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Centralized Vision Adding More Space at Phoenix Corporate Headquarters

By Tami Vigilante

I read an article recently that said small business optimism levels were down during the last quarter of 2012 after reports from the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) showed slow sales were holding back job growth and expansion plans.

Whether these reports were true or just political propaganda surrounding Election Day in November, I can honestly say we are not seeing any signs of slow sales at Centralized Vision. We grew our revenues 30 percent in 2012 during our company’s fifth year of existence. My husband, Tom, and I are optimistic about the video security monitoring industry because of the efficiencies and inexpensive costs we can provide our clients looking to enhance their security needs.

We are so excited about our future at Centralized Vision that we recently have begun expanding our footprint at our corporate headquarters in Phoenix. We have already started construction on adding 400 square feet of office space that will house our new tech center, allowing us to increase to a total of six work stations for our techs to monitor our clients’ properties and assets from. Each tech can comfortably monitor 40-50 clients at each work station while also completing online logs from our centralized location that is manned 24 hours a day.

Construction will be completed during the first half of February, allowing us to serve the many clients we will be taking on in the near future. If we keep growing at our current rate, we will probably have to add additional space in a few more years.

Hopefully other small businesses in Arizona and throughout the U.S. will be able to say the same in the near future.

Tami Vigilante is Executive Vice President & Co-Founder at Centralized Vision. For more information on real-time video verification services or GPS monitoring, go to centralizedvision.com or call 855-888-8094. 1717 West Northern Avenue #200. Phoenix, Arizona 85021

New CV Tech Center — Centralized Vision is adding an additional 400 square feet of office space for the company's new tech center in 2013.

Scottsdale Police Arrest Metal Thieves After Video Surveillance Capture at Vacant Auto Dealership

By Tom Vigilante, Jr.

A large portion of our client base at Centralized Vision that we provide video surveillance monitoring for are auto dealerships throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area. Overall, we provide remote-camera monitoring with real-time response options at 14 car dealerships in Arizona.

The dealerships have a variety of reasons (theft, trespassing, vandalism) of why they would need a company like ours to routinely monitor closed-circuit video cameras on their properties at various times throughout the day. However, a technician at our centralized tech center noticed suspicious activity after seeing two trespassers on camera recently at the vacant Infiniti of Scottsdale dealership we monitor in Scottsdale.

As you can see while watching the video, the cameras we monitor caught two suspects climbing over a locked gate on the property. After numerous cameras on the property provided detailed video images of the two suspects collecting copper pipes and other metals, our technician contacted the Scottsdale Police Department’s dispatch operator to alert local authorities of the criminal activity.

Within five minutes, one Scottsdale police officer was at the property, and another unit arrived at the auto dealership shortly after. Later in the video, the police officers can be seen arresting the suspects and also locating a bag of metal objects the criminals stashed on the property. The Scottsdale police officers were in contact with our technician to verify they were apprehending the correct people.

Although we usually see people trying to steal copper and other metals from recycling facilities we monitor, this video capture is proof that any crime can be committed on the property of various types of businesses.

Tom Vigilante, Jr. is President & Founder of Centralized Vision, which has offices in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver. For more information on real-time video verification services or GPS monitoring, go to centralizedvision.com or call 855-888-8094.

Centralized Vision Tabs Casey Casdorph as Company’s 2012 “Tech of the Year”

By Tami Vigilante

My husband, Tom, and I have seen incredible growth for our company in the video security monitoring industry since starting Centralized Vision five years ago. In 2012, we grew our revenues more than 30 percent and expect similar growth in 2013 as well.

The main ingredient that has allowed our company to grow exceptionally fast is the family atmosphere we created at Centralized Vision. We have a group of dedicated employees that are passionate about their jobs and understand the importance of protecting the assets that Centralized Vision is contracted to monitor for our clients.

However, Casey Casdorph stood out among all of the employees at our company this past year and was named Centralized Vision’s 2012 Tech of the Year.

As a tech working from our centralized tech center at company headquarters in Phoenix, Casey monitors closed-circuit security feeds from surveillance cameras located on the properties we manage for our clients.When seeing suspicious activity through the camera surveillance monitors on his computer screen, Casey logs the activity in our computer system and can use a variety of methods to deter the suspect from committing a crime, including dispatching local law-enforcement authorities to the property.

