Safety first: operators have many technical tools to keep their restaurants secure

Cheers, June, 2005 by Howard Riell

Who's watching the store when you're not? A better question might be, "What's the best way for us to watch it, given the fact that liability is sky high and the number of high- and low-tech security options--from digital video to fingerprint and facial scanners, software, policies and procedures, locks, codes, and training programs--is greater than ever before?"

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Indeed, restaurant and bar operators have more weapons at their disposal in the war on crime than ever before--so many, in fact, that some security experts are warning that the greatest danger to any operation may be the operator's lack of motivation to secure it.

Ralph Witherspoon, the owner of Witherspoon Security Consulting in Cleveland, OH, and a 30-year veteran of the field, sees food and beverage operators as being more willing to spend time and money on security. There is, in his view, "a wider acceptance by some owner/operators that they need to employ some of the measures that are already there. There are various types of access controls ... because of the potential negative publicity and legal liability. There is probably also a greater understanding that there have been too many cases of trying to skimp and bypass things like fire regulations and safety measures."

Whatever the approach, Witherspoon concludes, an operator "has to do it on an ongoing basis. He can't say, 'I'll check it for a couple of weeks and if everything looks okay it'll go away.'"

But where there is the will, fortunately, the way is more effective than ever before.

MORE THAN VIDEO

As in so many other areas of life, video cameras are becoming increasingly ubiquitous, and a significant tool in restaurant and bar security.

One of the latest advances involves a device called a text inserter, which allows an operator to overlay cash register receipts on digital video of cashiers at work. The ability to synchronize digital video surveillance and point-of-sale information promises operators that they might maximize performance and profits by decreasing losses resulting from employee theft and inefficient work processes.

"It will prevent a lot of sweetheart deals from happening," says Dan Brown, national sales manager for API Communications Inc. in Chicago, which manufactures and markets a variety of electronic security devices. "You may have someone who will hit 'No Sale' on the touch screen or cash register, then open up the drawer, close it again and give that person a free drink. Things of that nature will disappear as that technology comes online." The number of ways in which food and beverage operations are vulnerable at the point of sale also includes line item voids, discounts, coupons, excessive tips or checks under a certain amount.

This linking of video and POS may be the single most important advance in restaurant/bar security to come along in years, Brown says. "The biggest thing there is the ability to be able to keep an eye on their employees in what is very much a cash business. A lot of people are less likely to go ahead and pocket money because they know they have a camera on them. The other side of it is, if they do, you're going to be able to see it happen."

"It's a great theft deterrent," agrees Rick Youngblood, a partner in the Risk Reduction Group (RRG) based in Richmond, VA, and Phoenix, AZ, a subsidiary of Ace Investigations Services International. "You can pinpoint exactly what took place: 'I saw you do this then.' The paper from the register and the video from the camera should gibe as far as what you see took place."

In the near future, Brown adds, will be upgrades that will allow managers to not only listen to but also speak to employees through the video units, which by law are restricted to the point-of-sale.

In February, SmartConnect, a provider of video-centric business intelligence solutions, released Restaurant Vision On Demand, a loss prevention system that helps restaurant operators combat employee theft. The subscription service makes video searchable by key business event, enabling managers to quickly and efficiently identify employee theft and monitor effectiveness of training. Detailed, customized transaction reports combined with streaming video, both real-time and stored, can be accessed securely via any PC or wireless handheld device through a web browser.

Such systems can also help lower insurance premiums. According to Robert Smith, president of Hospitality and Security Alliance, Inc. (HSA), "Most insurance companies will be very honest with you that their biggest problem is the liability side of the insurance. With nightclubs, it's the assault-and-battery side, and with restaurants it's employees and their issues--slips and falls, the workman's comp stuff."

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In fact, cameras come in very handy in case of incidents involving customers and employees alike. Says Youngblood, "If you don't have cameras, it's your word against theirs." He urges operators to switch from VHS tape to digital in order to keep visual evidence longer.