Increase in Auto Inventory Could Lead to Potential Criminal Activity at Car Dealerships

By Tom Vigilante, Jr.

The current economic rebound has been great news for auto dealerships throughout the United States.

According to a recent J.D. Powers and Associates study, new cars and trucks sales are expected to reach nearly 1.5 million vehicles in March and experts are forecasting that 15.3 million automobiles will be sold in 2013.

Because growth in auto sales is outperforming earlier expectations, dealerships in Arizona are adding more vehicles on their lots to satisfy customer’s demands. However, an increase in an auto dealer’s inventory may also bring the potential of theft, vandalism and trespassing at dealerships.

Providing real-time video managed services for auto dealerships has developed into a core part of our business at Centralized Vision. With the addition of Earnhardt Cadillac in North Scottsdale and Desert Cadillac in Scottsdale as clients recently, Centralized Vision now monitors 16 auto dealerships in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

By providing remote-camera monitoring with real-time response actions, our technicians have been successful in capturing and arresting trespassers, graffiti taggers and thieves on the property of various clients, including car dealerships. Centralized Vision posts signs throughout our client’s properties to act as deterrents and if available, has the ability to utilize one or two-way audio speakers, to speak throughout the property with, to warn would-be criminals that they are being watched. Our service has proven to be a more affordable and efficient option when compared to other similar security options, with savings up to 85 percent less than the typical physical security officer.

As long as the economy continues to grow, people will continue to purchase big-ticket items like new vehicles. Centralized Vision’s service is designed to eliminate petty theft and vandalism and to ensure vehicles remain on the lot so auto dealers can meet consumer’s demands.

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 managed services or GPS monitoring, go to centralizedvision.com or call 855-888-8094.

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 to Provide Video Camera Monitoring at Liberty Automotive Group’s 5 Arizona Auto Dealerships

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2012

CENTRALIZED VISION TO PROVIDE VIDEO CAMERA MONITORING

AT LIBERTY AUTOMOTIVE GROUP’S 5 ARIZONA AUTO DEALERSHIPS

Phoenix Video Surveillance Company Adds to List of Auto Dealership It Monitors

(PHOENIX) — Centralized Vision announced today they have signed a contract with Liberty Automotive Group to provide pro-active protection of property and assets by using remote-camera monitoring with real-time response options at the automotive group’s five dealerships throughout Arizona.

Centralized Vision is now actively engaged in video camera monitoring at Liberty Buick, Liberty GMC, Peoria Kia and Goodwrench Autobody in Peoria, Ariz. and Liberty Kia in Prescott Valley, Ariz. Overall, Centralized Vision currently provides camera monitoring at 14 Phoenix-area car dealerships, including properties associated with Earnhardt Auto Centers and Van Tuyl Group and independently-owned Arrowhead Honda in Peoria and San Tan Volkswagen in Gilbert, Ariz.

“Centralized Vision treated us like we were old friends, never tried to sell us more than we needed and made us feel like their No. 1 goal was simply to provide the best protection available,” said Autumn Henderson, General Manager of Liberty Buick-GMC. “We are now paying less, have more protection and are satisfied customers.”

Centralized Vision takes pride in its customer service and being able to tailor pricing to fit within a client’s budget.

“We were able to tailor our monthly pricing to fit within Liberty Automotive Group’s budget while also providing them an opportunity to constantly monitor their dealerships in Arizona,” said Centralized Vision Founder and President Tom Vigilante, Jr. “After sitting down with their leadership team and understanding their needs, we enhanced their video surveillance at each dealership by offering them cutting-edge camera technology that works well with capturing motion and in low-light environments.”

With local news organizations reporting last month an overall surge in violent crime in Maricopa County in 2011, Centralized Vision has seen a spike in growth because of the opportunities it provides to monitor closed-circuit cameras in real time, act as a crime deterrent because of posted signs surrounding its clients’ properties and the ability with one-way audio speakers to warn would-be criminals they are being watched. Video technicians monitoring properties from a centralized Phoenix-based location 24 hours a day have been successful in capturing and arresting trespassers, graffiti taggers and thieves as well as reporting other crimes or threats. Centralized Vision currently monitors nearly 90 clients within the Phoenix metro area and also has operations in Denver and Las Vegas.

Centralized Vision, backed by decades of experience in security services, provides real-time visual monitoring of various businesses, such as auto dealerships, retail centers, recycling facilities, office buildings and warehouse distribution centers. By using the latest in security technology that interfaces with all brands of video equipment and proprietary reporting software, Centralized Vision provides affordable pricing options that fit into any company’s budget.

— CENTRALIZEDVISION.COM —

Phoenix Fox TV Station Profiles Centralized Vision About Video Monitoring at Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Following a shooting at a medical marijuana dispensary in Tempe, Ariz. on Oct. 25 that left an employee hospitalized with life-threatening injuries while three male suspects were still on the loose, Phoenix Fox affiliate KSAZ-TV (Ch. 10) talked to Centralized Vision President Tom Vigilante, Jr. about how real-time video monitoring could help prevent similar crimes at other dispensaries throughout Arizona.