In 2012 alone, Casey captured seven suspects on camera either trespassing or stealing from properties we monitor. One incident included a naked male trespasser near a trash dumpster behind a West Phoenix shopping center that attracted the attention of the Phoenix Police Department and its police helicopter hovering above the property. Video surveillance Casey captured from the incident was broadcast on local Phoenix television stations 3TV (KTVK-Ch. 3) and Fox 10 (KSAZ-TV, Ch. 10) during their nightly newscasts in October 2012. Casey also captured suspects steeling copper and other metals on video from a recycling facility Centralized Vision monitors in 2012.

Casey started working for Centralized Vision in July 2011 and focused on Information Technology while earning an AA degree from Phoenix College. He plans to pursue his Bachelor’s degree in the near future.

Congratulations Casey on being named Tech of the Year and providing deterrents and services to make the community safer for our family and others to live in.

Real-Time Video Monitoring Could Deter Car Thefts at Phoenix Shopping Malls

By Tom Vigilante, Jr.

With Black Friday and the holiday shopping season fast approaching, Phoenix’s ABC television affiliate recently aired a segment on their evening news about the number of car thefts at Valley shopping malls.

According to research done among car thefts at Phoenix-area malls from September 2011 to August 2012, ABC 15 (KNXV-TV, Ch. 15) reported that Metrocenter in Phoenix had the most occurrences with 84 cars stolen on its property during the 12-month time frame. Arrowhead Towne Center in Glendale ranked second with 56 thefts, Arizona Mills in Tempe was third with 33 and Desert Sky Mall in Phoenix was fourth with 31. Car thefts for other malls included Tempe Marketplace (12), Scottsdale Fashion Square (5), Mesa’s Fiesta Mall (5), Mesa’s Superstition Springs Center (3) and Chandler Fashion Center (2).

The National Insurance Crime Bureau reports that New Year’s Day is the leading holiday for reported vehicle thefts, while Christmas Day repeats annually as the holiday with the fewest reported cars stolen. The NICB reminds drivers to be alert during the busy holiday season by parking in well-lit areas at shopping centers, keeping packages in the trunk or out of sight and making sure vehicles are locked while parked.

Although Phoenix led the nation in auto thefts in 2002, NCIB data now ranks the Valley 60th among 366 metro areas in car thefts. According to the Arizona Republic, the decrease in car thefts can be attributed to the creation by the Arizona State Legislature of the Arizona Automobile Theft Authority, which trains police officers, provides funding for prosecutors dealing in auto-theft cases and issues bait cars to lure thieves.

While the decrease in auto thefts in the Phoenix metropolitan area has decreased significantly, there is still work to be done to prevent additional displeasure for car owners in the future.

Centralized Vision provides pro-active protection of properties and assets by using remote-camera monitoring with real-time response actions for companies, including strip malls and shopping centers. We have a technician at our corporate headquarters monitor closed-circuit video cameras throughout parking lots and closed-off areas of various shopping centers 24 hours a day to prevent car thefts, trespassing and personal attacks.

When our technician views a crime being committed on camera, he or she can immediately alert local law enforcement to dispatch police officers to the property, and even provide them with a photo or video in real time to track down the suspect. Some of our client’s CCTV cameras are equipped with voice response features, allowing Centralized Vision technicians to warn a suspect they are being watched on video and deter a crime from being committed.

Although Christmas shoppers can take precautions to prevent their automobile from being stolen at Phoenix shopping centers, it is always a good idea for malls to invest in additional resources to make their customers feel safe during the holiday season.

Video Monitoring Satisfies State Medical Marijuana Security Plans While Doubling as Crime Deterrent

By Tom Vigilante, Jr.

My wife, Tami, and I have had the “Just Say No to Drugs” talk with our children already. I remember vividly how my parents outlined for me the dangers of getting involved with drugs and how falling down that path would more than likely prohibit me from achieving my lifelong dreams. As a parent, all I can hope for is that the education my wife and I provided our children for staying away from using drugs continues to resonate with them as they make their own choices in life.

So how do I explain why their parent’s real-time video monitoring services company is in business with medical marijuana dispensaries that are soon to be opening up for throughout Arizona and those that are already serving customers in nearby states, such as California, Colorado and New Mexico?

It’s easy.

Because CCTV and video surveillance at a medical marijuana dispensary acts as a crime deterrent and is mostly mandated by local law enforcement agencies in cities or territories handing out applications for these businesses to operate.

Let’s face it; medical marijuana dispensaries are legal now in 17 states and Washington, D.C. In addition to Arizona, the other states to have legalized medical marijuana sales are Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

According to a recent Arizona Republic article, the Tempe, Arizona Police Department uses a nine-page security plan to monitor dispensaries in their city. The plan includes mandatory requirements such as:
• Lighting requirements for the building’s exterior and parking lots.
• Closed circuit television system to monitor access the entrance and exits of the building, points of sale, grow areas and the parking lot.
• Sufficient lighting and illumination for exterior video cameras, which must have resolution of 704 x 480 or better.
• Digitally recorded video must be saved for a minimum of 31 days.

