Web-Based Amateur Private Eyes Enhancing Store Security
A new business attempting to help small retailers minimize shoplifting by harnessing the power of the Internet with existing security camera technology is showing some initial results as it works to improve stability and reliability.
Internet Eyes is meant to help small stores that have CCTV installed but that lack the manpower to monitor the video feeds constantly. The idea is simple. For a £1.99 monthly or £12.99 annual membership fee, anyone within the European Union can sign up to watch closed-circuit video feeds from randomly selected shops in the U.K. from their homes.
When a member sees someone attempting to shoplift, he or she presses a button, alerting the store owner, who assesses the situation and awards the user points, depending on whether it was a false alarm, suspicious activity or a crime in progress.
Internet Eyes sweetens the deal by offering a prize of £1,000 to the month’s top point-scorer.
Having viewers pay a membership fee weeds out pranksters and troublemakers from the site, says Tony Morgan, founder and managing director of Internet Eyes.” We get people that really want to fight crime in this country, not just voyeurs that just want to press the button,” Mr. Morgan says.