Fox 10 news anchor John Hook reported it is violence like what happened in Tempe that opponents of medical marijuana have been warning people about from the beginning. Hook stated that Arizona law requires dispensaries to have security, but some are wondering if it is enough?

In the segment that ran during the station’s 9 p.m. newscast on Oct. 26, Vigilante said medical marijuana dispensaries “are a cash-rich environment, not to mention an environment with a lot of marijuana.”

Although nobody can totally prevent someone from attempting to rob a dispensary, Hook stated that advance security systems like the services offered by Centralized Vision can help track down criminals or serve as a deterrent to prevent crimes.

“The goal is to get (the suspects) in the moment so we don’t even get that far,” Vigilante said. “A panic button might also come into play to where if a person feels threatened they can simply press a button, which can be monitored or received on our end by one of our operators. Combine that with live-feed video and the ability to look in in real time, you have a very powerful solution that increases the likelihood of capturing would-be offenders, thieves or criminals in those types of environments.”

FOX 10 News – Phoenix, AZ | KSAZ-TV

Businesses Investing Into Security Camera Monitoring Can Save Money on Insurance Premiums

By Tami Vigilante

As small-business owners, my husband, Tom, and I are always looking at efficient ways to run our company. Whether it is eliminating unneeded expenses or shifting dollars from one area to another, we look at various ways to be efficient and grow our business at the same time.

The services we offer at Centralized Vision can save other businesses money as well.

Investing into a camera surveillance system and video monitoring from Centralized Vision could pay for itself in the form of decreased insurance premiums. Many insurance companies will discount company’s premiums from 10 to 20 percent when CCTV security cameras are in place to provide added safety on the property.

Why would insurance companies discount premiums for a company that has camera surveillance and monitoring?

• Having video cameras in plain sight throughout the property and Centralized Vision-branded signs that warn people they are being monitored is enough to act as a deterrent to warn criminals from attempting anything illegal.
• If a crime does occur, our technicians monitoring the property 24 hours a day can dispatch law enforcement officials to possibly stop the criminal act in process and provide photo or video evidence that could be used to convict the suspect in court.
• Having a video monitoring service available to provide evidence for employees filing false worker’s compensation insurance claims could be very beneficial for small-business owners.

Affordability is one our company’s core principles. Protecting a valuable asset is not an expensive investment because we use the latest in security technology from a centralized location to provide affordable pricing options that fit into any company’s budget.

Businesses with monitoring of a camera surveillance system will not only be able to protect themselves from criminal activity on their property, they will also be able to run a more efficient business due to decreased insurance costs.

Tami Vigilante is Executive Vice President & Co-Founder at 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.

Music Awakening Seniors Suffering From Cognitive Disorders

By Tami Vigilante

A growing part of our business at Centralized Vision is real-time GPS monitoring and tracking. We can easily keep track of low-level criminals or locate a fleet of transportation vehicles by having our team of 24-hour support technicians monitor GPS tracking devices anywhere around the world.

But a significant portion of our GPS monitoring business has nothing to do with criminal activity.

Many of our GPS monitoring clients are assisted-living facilities that house seniors afflicted with cognitive disorders, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Because people may suffer memory loss or be disoriented, having those that suffer from either of the disorders wear a GPS bracelet allows our company to locate them if they wander away from the facility.

Currently, there are more than a million people with dementia or Alzheimer’s living in assisted-living facilities throughout the country. Centralized Vision adds another level of security and safety to protect loved ones living in such facilities. But there are other organizations that offer various therapeutic options to improve the quality of life for people spending the remainder of their lives in these facilities.

One of those organizations improving the quality of life of seniors afflicted with dementia and Alzheimer’s is Music & Memory. Started by social worker Daniel Cohen six years ago, Music & Memory’s mission is to improve the quality of life for the elderly suffering from cognitive disorders through the use of personalized music and digital technology.

I learned about Music & Memory when the organization was featured on an episode of “The Doctors” recently. On the show, they told the story of an older gentleman named Henry living in an assisted-living facility and being unresponsive to most things because of dementia. He didn’t recognize family members and sat in a daze most of the time. However, when he was given an iPod with his favorite songs to listen to, Henry came alive. It broke my heart to hear him talk about his favorite singer Cab Calloway and to hear him sing a few lines from Bing Crosby’s 1943 classic “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

The therapy Music & Memory provides helps seniors suffering from cognitive disorders remember who they are and helps reacquire their identity after listening to their favorite music on an iPod. You can help the non-profit organization allow seniors to relive their younger years by donating a used iPod or giving as little as $49 to assist them in purchasing new iPod Shuffles. Log on to www.musicandmemory.org to learn more about how to donate used iPods or purchase new ones and to watch the video segment from the recent episode of “The Doctors.”

Keeping seniors living in assisted-living facilities safe and secure is important. But making sure those suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s have an improved quality of life is something we all can contribute to.

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.

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.