Cameras watching you at subdivision

August 18, 2006
Source: The Chandler Republic




by Luci Scott
The Arizona Republic
luci.scott@arizonarepublic.com

Security system allows viewing remotely, can make calls to police

The developer of a gated community near Riggs and Gilbert roads in Chandler has installed a new generation of interactive security cameras in bulletproof casings that can warn off interlopers through speakers.

"We can actually speak to the person and say, 'You with the red shirt, get off the property. This is private property,'" said Luz Berg, spokeswoman for IntelaSight, which installed the system.

The monitors can call police, who can go to the Internet to see what's happening.

IntelaSight is doing installations in other businesses in metro Phoenix, but this is the first subdivision in the area to get the technology, Berg said.

Hudd Hassell the developer of Bela Flor at Riggs, said he first wanted to hire 24-hour-a-day guards.

"When you start crunching the numbers, you have to have a lot more lots than we do, or people who are willing to pay $500 to $600 a month in homeowners association fees to afford the salaries," he said.

Berg said installation costs vary from $10,000 to $100,000, depending on the system. Maintenance costs vary.

"We charge from $1.25 to $1.50 per hour per camera, and compare that to the hiring of a security guard at $15 or $16 an hour," Berg said.

Hassel said the installation at his housing development cost just over $15,000.

There's a fourth camera at the site that can be accessed by anyone with a password.

"If I'm traveling, I'm able to hook in through the Internet at the hotel and look," Hassell said.

"I can move (the camera) left and right and zoom in and out," he said. "I can zero in and watch this guy build his house. Or let's say someone lives (in the subdivision) six months of the year and six months in Germany. In Germany, they can dial in through the Internet and see how their house is doing."

Hassell said one of the biggest problems in a gated community is people break the gates, which can result in a $5,000 repair bill.

 

Caught in the Act

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