We are proud to announce that DGA Security Systems founder and President, Stanley Oppenheim, was honored by being the 2009 recipient of the prestigious Stanley C. Lott Award. The Lott Award is presented by the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) to recognize those whose contributions to the industry have been most significant. Mr. Oppenheim was presented with the award at the CSAA’s annual conference which was held last week in Athens, Greece. More information on this prestigious award to come.  Video surveillance footage catches identity theft criminals in action. Two woman combined an Oklahoma woman’s stolen ID and a Kansas man’s stolen checkbook to give themselves an ill-gotten spending spree at a Sam’s Club store in Midwest City, Oklahoma. While this sort of more sophisticated criminal activity is becoming more common, the police and store owners are armed with more advanced technology as well. After reviewing the footage from the Sam’s Club video surveillance system, the police were able to catch shots of the two criminals leaving the store. Video surveillance protects your business in many ways, and helps protect your customers. Every retailer knows that holiday store traffic is sure to increase sales, but it’s also sure to increase exposure to shoplifting and violence. The NRF’s Rhett Asher stated in an online article for Retailers Magazine, “A tough economic environment is going to increase shoplifting, violence, and fraud even more this holiday season.” Read the entire article here. Safeguard your employees from the holiday rush with a state-of-the-art security system. 
You may not have discovered a 507 carat white diamond, but whatever you are selling is valuable and worth protecting with an alarm system and video surveillance. According to the National Retail Federation and the University of Florida, the No. 1 shrinkage offender is the dishonest employee. Mark R. Doyle, president of Jack L. Hayes International Inc., a loss-prevention and inventory shrinkage-control firm stated, “The employees know all of our systems and controls. They know there’s going to be times when we don’t comply with those systems. So they wait and they take advantage.” Read the whole story here. Protect your business against internal theft with a video surveillance system. Unfortunately, fires happen. The impact that a fire can have on your business depends on how quickly you notify the fire department and how quickly they can respond. The NY Daily News reported on Thursday, September 17, that FDNY response time is better than ever. “Firefighters are responding to fires faster and preventing more deaths than ever before. Anyone who’s ever lived through a fire knows seconds can mean lost lives,” said Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta. “It’s no wonder fewer people have died from fires this year.” Read the entire story. You can improve your fire response time with a FDNY-approved fire system. Join the thousands of businesses and institutions that stay safe and code compliant with the help of a state-of-the-art fire system. Remotely viewing your business can provide important information to authorities at the scene. As the Jeweler’s Security Alliance Crime watch e-newsletter stated on Sunday, September 20, “a jewelry store owner at home received alarms regarding his store. He checked the live video surveillance feed from the store on his computer and saw three burglars. As he watched the men burglarize his store, he stayed in touch with police dispatch.” Read the entire story on thehour.com. You can’t be everywhere at once, but your surveillance system can.  Charles Balletto, Stanley Oppenheim, Daniel Oppenheim, James Riti It may not have a fancy name like “Oscar,” “Emmy” or “Tony,” but winning the Central Station of the Year award is no less impressive for a security systems company. DGA Security Systems won the coveted award for 2009, beating out scores of other companies. The honor was a testament to the professionalism, training and hard work that DGA employees exhibit every day. “Central Station of the Year” was one of three awards earned by DGA at the Central Station Alarm Association’s (CSAA) Excellence Awards ceremony, held in Baltimore in late June. DGA also took home Central Station Manager of the Year, which was bestowed on James Riti. DGA’s Charlie Balletto was named honorable mention for the third category, Central Station Operator of the Year. The CSAA Excellence Awards recognize UL-listed Central Stations and their outstanding personnel who significantly contribute to the alarm profession while providing exceptional service to their customers and community. Judged by a blue-ribbon panel, it was established to honor those who have made the most significant contributions to the industry and promote the distinctive level of professionalism attained by UL-Listed Central Stations.
more 
That’s exactly what an independent diamond broker had to do earlier this month after the stone — with an estimated wholesale value of $750,000 — fell out of his pocket in a crowded Diamond District jewelry exchange. Although he realized moments after leaving the exchange that the diamond wasn’t in his pocket, it couldn’t be found. The stone was gone. When the owners reported the stone’s loss to its insurer, Lloyd’s of London, the company immediately hired renowned adjuster John Enders of McLarens Young International to investigate. Enders hoped that the DGA Security Systems cameras at the exchange — The New York Jewelry Center — had caught something to corroborate the broker’s story. He went to DGA and property owner Ken Kahn, managing partner of 10 West 47th Associates, to ask for archived video files showing all activity on the exchange floor. As Enders and DGA employees reviewed footage from the exchange’s many cameras, they made a discovery. A clip clearly showed the broker accidentally dropping the diamond. This supported the broker’s claims that he had indeed lost it, but it still left the owners without their diamond. However, after additional days of scouring video footage, Enders identified a second camera angle that revealed a person in the exchange finding the stone on the floor moments after the broker walked out. The video’s image quality allowed Enders, after some on-the-street investigating, to identify and contact the person who found the stone — a local merchant who quickly returned the missing diamond to its owners. more 
Unaddressed fire code violations led to the arrest of 104 business owners and employees in June, nearly doubling the number of arrests made since the City announced its crackdown last July. Among those arrested were executives from Lord & Taylor and Merrill Lynch. The city pledged that the list will keep growing. This recent string of arrests targeted mainly those who ignored summonses. Commonly cited violations included failing to maintain sprinkler systems and standpipes, failing to provide fire extinguishers, and failing to keep exits clear. City officials are banking on the embarrassment of being led away in handcuffs, as well as heavy fines, to spur people into quickly correcting fire code violations. DGA is available to help ensure that your fire alarm and sprinkler monitoring system is not in violation. DGA can even inspect systems installed by other alarm companies. If you have received fire code violations in the past or believe that your location may have a violation — contact us immediately by email or phone (212-324-5700) to schedule an appointment. Proactively addressing violations helps to protect life and property. As the city steps up its enforcement, curing violations quickly can also help to avoid fines or worse. | |
