Criminals slipping under the radar? Not on our watch!

Late last month, at the London property of a prolific construction company, two people were seen during the early hours of the morning both sporting hard hats and reflective gear. To the unsuspecting eye, they would have appeared to be members of staff, and their presence on-site would have been accepted without question. In the eyes of PSM’s perceptive operators, however, they immediately aroused suspicion – as would anyone who turns up at one of their remotely monitored sites without prior confirmation.

As per PSM’s procedure, audio warnings were issued, and a call was made to security. An attending officer informed PSM that a padlocked door had been forcibly opened, and the people seen on site were definitely not authorised. However, the speedy issuance of audios saw the intruders beat a hasty retreat, a fortunate outcome considering the many valuable assets that were being stored within the premises at the time.

Kerry Jones, Professional Surveillance Management said, “This is a perfect example of why, in the remote monitoring industry, it is absolutely vital to look and think beyond surface-level observations – and why ‘overzealous’ is a word that rarely pops up in PSM’s vocabulary.

“High visibility jackets and other official-looking articles are the go-to ‘tools of the trade’ for imposters attempting to access restricted areas without raising suspicion – by hiding in plain sight, as it were.

“It only takes a single moment of negligence, one missed opportunist, to pose a threat to our clients and undermine the integrity of any security measures put in place. This is part of the reason why PSM’s operators so adamantly investigate any unauthorised persons on site, and why we insist on being provided with proof of permission, regardless of what they happen to be wearing.

“It will take much more than a luminous coat and an air of authority to deceive our unerring operators”.

Secured by Design Development Officer Hazel Goss said: “I am very proud to be the Development Officer for PSM who have been members with us since 2019. Every week they have amazing results in deterring criminals and this is another story of the great work they do, keep up the good work!!”

PSM offer remote monitoring CCTV solutions and a diverse range of surveillance services, with their monitoring system ensuring that when an intruder breaches a restricted area of a premises by triggering motion sensors, an immediate alarm containing CCTV images is transmitted to PSM’s NSI Gold fully accredited 24 hour Remote Video Receiving Centre.

PSM’s trained operators visually verify the cause of alarm and take necessary and immediate action – including issuing audio warnings - to deter potential criminals, tell them they are being monitored and warn them that the emergency services are on their way. The accomplished team of senior operators each have over 20 years’ experience working in a control room environment and responding to alarm activations, with the team preventing numerous break ins during the last year alone.

PSM’s entire operations, including alarm receiving software, is created, developed and controlled in-house, allowing a bespoke and tailored monitoring service. Software can be adapted to suit individual client and installer needs, rather than them having to fit into the limitations of ‘off the shelf’ software.

You can find out more about PSM, the first remote monitoring CCTV company to have achieved Secured by Design’s Police Preferred Specification, and their SBD accreditation here: https://www.securedbydesign.com/member-companies/sbd-members?view=companydetail&account=0011i00000Jpw4XAAR