In a recent segment that ran on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” correspondent Steve Croft discussed the mandated video security in medical marijuana dispensaries in Colorado. No state has gone to the lengths to manage medical marijuana that Colorado has. Every licensed dispensary must grow at least 70 percent of its own product indoors, so harvesting and sales can be closely monitored.

Matt Cook, a former narcotics officer who helped write the law and served as Colorado’s first director of enforcement, discussed his state’s medical marijuana laws to Croft during the “60 Minutes” piece.

“If you note, video security cameras systems,” Cook said to Croft in the “60 Minutes” segment as they tour a dispensary. “We created a very transparent regulatory scheme and wanted to ensure what they said they were doing, they were actually doing. We track everything from seed to sale and they have to account for 100 percent of it.”

At Centralized Vision, we offer an innovative security platform that provides pro-active protection of property and assets by using a remote-camera monitoring system with real-time response options that could be used by medical marijuana dispensaries to satisfy their state-mandated security plans. Dispensaries can be viewed 24 hours a day by our technicians that visually monitor our clients’ property in real time and can dispatch security or law enforcement officers if a crime occurs. By using the latest in security technology from a centralized location, Centralized Vision provides affordable pricing options that fit into the budget for any dispensary in any state.

We are already past the point of whether medical marijuana dispensaries should be allowed in Arizona and other states. I am more worried about how we can offer a solution to prevent crimes in communities where the dispensaries are located. The video monitoring services we offer at Centralized Vision are a good start to serve as a crime deterrent.

Police Say Dumpster Diving Can Lead to Theft & Property Damage

By Tami Vigilante

I routinely receive various crime prevention tips from local police departments because of the great relationships Centralized Vision has established with local law enforcement agencies. A recent email I received from the Peoria Police Department is worth passing along because it warns businesses about the circumstances if people are going through trash dumpsters on their property.

Peoria Police warn businesses that they could be held liable if information in their trash is left unprotected. While people may be “dumpster diving” for treasures, they can also collect customers’ personal identity information, business information or precious metals that can be resold on the black market. The Peoria Police Department highlighted Sec. 22-9 of their criminal code that addresses “disturbing contents of containers”:

(a) Any person not authorized by the City to utilize for other than its intended purpose the lid from any solid waste or recycling container.
(b) Any person not authorized by the responsible party to remove, collect or disturb the solid waste and recyclables stored in such containers or to remove from a solid waste or recycling container any solid waste or recyclables
(i) set out for recycling or collection and disposable by the City, licenses solid waste contractors, their agents or assigns or
(ii) deposited at a City recycling drop-off center. This prohibition does not apply to law enforcement officers acting within the scope of their official duties.
(c) Any person to scatter solid waste or recyclables upon any private or public property.

Centralized Vision offers an innovative security platform that provides pro-active protection of property and assets for companies by using remote-camera monitoring with real-time response options that act as a crime deterrent. Our technicians visually monitor our clients’ property in real time and can dispatch security or law enforcement officers to prevent dumpster divers from collecting a company’s private information.

Centralized Vision Expands Into Denver & Las Vegas Markets

By Tom Vigilante, Jr.

We have seen our company grow rapidly since founding Centralized Vision in 2007. In just five years, we have developed a great book of business in providing real-time visual monitoring of auto dealerships, retail centers, recycling facilities, office buildings and warehouse distribution centers throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Two years ago, we diversified our company after launching an operator division to track GPS devices and monitor convicted felons and individuals with special-needs suffering from cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s, dementia or autism.

Now, we are ready to take another step forward by expanding Centralized Vision’s resources into the Denver and Las Vegas markets.

We are excited about the potential Denver and Las Vegas bring to our company because both metro areas are similar to Phoenix. According to 2009 crime data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Phoenix averaged 410 reported property crimes per 10,000 residents. Denver was not far behind with an average of 348 property crimes reported per 10,000 residents, followed by Las Vegas with an average of 345 crimes. All three markets have also seen an increase in the growing epidemic of copper and HVAC thefts from residential and commercial properties.

We have already secured one client in Las Vegas and plan on reaching out to more businesses through sales efforts from our Phoenix headquarters. Our newest employee, Casey Kowal, will lead all of our sales and customer service efforts in the Denver market.

