Limited budget availability. Limited security and IT staff. Developing cases required time-consuming searches for relevant video evidence.
What was Harborstone’s challenge?
Limited budget availability. Limited security and IT staff. Developing cases required time-consuming searches for relevant video evidence. Harborstone needed help reducing investigation times, closing cases and automating several IT management functions as fundamental as ensuring accurate tracking of time for all DVRs across the enterprise.
What solution did 3VR offer?
Harborstone migrated video recording and retrieval technology to the
3VR enterprise platform in 2011, which effectively leveraged its existing video cameras and cable infrastructure. The credit union also joined 3VR’s
CrimeDex social network to expand its investigative reach. Risk Management Officer Tom Southern selected 3VR to solve issues such as challenges in synchronizing accurate time for cameras and DVRs across the enterprise. 3VR gave Southern the ability to remotely search video captured from cameras across 12 branch locations.
What were the results?
- Without updating or purchasing new cameras, video management from the existing 183-camera infrastructure greatly improved with 3VR installation
- Single incident investigation times dropped from one hour to about 10 minutes
- Solved a $5000 fraud investigation within two days using 3VR technology and CrimeDex
Harborstone solves $5000 fraud case
Harborstone Credit Union was stung with a $5,000 credit card fraud and Tom Southern’s team opens a new case file, but with a twist. New security tools to aid the investigation and collaborate more effectively were installed just a month earlier. The new branch and corporate 3VR platform gave the team the ability to search all 12 branches for the video evidence in minutes, not days. Armed with the time, date and branch location, the perpetrator was located in less than an hour.
Thief linked to national ID theft ring
Southern’s big tip would come the next morning and from 800 miles away. Fremont, Calif. Detective Brian Ancona had noticed the CrimeDex alert, which came a few days after the theft. He quickly recognized the perpetrator and identified him as Shareef Hasan Hastings. Hastings, a fraudster who was out on federal parole at the time of the activities, was arrested by Ancona for pilfering $1.2 million via an identity theft scam in Alameda County, Calif. In 2006, Hastings would take over accounts, impersonate bank customers to transfer funds from home equity lines of credit and then withdraw cash. With this, Southern had a name and incriminating video to provide to the Tacoma Police Department.
Detailed evidence in hand, Tacoma Police Department was able to find the criminal – in jail. He was arrested just one day after the CrimeDex alert. Detectives in Vancouver had intercepted a package of identity fraud materials being sent to the suspect from Oakland, Calif. He now faces significant time in federal prison.
3VR technology enables the future
The 3VR Video Intelligence Platform now in place easily enables future improvements such as:
- The option to replace failed analog cameras with higher image quality megapixel IP cameras
- Improved video coverage with less cameras
- License Plate Recognition (LPR) analytic at ATM drive-up locations improves search capabilities as well as proactive alerts in real time during active investigations
- Facial recognition analytic quickly locates individuals across the banking network during investigations and to build case evidence
Product Adopted:Financial