Business Security

In preparation for the 2022-23 school year, many schools and districts are making final updates to protocols involving security, including video surveillance. For K-12 schools in California, here are some important things to know when creating or updating video surveillance policy. 

Incidents of robbery and vandalism tend to spike in the summer every year — but in summer 2022, that spike is causing a major company to shutter many of its locations throughout the U.S. That company is Starbucks, which announced on July 13 that it will close 16 stores across the country (six of which are in Los Angeles). 

Portable surveillance units, also known as mobile video surveillance trailers, are solar-powered devices that deliver a live video feed of a monitored area to a central station. They are becoming increasingly popular for monitoring the parking lots of big box stores, drugstores and other retail spaces. But are they as effective as the live video guards who perform virtual guard monitoring? Here are some of the reasons portable surveillance units are inferior to ValleyGuard, our virtual guard monitoring service offered throughout Southern California. 

With crime sprees sweeping the nation and hate crimes on the rise, establishments of all types need more tools at their disposal to prevent  their properties from being targeted and keep bad actors off the premises. Remote guard video monitoring can be one of those tools. 

Despite having no connection to retail business, criminal activity near office complexes is becoming more common in California. One recent example is the tragic shooting in downtown Sacramento on April 3. However, there are lower profile cases of vandalism, intrusion and other crimes near office buildings throughout Southern California. All things considered, it’s a risky time to operate an office complex.  

Catalytic converter theft has become so common that California lawmakers have drafted a bill, SB 919, that will require both new and used auto dealerships to place a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) stamp on each catalytic converter on their premises before a vehicle is sold. The bill also specifies that metal recyclers would only be allowed to buy catalytic converters with these VIN numbers on them; meanwhile, recyclers would be required to keep records of sale that could be accessed by police departments. 

The headlines don’t lie: The price of lumber has fluctuated greatly over the past year, hitting multiple peaks before quickly sinking as mortgage rates change. In just the past month, lumber prices have nearly tripled, only to crash again by 30% as the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate increased by 50 basis points over the new year. 

The valuable assets inside manufacturing and warehousing facilities can make them hotbeds of criminal activity. Over the past several years, no product category has been safe from theft as people have discovered opportunities to sell stolen items online. Employees are engaging in internal theft at record high rates, and many get help from outsiders so

As 2022 kicks off, it’s time to evaluate what your commercial security system may be missing and fill in the gaps as necessary. If your security strategy is missing these important services, Valley Alarm can help.