Penticton's Local Security uses analytics to stop trouble before it happens

Local Security has been so successful that it might have to change its name soon.

The Penticton-based security company has changed the way property is protected, and as a result it is attracting clients from all over the country.

Essentially, Local Security is able to guard property without having an actual person on location. The program, which is called Bounty Hunter, uses cutting-edge technology to know when a situation is fishy at a business or public area.

“We put up cameras, and those cameras use analytics to detect things like people loitering,” Local Security chief executive officer Adam Power says. “And when they do detect people, it presents it to a remote operator who can then flash lights and talk to them. They can send bylaw, they can send police, they can send outreach … whatever is necessary.

“And so it’s really useful in these public or quasi-public places like alleyways.”

The best example of Local Security’s impact on the beleaguered Penticton community is in the downtown area, which features many walking areas that attract troublemakers. Before cameras were set up, there were dozens of incidents per week. Shortly after they were installed there were only three or four. Now that Local Security has entrenched itself in the area, there is less than one major incident per week.

“What happens is the behaviour changes,” Power says. “Once folks know that a certain area can’t be used in that manner anymore, they stop using that area in that manner. So you know it’s very effective, and because it’s real time that allows the service to be very effective.”

In other words, Local Security is changing the way in which property is protected. It is preventing incidents from happening, whereas regular security cameras are able to only document—after the fact—any damage or other crimes that may occur.

Local Security has been hired to “patrol” several other public areas throughout Penticton, partnering with companies like Betts Electric and Security on installation, and Power says, “We’ve just seen a ton of effectiveness out of the program.

“We can do the guard services remotely. So it’s really cost effective. It’s very expensive to have a person drive around in a car. With cameras, you could look at maybe 500 different sites at a time.”

More information about Local Security and its programs can be found here.

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