In areas of high crime, access security becomes the number one deterrent in crime prevention.
Protecting the lives and assets of people and their businesses means taking control of access points; resident and visitor admittance and monitoring; data capturing, technical compliance and 24/7 emergency response.
In South Africa, the rise of gated and security monitored estates has seen the move towards a new way of living with the popularity of gated estates for their increased lifestyle and security benefits.
According to the Ooba experts, home buyers and businesses are embracing the higher property prices offered by gated estates as a sound investment which guarantees private property rights with the shared costs of top level security services and perimeter amenities.
A gated community or business park assures perimeter electric fencing, monitored gate security and smart access control, round the clock security staff, CCTV and smart technology and where private homes and offices share a linked security alarm system for faster response times. This allows people to move around more freely without having to feel threatened or vulnerable to attack. Perimeters are maintained, traffic is controlled, and vehicles are not under threat of hijacking – there is always someone on guard and monitoring the situation, prepared to respond to any condition which may arise.
It’s no secret then that crime levels affect property values, business longevity, and confidence in the economics and governance of the country, with the recent looting and vandalism witnessed in Durban and Johannesburg and reported by the BBC, a stark example of the fall out when the ability to control crime and criminal access is lost.
Smart Access Control for Stronger Security Measures
Gated communities offer the prestige of top-notch safety and security measures and the
property values reflect this, says Jamie Bell of Identiscan. “With Internet-connected smart
devices consistently getting more powerful and less expensive, the internet of things (IoT)
allows us as security technology manufacturers to produce cutting edge access control devices. Estate managers, developers and security companies trust us to deliver owner and visitor access control using robust identification communication.”
Business estates and residential estates are continually seeking higher safety levels. Guarding and monitoring access control points and the people and goods wanting admittance requires the highest levels of both technological and personnel input in order to discern, monitor and manage who are welcome visitors and unwanted criminals and be the first responders to the overall safety of the community.
“Having an Identiscan unit at the entrance to a gated estate is a huge deterrent for any person up to no good. This is because entry onto the estate is dependent on the visitor’s information being scanned, verified and being kept on record for a period of three months,” says Jamie Bell.
“Identiscan is modern technology which simplifies the process of community access as well as improving security. As a customised technology solution, Identiscan is best suited for today’s current Covid health regulations and infection safety measures, offering superior physical access control, together with dedicated security monitoring.”
Covid Compliant Access Identification
“The global health crisis of 2020 and 2021 has highlighted the need for a hands-free access control solution that is simultaneously hygienic and user-friendly, while at the same time offering a high-level access control that runs efficiently. Gone are the days when a guard would hand you a security log and chewed pencil to handwrite your own details from memory when entering the premises. The connected Identiscan handheld device adhers to social distancing protocols and protects both the security personnel and the visitor.
“Previous methods were littered with problems such as traffic bottle necks, long waiting times and queues especially at peak exit and entry times during the day. This means guests, day visitors and lock down delivery services experienced delays and setbacks in their daily activities. For example, delivery services which pride themselves as offering a timed and efficient delivery service, such as Checkers Sixty60, could not fulfil their commitments.
“With Identiscan installed and managed by a professional guarding workforce, it provides the best security system technology for criminal detection and health monitoring, having evolved with the security needs and contingency planning required for living and working under the Covid-19 pandemic which has changed how we live and work.
“We service the private security industry and corporate organisations such as Embassies,
hospitals, corporate buildings, residential estates, residential and commercial complexes,
airports, residential security developments, body corporates and associations where access to areas containing confidential data is regulated.
How IoT Estate Security Protection Works
Apart from managing the overall safety of residents, staff, visitors, guests and assets, one of the weakest points of managing estate access control is managing outside staff and contractors.
A successful security solution within a business or residential community is built upon clear, two-way communication and where identification is required and stored, and which adheres to all required regulations, including the new POPIA protocols.
Step 1 – Control
A connected handheld device, Identiscan requires that a visitors South African driver’s license and vehicle disk is captured. Their temperature is also taken and recorded, and an audible alert sounds if the visitor has a high temperature. The visitor is then asked for the destination, or the name of the person being visited.
A would-be criminal would be hesitant to provide their actual driver’s licence. They would also not know the name of a resident they are “coming to visit”. Added to that the resident can be called directly from the Indentiscan scanner to establish if a visitor is expected.
These are flags that a security officer can use to establish if the visitor is legitimate or not as well as if the visitor entering the community poses a high risk to health safety.
Step 2 – Monitoring
The scanned information is safely pushed to the secure cloud storage. The estate manager, via a secure login can then review or conduct an investigation of an incident with accurate date and time stamped information.
Every residential or security estate has their own set of standards for all technology as well as for the installation and maintenance thereof, which will be done according to a formal design process – which includes implementing proper documentation, in advance.
Step 3 – Deterrent
Access controlled estates which use the Indentiscan technology at point of entry tend to be
passed over by would be criminals and unwanted vendors, acting as a deterrent and the first line of defence against crime. When compared, access-controlled communities reveal less incidences of burglary and hijack attempts than those which don’t, or which use outdated systems which are easily scammed.
Ongoing protection is assured when the Identiscan system is continually evaluated whilst in
operation and to ensure it delivers to technical specification.
Estate managers and residential community management boards: Ensure your security
provider’s equipment technology and monitoring services are backed by current industry
standards together with the advantage of cutting edge technology for 2021 and beyond. Ask us for a security evaluation here.
