveillance units or towers have an imposing presence. This acts as a strong deterrent for would be criminals.  With 24/7 monitoring and the ability to rapidly deploy to hot spots, this sends a strong signal to all stake holders that safety and security are important. These units will absolutely not go unnoticed and just the presence of a unit can be a strong crime deterrent. Flashing lights, audio warnings, and other active measures ensure that security is bolstered. 

These systems can function autonomously or be integrated into an existing campus surveillance network.  They are highly flexible in configuration and can power up to 6 cameras covering many viewing angles. LTE communications allow remote access for live streaming and 2 way communication over a loud speaker. Additionally, these units can also be used for access control at remote gates and entrances that require additional security effectively becoming a virtual command center. 

Perhaps one of the biggest advantages is the cost effectiveness. When compared to hiring additional security staff or building permanent structures, mobile units provide a clear cost benefit and fast return on investment (ROI).  They are scalable and additional units can be quickly added to adapt to changing security needs. 

These units increase trust in the community and show students and staff that their well-being is prioritized. This also encourages stake holders to be vigilant and fosters an encouraging environment where the campus and its constituents collaborate to improve security.

Conclusions:

Incorporating mobile surveillance towers into campus security measures can revolutionize how we protect our educational institutions. Their enhanced deterrence, flexibility, and advanced security measures create a safer environment for students, faculty, and visitors. By investing in these innovative solutions, educational institutions send a clear message that safety remains a top priority, fostering a conducive learning and working environment for all. Let us embrace these transformative technologies and pave the way for safer campuses of tomorrow.

Determining the ROI on security system has always been a difficult thing to estimate.  It usually involves looking at average losses over a long period of time and then trying to estimate the impact of capital expenditures on security equipment and measures.  Understanding the ROI of expenditures rightly involves understanding the numbers but there are intangibles that also must be understood. 

Studies have shown that when a mobile surveillance trailer is placed in the parking lot of a retail store, that losses due to theft in the store decrease.  While it is not fully understood why, the fact remains. 

To gain a better understanding an independent study was recently commissioned by the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC).  Over a 6 month period, mobile surveillance trailers were placed in 2 cities that previously had never had any similar units. The 2 cities were Opeilka, AL and Paducah KY.  No offense but we had never heard of them either.  The study wanted to see how effective the units were in curbing crime over a 6 month period.

Here are the results:

OPEILKA, ALABAMA

System health monitoring can mean many things. At GoView we define this as the ability to see the status of all devices at all times, unified under a single dashboard. Also you need to have the ability to create alarms and be alerted when any of these devices experiences trouble.  

We recently spoke to a security guard company that owned 80 plus surveillance trailers from 3 different manufacturers.  He did not have any way to see the status of each unit remotely other than checking to see if they could connect to the video streams.  As such he had one employ whose responsibility it was to check every system on a daily basis. He also had a storage shed full of backup generators that he would take around during stormy weather to provide backup power to his systems.  This is why system health and status monitoring is critical to being able to scale your mobile surveillance operations.  GoView provides our platform to both end users and companies that have an existing fleet of trailers. 

Here are the major systems on a mobile surveillance trailer that should be monitored to ensure the overall system is healthy and stable:

POWER CORE (SOLAR CHARGING AND BATTERIES)

The core of any mobile surveillance system is the ability to generate power from sunlight and store this energy in batteries. This power is sent through a solar charge controller which regulates this power and efficiently charges the batteries while providing stable power to all the other devices known as "electrical loads"  Modern systems should use an MPPT (maximum power point tracking) solar charge controller sized properly for the wattage of the solar array and anticipated loads. The solar charge controller tracks, stores, and displays data in real time such as the battery voltage, state of charge for batteries, battery temperature, current and power generated by the solar array, charging status, and the current flowing to the loads on the system.  This fluctuates widely from day to day and without the batteries the system would not be reliable.  The batteries smooth out the energy flow and allow the system to function continuously.  Probably the most important variable to read from this system is the battery voltage.  If voltage drops below a preset point, the system will power down the devices. By monitoring solar data trends providers can have an early warning if systems are getting low and can take preventative or corrective measures before there is a lapse in protection.

NETWORK

The network is the next most vital part of the system.  This is your remote link to the trailer. If the network signal is weak or you have exceeded your monthly data allotment then you may lose your connection to your cameras. While the system could still continue to function, the ability for a live human to respond to the system would be compromised.  Network health monitoring helps to diagnose and resolve potential issues. GoView will be notified in the event of a network outage and can take immediate corrective actions such as rebooting the LTE modem or switching service providers.

GPS

All GoView system have integrated GPS tracking. This is helpful in visualizing the location of your fleet and also has a more practical security purpose.  When a system is deployed, you can create alerts to warn you of unauthorized movement.  When a deployed system is moved it will also need to be re programmed for proper intrusion zones and analytics so being alerted to when units are moved is an important function provided by GoView Status.  

NETWORK CLIENTS (CAMERAS, SERVER, RELAYS)

Last but not least is the surveillance equipment such as cameras, relays, lights, loudspeaker, and server.  Any network attached device can and should be monitored. If a device goes offline, GoView is immediately notified and we can begin to take steps to restore service.  We utilize self healing PoE switches which power cycle individual ports automatically when a device loses connection. This resolves most common errors with cameras.  We can also remotely reboot video recording systems and test audio/visual device.  

All devices are summarized and displayed at our network operations center.  Don't allow yourself or your organization to be part of a horror story where you have a security breach while your systems were down.  Contact GoView to learn more about system health monitoring and get a live demo today. 

GoView has recently partnered with several security guard companies to help them offer mobile surveillance services to their existing business plan.  We see this as a win-win collaboration which provides increased security to locations that need full time coverage at a reduced cost point. 

Mobile surveillance solutions are to the guard industry what automatic hamburger flippers are to the fast food industry.  It is automation.  It takes a redundant lower skill task (watching a jobsite for activity) and allows a higher skill person to cover more sites while the surveillance system does the "watching" 

Here is an example.  A construction site hires a security guard company to do nightly patrols of their site.  3 times per night a guard drives to the site and spends 10 minutes doing a patrol.  The driver drives through the site and looks for any suspicious activity and then leave.  Total time on the site is 30 minutes per night. The customer is frustrated because despite paying for security they still have problems with theft on a regular basis. The customer is considering full time security and having a guard posted at the site all night 7 days a week.  The problem is that this type of security is costly and because the site is so large, it may still not fully stop the problems.

In this case a mobile surveillance trailer is the perfect solution. By deploying a mobile trailer to the location, the guard service can be notified of any human activity on the site.  The surveillance unit deploys strobes and recorded voice warnings while the live security guard is routed to the site.  This solution is 1/3 the cost which the customer appreciates. This also helps the security company to retain a customer that they might have lost to another competitor offering a mobile security solution. Most importantly, the solution is effective and stops the losses due to theft. 

Advantages of offering mobile surveillance:

• Improves customer perception as a leader in the industry offering innovative solutions to your clients
• Win more bids and grow your company because you a better lower cost option between patrol and posted gauards
• Force multiplier helps you cover more properties with less people
• Improves customer satisfaction because they can have video evidence when a crime is prevented
• Increase revenue without any additional upfront costs