[lbutler]

When I worked at a water utility we would occasionally have people breaking into our remote sites like water towers either to vandalise them or climb the assets for the view.

When you just want people off your site ASAP we found providing the operators with remote loudspeakers and allowing them to say "Hey we can see you, we've called the police" was a very effective way to convince anyone that was trespassing to leave.

Though we did lose a few cameras when kids decided to throw rocks at the CCTV system before they left...

[gambiting]

Absolutely, and that sounds like a great plan there. But in the example given in the article, that 100% sounds like a recipe to get the clerk killed. The robber forces the clerk behind the counter, and then a voice says "police have been called" - surely they are going to assume the clerk did something, right? Lucky that in this case they ran away, but what if they didn't?

Like the article said - there is a reason why a silent alarm at banks is silent - it makes it safer for the employees.

[lbutler]

I think the vast majority of this thread agree with you that what we saw in the article was incredibly dangerous to the employee.

In my example these sites are unmanned 99% of the time but if there was an operator on site and someone back in the head office went on the loud speaker to tell off some trespassers I can't imagine OH&S or the on-site operator would be the slightest bit impressed.

[gambiting]

Yeah of course, that's why I said it's a very good plan :-) in your example it makes perfect sense.

[kwere]

do you understand what remote means?

[gambiting]

Yes, what's your point?

[volta83]

> to vandalise them or climb the assets for the view.

Or to use them as swimming pools during heat waves