Do Security Cameras Really Make Campuses Safer?

Security Cameras in surveillance are an important aspect of the security setups at many large institutions–but is LPR surveillance worth the investment? The research says yes.

A 2018 study performed by Robin Hattersley for the online magazine Campus Safety examined various K-12, higher ed, and hospital campuses with security cameras installed. The survey results from over 700 institutions paint a very powerful picture; while 43% of colleges and 61% of K-12 districts monitor 1-5 parking facilities, 32% of hospitals monitor 10 or more. The importance of traffic and parking safety is obvious, and LPR is the best way to optimize this process. With 94% of respondents claiming that the importance of low light and after-hours security is a 3 or higher on a scale of 1-5, LPR providers are hard-pressed to fine-tune their low-light reliability. Luckily, PlateSmart is working hard to boast excellent low-light capabilities and high accuracy with both IR and white light environments.

These statistics are accompanied by respondent comments and notes also featured in the Campus Safety study. These comments shine a light on what our campus security officers are really struggling with:

“As always, the cost makes replacing the system very challenging and almost prohibitive.” The sticker shock that comes from most LPR service providers is a very real issue; that’s why PlateSmart’s camera-agnostic solution is uniquely equipped to provide the reliable security that these campuses need. By designing our software-only solutions to be as flexible and intelligent as possible, PlateSmart can use existing camera setups or off-the-shelf models to perform LPR.

“Working with smaller companies has shown great benefits due to some of the larger companies having no interest in follow-up after installation.” This is no industry secret–in big business, individual customers can be ushered through a well-oiled machine and never speak to a real person. PlateSmart is very proud of its excellent technical support team members, who spend every day installing, calibrating, and optimizing our deployments. The nature of our products allows us to compete with large companies while providing the service and support of a caring, thorough small business.

“Security cameras are definitely one of our most valuable tools [for] maintaining a safe campus environment.” PlateSmart Technologies is committed to this very fact. Our LPR solutions enhance video surveillance is designed to work off your existing infrastructure all the while supporting the security and analytical information for each and every client, regardless of size.

With dedicated sales support and a customizable user training center backed by some of the best minds in the art of security and law enforcement, PlateSmart is committed to a safer environment without the unnecessary expense of proprietary hardware commonly utilized with other LPR security providers.