When manufacturing facilities are targeted by criminals, the entire supply chain is affected. How can proactive security ensure these properties remain operational?
The increasing need for manufacturing security.
Manufacturing facilities play a critical role in our economy, with the production of a variety of goods, across a multitude of industries. In addition to what is produced at these facilities, they often also house a large amount of machinery, inventory, and raw materials on-site that can be targeted by thieves. When theft does occur, the negative effects trickle down to every other aspect of the supply chain, creating delays and product shortages at the distribution and retail levels. Depending on the materials stolen, there could also be a threat to public safety, which underscores the need for a proactive industrial security solution that protects manufacturing facilities.
Manufacturing facility theft increases in scope and scale.
In February 2023, uniforms belonging to law enforcement were stolen from a clothing manufacturer in Calgary, AB. The manufacturer produced uniforms for Police and Peace Officers, including jackets, pants, and other essential parts of their dress code. Police were called to the scene in the early morning hours, after the uniforms were stolen in a break & enter at the property. This theft is particularly alarming because the thieves and other nefarious individuals could potentially pose as officers using the stolen uniforms to commit a variety of crime. As a result, Calgary Police issued a statement to the public to be wary of any individuals who may be posing as law enforcement officers. (1)
In January 2024, Police arrested five people accused of stealing 14 new Ford Edge vehicles worth $630,000 from a storage compound at the Ford Assembly Plant in Oakville, ON. This comes after the company announced last year that they were making a $1.8 billion investment to produce electric vehicles in Oakville. Thieves cut a large hole in the exterior fence, and stole the vehicles during the overnight hours when there was less activity on-site, using the cover of darkness in their crime. Police were able to make arrests and recover 12 of the 14 stolen vehicles, but were only able to do so after the fact, through their investigation. It is unknown what security measures are in place at the facility, but this crime occurrence certainly raises questions of their efficacy. This particular theft is startling in both its scope and size, as thieves targeted a well-known property owned by one of North America’s largest vehicle manufacturers. (2) (3)
The severity of these incidents prove the need for a proactive manufacturing monitoring solution that protect properties and important assets from the threat of theft and vandalism.
How can our manufacturing security solutions protect facilities and inventory?
Our goal is to prevent crime before it happens. The first step in establishing proactive security is scheduling a site visit where our Logistics team will assess the site for vulnerabilities, strategize a plan for camera placement and coverage, and build a customized solution that fits the security needs of your site.
Our proprietary security technology is designed to proactively prevent crime, with each component serving a specific security function. Our Video Security Units provide a total package of proactive protection – anchored by two stationary cameras that establish perimeter coverage and situational awareness. They are combined with a high-resolution PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) camera that can zoom in on important details and gather important information about suspects – facial features, clothing, and other important descriptions.
Our Video Security Units leverage the power of our proprietary cellular LTE+ platform, providing an industrial surveillance system that is free of wired Internet solutions. Multiple units can be installed at various vantage points on-site to provide complete coverage of all vulnerable areas.
The footage captured by our Video Security Units is surveilled and analyzed by our Live Remote Video Monitoring team, and all footage is transmitted over our secure MPLS network to our UL Certified Monitoring facility. Many manufacturing and factory security camera systems record footage that is available to view well after an incident has occurred, whereas Live Remote Video Monitoring watches over your property in real-time. Our Monitoring Operators utilize our proprietary artificial intelligence system to differentiate human movement from other types of motion on-site, leveraging the system to deter criminals faster than ever before.
When an individual is detected by our team, they will immediately issue proactive deterrents to warn them that the site is off-limits – including loud and authoritative voice commands and bright LED strobe lights. If they proceed, our team will contact Police to attend the scene, when required.
Vehicle access is also an important consideration when planning a security solution for manufacturing sites. Our License Plate Reader cameras are used to capture the alphanumerical values of license plates and that are stored within our own database, syncroPlates. If a vehicle is deemed suspicious, it can be “blacklisted” in the system and be barred from further entry. This database lives within our proprietary reporting platform, syncroReports, which provides you with a complete picture of your manufacturing site security. From viewing log reports, to PTZ camera control, and snapshots of every incident – you will always stay current with your site’s proactive security efforts.
Manufacturing is essential to our economy, ensuring the supply chain continues flowing. Live Remote Video Monitoring can assist by providing an effective manufacturing security solution designed to protect your property when it matters most.
Resources:
- “Police uniforms stolen from Calgary clothing manufacturer”, Postmedia News, Calgary Herald, February 18, 2023
- “5 arrested after $630K in vehicles stolen from Oakville Ford assembly plant”, Amanda Pope, CHCH News, January 23, 2024
- “Ford Motor Co. unveils details of plan to spend $1.8B in Oakville to produce electric vehicles”, The Canadian Press, CBC News, April 11, 2023