Home Depot installing 40,000 high-tech cameras

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 09/16/03 | TONY WILBERT

[Kennesaw]

Home Depot installing 40,000 high-tech cameras

Smile, you're on Home Depot camera, high-tech style.

The Atlanta-based retailer said Tuesday it has begun installing real-time, digital surveillance camera systems in all of its 1,600 stores in North America. The system will use 40,000 video cameras to allow Home Depot to better monitor its stores and cut down on shoplifting, the company said.

While Home Depot acknowledged that several other retailers currently use digital video surveillance, the company said it is one of the first to use a standardized digital system throughout all store operations.

"For the first time, Home Depot will have significantly increased real-time video coverage of its stores," said Troy Rice, senior vice president of operations. "The new system will help continue our trend of lowering losses due to theft, provide a powerful new deterrent and enable faster, more conclusive investigations by law enforcement."

Home Depot said the new digital technology will outperform the analog technology it currently uses because images from dozens of cameras can be stored nearly indefinitely. Also, Home Depot stores where crimes may have occurred can e-mail images to police departments investigating the reports.

The new system also will help Home Depot fight identity fraud, the company said.

Home Depot expects to complete installation of the new monitoring system by the end of January.

[tiamat]

Well, I am glad that your store is decent!

Most of the people my husband works with are "tool-twitchers" and home improvement freaks. ( My husband used to have a "Binford Tools" mug from the old Tim Allen series) Most of the guys and gals at the store will happily spend time, and are genuinely interested in your project.

Tia

[Junkman]

They could use these cameras to spot customers wandering around looking for somebody in an orange vest to provide just a little bit of service. Then again, they might want to put a couple of cameras over at Lowes to see where the customers have gone.

[randog]

Interesting post. The scanners at HD require that you bag your item after scanning it. I think it's weighing the item to verify that you scanned it correctly.

[truth_seeker]

"How about spending some money on hiring more cashiers? Its a half hour wait every time I go into one of their stores.

Maybe you wouldn't have people steal items if they could pay for it in a reasonable time frame."

Then don't shop there.

[Atlas Sneezed]

No more stainless steel machine screw samples.

---

Heh heh (nervous laughter.)

I like the shops where they have an aisle full of drawers with all kinds of hardware, so you can buy exactly as many 8-cent screws as you need. Those 5 for $1.49 packets drive me nuts!

[Porterville]

Wow, I hope a 2X4 lands on my head at one of their stores so I can sue them with their own tapes.

[brewcrew]

Two words ... employee theft. Surprises me nobody else mentioned it.

Me too. Home Depot doesn't give employees a discount on anything.

[SamAdams76]

We are at the very beginning of surveillance technology. Like it or not, in a very few years, we are going to be on video pretty much everywhere we go. Already you see videocams at traffic intersections, in shopping areas, in banks and they will soon be just about everywhere else.

What is different this time is that mass storage capabilities will allow all these images to be stored where they can be indexed and retrieved years later. Technology that can identify faces by assigning a unique code to every human face is very near to reality. All the computers have to do is match up this code to a name.

So for example, let's say Joe Blow gets pinched in Lincoln, NE for shoplifting at a Wal-Mart 10 years from now. Using technology that will be common by then, Joe's face will be scanned in at the police department to obtain his unique "facial code." The police will then do a search of every digital video on file across the nation. All across the country, computers will whir and within seconds, the Lincoln police departments gets 78 "hits" on Joe Blow. The footage is then e-mailed to them instantly and they identify from those 78 video clips seventeen additional cases of shoplifting.

So now our Joe Blow is looking at some very serious jailtime. And when he get out of jail, he'll probably want to have somebody else do his shopping for him. Because every store he enters, silent alarms will go off and security cams will closely monitor his entire visit, with security people ready to close in if necessary. For Joe's facial code has now been "flagged" as a known shoplifter and with a record like Joe's, no retail store will let him enter their store without putting a microscope on him.

This is just a preview of our future. Many good things will come of it but on the other hand, privacy no longer exists. Not only will the government be able to track your every move but so will any corporate entity with access to the national files.

[BlazingArizona]

Don't be afraid when you go into one of these places and see a skeleton seated in the middle of the store. It's just a guy who waited to have paint mixed.

[lelio]

The guy knows his stuff, and can guide first-timers through the most difficult projects.

We need a clone of your husband up here. Usually there's one person with a clue in each department and they're being rug ragged by questions that the others can't answer.

And that really ticks me off too: HD hires a lot people who's only skill is pushing a ladder around. Then the person that does know what they're doing ends up having to manage him, and answer questions. So the expert gets burnt out quickly. Repeat until you have an insane aslyum.

[fortaydoos]

Good point. I avoid that place now; no reason for the person with the money to spend to wait ten minutes standing in a damn line.

[norraad]

Pretty sure Vegas already has all this in place now.

The have as much clout & budget as big bro & are pushing the tech avant gaurde big time on a daily basis.

Plus, since it's private biz folks, they'll be marketing these new security products everywhere soon as they can.

[tiamat]

Hey, if you ever need to know how to lay parquet or install ceramic tile in a tub-surround, LMK! LOL!

We do get brain drain at the store. Teh store is in Ann Arbor, and every fall they get college students who need to be spoon-fed. hubby told one of those off just today. Fellow was shocked that he was being expected to WORK for his pay! LOL! Tia

[snopercod]

Why does anyone even go to Home Depot?

Here in North Carolina, I never have problems with long lines or poor service at any of the big box stores. I do find that on many items, their prices are not much better than I can get down at our local "country store".

Anybody out West ever been to Frye's? Anybody down East ever been to Durgan Park? Those two set the standard for poor service. It's so bad that it's hilarious!

[GreenHornet]

They're installing 40,000 cameras in Home Depot? There won't be any room for the merchandise!

[snopercod]

Check out the link in Jim's tagline!

[dennisw]

I like the shops where they have an aisle full of drawers with all kinds of hardware, so you can buy exactly as many 8-cent screws as you need. Those 5 for $1.49 packets drive me nuts! .........

Those places are more and more scarce. I liked it when I could scoop out just enough nails & drywall screws and get them weighed

[dljordan]

Because everyone thinks they're going to save money. I always go to ACE unless I positively can't help going to the depot. Ace has real American hardware that is of much better quality that the sh*t chinese screws you get at Home Depot. The service at the depot also sucks major wind. I know, I used to work there.

[dljordan]

I can tell you that the store I worked at was poorly managed. The Old Veteran employees would make themselves scarce and leave the rest of us to handle angry crowds of customers who were angry because they couldn't find anyone to help them. I had to stock seven aisles and help the customers too and just couldn't keep up. It was hell for a twelve hour shift.

[Orange1998]

If it happens we need a law against flying 2x4's :) and second the digital Video will somehow be erased....accidently of course.