Flock Aerodome: Automated Security for Retail Shopping Centers

Retailers recently experienced a 93% increase in the average number of shoplifting incidents, and 76% of retailers state that the rise in violence-related theft and incidents have forced them to implement measures that negatively impact their customer experience.    

Flock Safety is proud to help commercial property managers combat shoplifting, violent crime, and more with our Aerodome Drone as Automated Security (DAS) that’s built to help retail shopping centers proactively deter crime within their premises. 

Flock Aerodome has helped revolutionize safety and crime fighting for law enforcement and other public safety officials, and we’re happy to bring their capabilities to retail shopping centers by combining the responsiveness of a guard, the observation capability of a camera, and the speed of a machine, all rolled into one integrated system. 

How does Flock Aerodome work? 

Imagine this scenario: It’s 3 am and a motion sensor alarm along the back fence of your retail shopping center detects movement. Usually, you’d dispatch a lone security guard to drive over and check it out (a process that would take 5-10 minutes), but your security personnel were recently equipped with Flock’s drone system for automated security. 

Instead of sending a security guard to investigate, a drone immediately launches into the sky. It arrives within seconds at the location where the motion was detected, utilizing its advanced sensors, including a thermal camera, scanning below. 

Live video from the drone is connected to your GSOC and shows an intruder cutting through the fence with the intent to steal goods from your stores. 

Your security team uses the drone’s camera to zoom in and see exactly where the suspect is and where he’s headed. The suspect spots the drone and flees towards the nearest exit, but he’s already been caught on video, and the drone is tracking him. 

Guards intercept him at the exit, already knowing his description thanks to the drone feed, and local police are en route with perfect situational intel. 

‍All of this happened before the thief could even lay a hand on your merchandise.

Lower Operational Cost vs SecurityGuards

Flock Aerodome is designed to give you maximum security impact for your budget with a flexible pricing model that includes all hardware, software, and services. 

Flock Aerodome can do the work of multiple roving guards and numerous fixed cameras, while also giving you the advantage of an aerial perspective. 

When comparing the cost per square foot or hour of coverage, Flock Aerodome comes out dramatically lower than traditional methods. 

Also, because one remote pilot can manage multiple drones, Flock Aerodome can scale your operations without having to hire extra security. Flock Aerodome is a true force multiplier, dramatically increasing coverage without adding more salaries.

Faster Incident Response with Real-Time Intelligence

In public safety deployments, Flock Aerodome has been able to arrive at scenes within jurisdictions in 86 seconds on average. And these response times can be even shorter if they’re deployed in a smaller private facility. Comparatively, a security guard may take upwards of five to ten minutes to arrive on scene. 

A quicker response directly correlates with better outcomes, and getting eyes on a suspect immediately can stop the incident or directly guide law enforcement to the location of the incident or suspect. In fact, law enforcement drone programs saw an 89% increase in subjects and vehicles found due to their Flock Aerodome Drone as First Responder system. 

Lowering your average response time is also beneficial to showcase in quarterly reports (example: "Incidents are down 30% while response times are down by 70%”). Having these figures on hand is effective in proving your effectiveness to executives and other department heads. 

Additionally, Flock makes it easy to share your drone’s real-time feed with local law enforcement or the recording after the incident. Sharing evidence with police can help them accelerate cases and arrests.  

Highly Visible Deterrent 

When Flock Aerodome is used in public-facing areas like malls, it can also serve as a deterrent because criminals and other bad actors are less likely to target an area when they see a security drone. The presence of a drone signals that your property takes security seriously and that criminals aren’t likely to get away with any crime they commit. 

The general public will also feel more at ease knowing your property is actively being kept safe, which increases the likelihood of shoppers returning and further supporting the shopping center. 

Specific Use Cases

With a better understanding of what the Flock Aerodome system is and what it’s capable of, let’s dive into different scenarios as they relate to commercial shopping centers: 

1. Perimeter Patrol & After-Hours Surveillance 

The Flock Aerodome system offers the ability to control multiple drones and docks with a single operator, helping to provide continuous air support even in the event of ongoing organized crime groups hitting multiple locations within your shopping center.

Drones also include thermal sensors and color night vision, not only giving you the ability to see more from an aerial vantage point, but also so you can see what the human eye can’t see at night.

2. Real-Time Response to Security Alerts 

Flock’s system can easily integrate with preexisting security alerting systems and workflows, and can even auto-launch on triggers.  

For example, an integration can tie the drone to a motion sensor or a Flock license plate reader camera, so that when an alert is received, the drone automatically deploys to that location with minimal human intervention.

Flock Aerodome Frequently Asked Questions 

Flock Safety understands that drones may seem intimidating, but the reality is they’re an easy to use tool to expand your security perimeter and presence without sacrificing large amounts of time on training and maintenance. Here are some answers to some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the Flock Aerodome system. 

• What happens when batteries die?

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When batteries run low, drones will auto-return to their docking station and can be automatically replaced with another fully charged drone. Two of our contact-charging docks will give you continual aerial flight time, and our battery-swapping dock option keeps the drone flying more without needing to recharge. 

• What legal regulations/ rules must I keep in mind?

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Flight logs and mission reports are auto-generated at the end of every flight to satisfy FAA and internal compliance reporting requirements.

Flock Aerodome operates under the FAA’s Part 107 drone rules, and we handle all the heavy lifting regarding waivers and compliance.

If your site is located near restricted airspace (such as an airport or heliport), we’ll work on obtaining the necessary airspace authorization as needed. 

In short, yes, you’re allowed to use drones to secure your site, and Flock Safety will ensure that every flight is compliant and documented. 

• What about safety and liability? I’m worried about a drone crashing or injuring someone on site.

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Safety is our top priority, and the system features multiple safeguards to ensure secure operations. The drones fly within a defined geofence over your property and won’t inadvertently approach public roads or crowds. They are equipped with advanced obstacle avoidance sensors, which enable them to detect and autonomously avoid obstacles.

To date, our drones have logged countless flight hours with excellent safety records and no injuries.

Last thoughts

Flock Aerodome is revolutionizing safety and security for retail shopping centers by decreasing response times and increasing safety coverage, all while reducing your security costs. There’s no need to invest in extra manned patrols and other security apparatus with Flock Aerodome at your side. 

Speak with a Flock Safety representative now to learn more 

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