As Centralized Vision’s Business Development Representative, Kowal will be successful in extending our brand throughout the Mile High City because of her great communications skills, an attention-to-detail personality and a follow-through customer service approach. She has been successful in sales efforts throughout her career and we know she will help our company grow in Denver.

We are really excited to start talking to companies in Denver and Las Vegas about how Centralized Vision can be a service to them. However, it is more important that our company can be a solution to prevent increases in property crimes reported in both markets as well.

Tom Vigilante, Jr. is President & Founder at Centralized Vision. For more information on real-time video verification services or GPS monitoring, go to centralizedvision.com or call 855-888-8094. For businesses in the Denver area looking to connect with Casey Kowal, please email her at caseyk@centralizedvision.com.

Dangers Associated with Autistic Children Wandering Away is Preventable

By Tami Vigilante

My life revolves around my two children.

Like most mothers, my day starts by getting them out of bed, making sure they eat breakfast and then driving both to school – hopefully on time so they are not late for their first class. After school, the daily tasks usually consist of getting Dayne to his flag-football practice or Tatum to her dance class while balancing time with their friends and making sure homework is done. And on the weekends, along with my husband Tom, we all spend time as a family doing various activities.

Knowing how much my children are a part of my life, it broke my heart to read an Arizona Republic article earlier this summer of how a mother lost her 9-year-old boy in Mesa, Arizona. Her son, Au-Juna, was struck and killed by a truck after wandering out on the freeway.

Two hours before being killed, Au-Juna was with his two brothers and sister having fun playing in the neighborhood. When Au-Juna didn’t return with his siblings to their Mesa apartment, their aunt, who was babysitting at the time, alerted the police he was missing. Mesa police spent an hour trying to locate Au-Juna until receiving a 911 call that a child was struck and killed on the U.S. 60 freeway – five miles from his apartment.

Au-Juna had wandered away because he was autistic.

Children with autism suffer from a developmental disorder that affects their social interactions, language and behavior, causing some to wander without a typical person’s sense of fear or danger. Parents must have an aura of constant vigilance to stay a step ahead of their autistic child. That is why in 2011, “autism wandering” became an official diagnosis in the United States with its own medical code.

That hour police and Au-Juna’s family spent franticly looking for him could have had a more pleasant outcome if they had an option of locating him with a GPS device. Those options are now available for parents to locate their autistic children.

Although our company, Centralized Vision, specializes in real-time video verification services to prevent theft and vandalism, we also offer various GPS monitoring devices that could quickly locate children with autism after wandering away from their home. Along with our partners at Adiant Solutions, we offer GPS devices that could be used as a keychain, worn as a pendant or bracelet or clipped to a belt. The same devices are also being used by seniors diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, so they can be located after wandering away from their loved ones or assisted-living facilities.

Our safety-certified operators that man our call center at Centralized Vision 24 hours a day are trained to quickly locate a person wearing a GPS device. The operators are also well-versed in communicating with local law enforcement or medical personnel to quickly administer any emergency.

The GPS devices are affordable with annual or monthly service plans to give anyone associated with an autistic child peace of mind if an emergency would occur.

A parent, teacher or care giver still can’t predict when an autistic child may elope. But if a child wanders on their own, now there are options to quickly locate them while being returned to a safe environment. And hopefully a number of situations like the unfortunate one that took Au-Juna’s life can be prevented.

That’s all a mother can ask.

Well Maintained Video Cameras Can Prevent Costly Obstructions

By Tom Vigilante, Jr.

Living in Phoenix during the summer, one might think the only weather element you have to deal with are the hot temperatures. And although those of us that live in the desert still maintain it’s a dry heat, we also have to routinely deal with large-scale dust storms between May and September each year.

More commonly known as haboobs, these massive dust storms sweep through the entire city, causing low visibility for drivers on the roadways and a flurry of news coverage from local television stations. They also leave layers of dirt transfixed on homes, businesses and parked vehicles.

Haboobs also cause problems for us in the video verification services industry because layers of dirt can block a camera’s view while monitoring a company’s property and assets. Light rain mixed with dust turns into dirt spots on the camera lens, causing a nuisance while trying to accurately identify objects on video. Our company, Centralized Vision, provides pro-active protection of property and assets for businesses using remote-camera monitoring with real-time response options. Any obstruction for video cameras we are monitoring could be the difference in preventing a crime or being able to apprehend a perpetrator.

Because Centralized Vision technicians are constantly monitoring numerous video cameras 24 hours a day, we can always alert our clients if there are obstacles in preventing us from protecting their assets.

