High-tech crime fighting: How Long Beach security firm uses AI to protect clients

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Product theft across the country is a multi-billion dollar problem.

Trying to harden a target, many businesses turn to companies like ECAMSECURE, a Long Beach private security company that's using artificial intelligence and remote guarding to protect its clients.

"We roll out one of these trailers with artificial intelligence, lights, speakers and we're able to detect threats and so we detect, deter and protect assets is how we do it and the cool thing about it is, it's mobile and temporary," said Jordan Lippel, the VP of Sales for ECAMSECURE.

An armed response is not always necessary. The AI and mobile units can provide a solution that, in many cases, is a high-tech version of "get off my lawn."

Lippel explains why, in many cases, a verbal cue can make a difference.

"92% of people, or suspects, will leave knowing that someone is watching," he said. "If they don't leave, our command center agents come on live and say 'Hey, police are on their way. You're being recorded."

With more than 100,000 cameras deployed across the country, it is the artificial intelligence that allows each agent in the command center to monitor multiple sites.

But each site presents its own challenges.

ECAMSECURE tailored a system to fight rail theft in Los Angeles and helped reduce calls by 68%.

That success, in turn, led to a collaboration with LAPD to surveil warehouses where stolen goods were being sold, leading to the recovery of 20 million dollars' worth of merchandise and the arrest of 22 people.

LAPD Det. Joe Chavez of the LAPD train division task force said it made the officers more efficient.

"It makes the whole system more efficient," he said. "We weren't chasing just people running across the track, because there are people that just cross the tracks to get to home or wherever. We were able to see actual suspects climbing on to the trains. Actually busting open the containers and removing product."

Lippel adds, "If we could do 90% of the work and give them the resources to look at other major threats, and we could stop some of these issues that we've been stopping, I see us duplicating that over and over again with other agencies."

When the system doesn't deter, it can help protect first responders by watching and recording a crime.

That information is then relayed directly to law enforcement, which guides them into a safer environment than if they simply responded to a 911 call. The high tech helping the men and women on the ground as crime gets more complicated.

"The bad guy is getting more sophisticated and doesn't care if cameras talk to them or lights come on, but what they do care about is going to jail," said Lippel. "So what we're helping them do is give them more resource to be able to more protect other threats in their communities."