Page 26 - GBC Magazine Winter ENG 2023

At this point, the carts have not been found, and there have been no arrests. There is a feeling that the criminals must have known the golf course layout and security measures in place.
“It is always disturbing, and you feel violated when a robbery occurs,” shared Larissa LeGros, Owner/Operator of Deer Run Golf Club. “The way they came in, they knew what they were doing, therefore we were being cased at some point ahead of time.”
So, how could video alarms have helped in this situation? According to LeGros, the thieves appeared to have inside knowledge of the golf course, including where the golf carts were located and the best way to get them off the property. Video alarms don’t require a door to be opened or a window to be smashed to be triggered. Therefore, it is possible that the thieves would have been discovered during one of the investigative visits while they were planning the theft.
Incident #3: Morgan Creek Golf Course
In June 2023, thieves broke into the Morgan Creek Golf Course club- house, in Surrey, BC, and made off with $34,000 of high-end golf clubs.
Here’s how Tom Doull, Director of Golf Operations at Morgan Creek Golf Course, describes the theft, “The break-in started at 1:40am with the thieves cutting through some barriers we put in place every closing shift. At 1:50am they broke through one of the entrances. Our onsite security noticed the golf shop door open at 1:55am. He was busy with other tasks, away from the clubhouse at the time of the break-in. Our employee working security called me at 2:05am. I was on the property within an hour and called the RCMP. At no point during the break in process did our monitored alarm company call us or the RCMP!”
Doull estimates that, in the month following the break-in, he has spent more than 80 hours dealing with the police, insurance company, media, staff, and security partners dealing with the incident and looking to improve the course’s alarm and security system. Not accounting for the value of his own time, the total cost of upgrades was over $60,000.
“Video alarms don’t require a door to be opened or a window to be smashed to be triggered. Therefore, it is possible that the thieves would have been discovered during one of the investigative visits while they were planning the theft.”
So, how could video alarms have helped in this case? Video alarms are an inexpensive security upgrade as they use existing security cameras and rely on advanced AI to minimize the use of live security personnel. They also push the security perimeter outside the building. Instead of waiting until thieves have cut through bars and broken through a door to be triggered, cameras facing the outside of the building could have detected unusual activity. Then, security professionals could have turned on the live feed, determined a theft was in progress, and requested police dispatch before thieves entered the pro shop.
UPGRADE YOUR SECURITY TODAY
Ask your trusted security provider about video alarms. They provide the proactive, large-area security needed by golf course operators. With little hope of recovering stolen property once they leave the course, the faster and better responses provided by video verified alarms is indispensable.
Golf Business Canada
26Golf Business Canada