READING, Pa. — Redner’s Markets here has deployed the SmartRecorder searchable surveillance system, from 3VR Security, San Francisco, in 13 grocery and convenience stores, to address both organized retail crime and employee fraud.

Redner’s, which operates 38 Warehouse Markets and 13 Quick Shoppe convenience outlets throughout eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware, has been testing and deploying the system over the past two years.

“We’re hoping to have half of our stores deployed by June 2010,” said Cory Deily, director of security and loss prevention, Redner’s Markets. “3VR has the most advanced system we have seen as far as facial recognition, video quality and the types of video searches it is able to conduct. The combination of all the functions has proved very powerful for us.”

Redner’s use of the system, including directional and motion search functions, have cut the time spent searching through video by security personnel by at least 50% to 75% percent on average, accelerating the turn-around time in which it can respond to organized retail crime incidents and submit evidence to the police, he said.

Redner’s has also found the 3VR facial search capabilities useful in searching for known criminals and alerting staff of their presence on-site. 3VR integrates with Redner’s exception-based reporting system from Micros-Retail, helping to determine cases of employee fraud such as excessive voids and returns as well as sweethearting.

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