Below are a few suggestions on how to maintain video cameras in order to provide optimum viewing:

Installation: When installing video surveillance cameras, it is imperative to make sure they are directed properly so they cover a full range of the property. Blind spots in camera coverage could allow thieves to escape without having video footage or a photo image to forward to law enforcement authorities.
Landscaping: Each month, it is a good idea to make sure bushes and trees are not blocking each camera’s view. High winds and storms can cause branches to fall and constant rain may cause vegetation to grow rapidly, standing in the way of a camera’s view. Landscapers can also hinder proper viewing if they use blowers to clean pathways, causing dust or dirt to collect on the lenses of video cameras.
Wiring: Periodically, it is essential to make sure wiring for each camera is not exposed or in danger of being ruined by moisture, animals or insects. Not keeping an eye on this may cause a loss of power to the camera or interrupted viewing because of a short in the wire.
Focus: Having a blurred image or video footage makes it more difficult for law enforcement officials to track down criminals. Wind, moisture or various movements can cause a camera to be out of focus.
Lighting: Make sure video cameras are not pointing into direct sunlight at certain points of the day to cause a disturbance in coverage. It is also essential to make sure external lighting sources are working so that maximum video surveillance can be maintained at night or in dark settings.

Having a modern video surveillance system along with 24/7 monitoring from Centralized Vision is a great investment to protect a company’s assets and to minimize financial loss. But just like every other investment, periodic maintenance is key to achieving the maximum results.

Tom Vigilante, Jr. is President & Founder at Centralized Vision. For more information on real-time video verification services or GPS monitoring, go to centralizedvision.com or call 855-888-8094.

Eye in the Sky Can Deter Metal, Air Conditioner Thefts

By Tom Vigilante, Jr.

While hot temperatures in the Phoenix area kept most of us indoors during the summer months, some local business owners were unable to keep cool after a number of crimes involving the stripping of air conditioners occurred throughout the Valley.

Recently in Peoria, a band of suspects went on top of a strip mall on Bell Road and removed the parts from 11 air conditioning units. The removal of copper pipes and wiring, backflow vales or anything else with scrap value cost the business owners thousands of dollars in repairs and lost business.

For all of the trouble they caused to others, the criminals received a couple hundred dollars for the metal on the black market.

In 2011 alone, the Phoenix Police Department reported more than 3,000 air conditioning units were dismantled, destroyed or stolen all for their metal – and especially their copper parts. Metal theft has become an epidemic since the economic downturn started in 2008. Law enforcement agencies blame the trend on a combination of the unemployed seeking items to sell for cash and drug addicts looking to finance their next score. Insurance claims arising from metal thefts rose nationwide by 81 percent during the last three years compared with the number of claims filed from 2007-08, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Local law enforcement agencies are doing their best to track down metal theft suspects and bring them to justice. Some agencies have metal theft task forces and have formed alliances with neighboring cities to stake out and deter criminals from disabling air conditioning units.

At Centralized Vision, we are a deterrent to the recent trend of air conditioning and metal thefts by offering real-time video verification services with monitoring by our team of technicians 24 hours a day. Centralized Vision technicians visually monitor our clients’ property in real time and can dispatch security or law enforcement officers to prevent a crime from occurring. Some of our clients even have one-way audio speakers near video cameras on their property so our technicians can speak to the perpetrators and let them know they are under surveillance. If a criminal does leave the property, we can immediately send video and photo images of the suspect to local law enforcement agencies for an immediate response.

Some of our clients include auto dealerships, retail centers, recycling facilities, office buildings and warehouse distribution centers, and they all have seen a decrease in suspicious activity on their properties.

I always hear from our clients about how happy they are in pro-actively investing into our services at Centralized Vision. It’s definitely a more affordable investment than losing thousands of dollars and an interruption of business if your company is a target of metal theft.

Tom Vigilante, Jr. is the President & Founder of Centralized Vision. For more information on real-time video verification services or GPS monitoring, go to centralizedvision.com or call 855-888-8094.

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Centralized Vision Adding More Space at Phoenix Corporate Headquarters

Scottsdale Police Arrest Metal Thieves After Video Surveillance Capture at Vacant Auto Dealership

Real-Time Video Monitoring Could Deter Car Thefts at Phoenix Shopping Malls

Video Monitoring Satisfies State Medical Marijuana Security Plans While Doubling as Crime Deterrent

Police Say Dumpster Diving Can Lead to Theft & Property Damage

Centralized Vision Expands Into Denver & Las Vegas Markets

Well Maintained Video Cameras Can Prevent Costly Obstructions

Eye in the Sky Can Deter Metal, Air Conditioner Thefts

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