Peace of mind when filling up

CCTV Handbook 2008 Surveillance

Forensic Security Solutions is an installer in Windhoek, Namibia, that specialises in risk control consultancy and technological installation services.

The company was commissioned by petrol and convenience retailer Caltex to put together a security solution for its Namibian division that would deter theft and attacks on customers.

"Being one of our biggest installation projects we needed a supplier with the highest quality products, and Elvey Security Technologies (Elvey) was the best candidate for the job," says Johan Lepen, Forensic Security's technical manager. Elvey's Windhoek sales manager Doris Gladis, who has been in the security industry for the past 14 years and has completed two Tavcom CCTV training courses, was asked to oversee the entire project.

The challenges

"With a constant surge of customers filling up or purchasing at the Star Mart 24 hours a day and staff members continuously moving, Caltex was faced with a variety of challenges that included service attendees stealing petrol by pouring it into canisters while assisting customers; clients being attacked at night; consumers using company cards to steal petrol; people stealing oil cans; and shoplifting which all led to loss of income," says Gladis.

The solution

The security solution was completely designed around CCTV surveillance as the petrol station was using a security guard. "We advised the customer that CCTV equipment would be the best solution as it would function as a protection and management tool," explains Gladis.

"As it was quite a sizable site, the challenge was locating proper equipment at the best possible place to have a clear view of the pump, the entire vehicle and the counters," says Lepen.

The application consisted of a variety of cameras from Samsung Electronics, such as colour fixed- and varifocal dome cameras and 22x zoom cameras. The SCC-B5352P three-axis dome camera has the ability to rotate 340° horizontally and up to 90° vertically, allowing a full view of the entire area. The design of the domes makes for easier installation in difficult areas such as walls and inclined surfaces. The covers on the domes are highly resistant to external shock, protecting them from willful acts of vandalism.

The garage needed a camera with a day and night feature. Day and night cameras can automatically switch to colour mode during the day and to black and white (B/W) at night for optimal 24/7 surveillance. The SCC-C4203AP 22x zoom camera makes it easy to identify objects at a distance.

The result

The project was a great success as the initial goals that were sought after were attained, the customer was provided with high quality products and cost effective solutions that curbed financial losses and ensured customer and staff safety. "They were extremely impressed by the quality of the video achieved from the zoom camera," says Lepen.

"The venture served as a pilot project to systematically upgrade existing systems at other filling stations around Namibia using the same installer and supplier," Gladis adds.

Big projects such as these have their own unforeseen challenges such as insufficient equipment. Installers should make provision for extra equipment to prevent unnecessary cost and use local suppliers to avoid delaying the project.

Fact file

Service provider

Forensic Security Solutions, +264 61 236 941 [email protected]

Product supplier

Elvey Security Technologies, +27 (0)11 401 6700, [email protected], www.elvey.co.za



Credit(s)




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Vumacam highlights concerns with proposed Johannesburg CCTV by-laws
Vumacam News & Events Surveillance
Vumacam has raised objections to critical provisions of the by-laws governing privately owned CCTV cameras with a view of public spaces in the city, which were promulgated on Friday, 28 February 2025.

Read more...
Milestone announces a platform to enable access to data and train AI models
Surveillance AI & Data Analytics
Milestone Systems has announced Project Hafnia to build services and democratise AI-model training with high-quality, compliant video data leveraging NVIDIA Cosmos Curator and AI model, fine-tuning microservices.

Read more...
Benchmark in long-range surveillance
Duxbury Networking Surveillance Products & Solutions
Duxbury Networking says the long-range, high-resolution monitoring AXIS Q1809-LE bullet camera has been enhanced further with integration into Milestone XProtect to set a new standard for forensic-level image clarity, intelligent event detection, and enhanced security management.

Read more...
AI for retail risk management
Surveillance Retail (Industry) AI & Data Analytics
As businesses face mounting challenges in a volatile economic environment, Ares-i remains an essential tool for proactively identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that threaten operational stability and customer satisfaction.

Read more...
The need for integrated control room displays
Leaderware Editor's Choice Surveillance Training & Education
Display walls provide a coordinated perspective that facilitates the ongoing feel for situations, assists in the coordination of resources to deal with the situation, and facilitates follow up by response personnel.

Read more...
Six key security technology trends in 2025
Axis Communications SA Surveillance
Axis Communications examines some new trends for the security sector in 2025, as well as some new, old trends that are once again highlighted because of their benefit to the end user in the race to obtain optimal value from technology installations.

Read more...
edgE:Tower video analytics integrated with SEON
Surveillance Integrated Solutions AI & Data Analytics
Sentronics has announced a new integration between its edgE:Tower advanced AI-driven video analytics solution and SEON, a Central Monitoring Software (CMS) platform. This integration enhances real-time situational awareness and automated threat detection for control rooms.

Read more...
The impact of video analytics on business security
AI & Data Analytics Surveillance
As more enterprises work to integrate AI-enabled solutions into their networks, enterprises must not lose sight of the implications of these integrations and the added value they are working to unlock.

Read more...
The need for integrated control room displays
Editor's Choice Surveillance Training & Education
Display walls provide a coordinated perspective that facilitates the ongoing feel for situations, assists in the coordination of resources to deal with the situation, and facilitates follow up by response personnel.

Read more...
Integration is the key to smarter surveillance
Duxbury Networking Surveillance
According to recent market projections, the local security industry is expected to grow by more than 10% annually through 2029, reflecting the increasing demand for smarter, more proactive security solutions.

Read more...