Upscale Bar Surveillance Case Study

CP
Carlton Purvis
•Published Mar 06, 2014 05:00 AM

We talked to a manager at a prominent D.C. bar about how they use surveillance and how the system has already paid for itself, by stopping a man from filing a frivolous lawsuit.

The Bar

The bar/restaurant is part of a well-known chain in the D.C. area. It is frequented by politicians and a notable happy hour spot. In fact, one of its locations is one of the top grossing restaurants in the nation.

The *********The bar uses a **-******* ****** *********** ******** ** *****’* **** *** exact ***** ** **** **** ** have * ********** *** ****** ********* alerts. ** **** **** ****’* **** because ** *** ***** *** ** enable **** *** *** **** *** that **** ** ***** ** ***.

“** *** ***** **** * ****** department *** ** **** ** ***** system. ** *** ***** ****** **** off, **’* ******* ** ******, ** it’s ******* ******* ***** **. **’* not ***** ** ****** ** *** camera ** ********* ****** *** ** it’s **** ********* **********,” ** ****.

*** *** **** ****** ** ****** cameras, **** ******, ****** ** ********* and *****, ******* ***** *** **** (to ***** **** ********* *** *********), in *** **** ******, ******** ******* in *** *******, *** **** **** of *** ********* (***** ** * hall **** ***** ** *** ******** or ** ***** ***** ** *** bar).

** **** *** *** ****** ** this ***** ******* **'* **** ******** for **** *** "*****'* *** *****, but *****'* **** ********* ***** *** would *** ** ***** *** ***** House" ******.

Retention ****Because they don’t have to review footage that often for major things, he says footage is kept for 10 days. They look over an incident at least once a week, but he can't think of any cases where anything has happened, and they were scrambling to find footage.

"* ******** **** ******** * ******** was **** ** **** ********* ******** on *** *****, ** **'** **** run ** **** *** *** **** they **** ******* *****. ******* ****'** exaggerating*** **'* ********* **** *** ** solved ** *******," ** ****.

The ****** *** *** ** ****

**** *** *** ***** *** *** kind ** ****** ** ******* ********* happen ***** **** **** ****** ** export *****. ** **** **** ****** tapes **** *** ************* **** **** do *** *********, *** ***** ******* people *****.

“***** *** ****** ** ****** *** you ******* **** *** ********** **** bad *****, ** **** ****** ** don’t ***** ** **** ** *** go **** *** *** ** ***** people *** ****** ** **** ***** or ***** ******* **** ****** *** we *** **** *** ** *** them ** **** ****,” ** ****, also ****** **** **** ****** ***** turn ****** ****. "***** *** **** times **** ****** ****** ****, *** you **** ****** **** ** ** again ** **** ** ** *****."

**** ************ **** ***** *** “**** and *****” ********, *** ****’* **** if **** **** **** ** ** it. ***** ****** *** *** * priority, ** ****. **** *** *** person *** **** **** * ****** card **** *** *********. *** ********* didn’t **** ** ** *** *** of *** *****. **** ******** *** footage ** ******* *** ****** ***** left * **** ** *** ***.

** **** *** ****** ****** **** for ****** ** ***** **** ***** an ******** **** ******** **** ** first ******* **** *** *******. * man ******* *********** *** ******** **** ** *** ** *** hallway. ***** ************ ****** *** *********** man *** ******** **** ******** **** his **** ** *** **** **** it ******. ** **** **** ***** was * ******* ** *** **** that ************ *** ***’* ***** ** the ******* ** **** ********* *** man’s ******.

*** *** **** **** ** *** restaurant *** **** ******* **** ** arm ** * *****, *********** ** sue. ****’* **** **** ******** ******** the ***** *** *** *** *** was *****. ******* ** ******* *** man *** *****, **** ******* ** charge **** *** *** **** **** he *** ***** *** **** ** was ******* ** *** ****. **** never ******** ** ***** *** *****, and *** *** ***** ******** ** filed * ****. *** ********** *** has * ****** ** **** ******* equipment *** ** ***** ** *********.

*************, *** ***** ***** ** ****** to *** *************, * ******** ** thousands ** ****** ************ ****** ****’* something *** ******* ******.

********

*** ***’* ******** *****’* ****** ****** the ******, ** **** ******* **’* actually **** ****** ****** ******. *** bar *** ***** ****** *** *** several ******** ** **’* ********* ** have *** ***** **** *** *** stairs *** ********* *** *** ***** carrying ****** ****.

Damage ** *******

******* ***** ** * ***, *** manager **** ****** ***’* *** *** damage ***** *******.

“** *** *** **** ****** **** people ***’* *** ** ****, *** most *** **** ****** ***’* **** know ****’** *****,” ** ****. ************, he **** **** *** ** “******* establishment” ** **** ******* “* **** rowdy **** ** *****.”

** ***, ******* *** ******* **** have ******* ******* *** ******* *******. They *** *** **** ** ********** or *** ******* *** *******. **** ordered * *** ****** *** *** a ****** **** ****** ************ ********** get *** *** ****** *******.

Comments (7)
JH
Jim Hall
•Mar 06, 2014

"A customer will complain a waitress was rude or that something happened on the floor, so we'll just run it back and see what they were talking about."

Unless its the kind of a place that waitressess often make obscene hand gestures (we got 'em down here), this 'rudenesss' check would imply audio or at least advanced lip reading. In DC what with them backroom deals and filibusters and what have you, I can't imagine the police would look too kindly on that sorta thing?

Besides, you never know if Monica or Linda could be at one 'em tables... ;)

RW
Rukmini Wilson
•Mar 06, 2014
In reply to Jim Hall

Audio recording can, if desired, be accomplished thru the Nuvico SN-8AC: 8ch Analog capture card, though for an legal-ethical opinion, I would defer to resident expert Mr. Marty Major (HINAL).

Avatar
Ari Erenthal
•Mar 06, 2014
Chesapeake & Midlantic
In reply to Jim Hall

It's my experience that an experienced restaurant manager can tell the difference between good service, bad service, rude service, and polite servers attempting to wait on rude customers, all based on body language alone. Expeditiers or wait captains are trained to notice problems from across the room, after all.

JH
Jim Hall
•Mar 07, 2014
In reply to Ari Erenthal

Ari, you're right, 'round here a good bossman don't even need a video to know who's up to no good... On the other hand neither a yea nor nay from the byliner leaves me curious...

Isn't it kinda strange that video recording is legit in so many more situations than audio, esp. when you consider how much more (usually) video conveys? The way I see it video records what we do, but audio records what we think, and so can be the more damning of the two...

CP
Carlton Purvis
•Mar 07, 2014
In reply to Jim Hall

They're reading body language, not recording audio.

BG
Brent Gable
•Mar 06, 2014

Did you happen to ask if they utilized POS integration to help keep their employees honest? Especially in a large/higher end hospitality application employee theft/sweethearting is usually present.

CP
Carlton Purvis
•Mar 06, 2014
In reply to Brent Gable

Brent, we talked about that briefly. There is no POS integration. They just match the time on the camera with the time on the register if they're looking for something.

MR
Malcolm Rutherford
•Mar 09, 2014

I would have thought that some form of POS integration was a must. They say they got the cost of the system back by avoiding one lawsuit, with POS integration they would see revenue climb and detect the theft and fraud that will be going on but that no-one will be even detecting.