Why Traditional Security Cameras Are No Longer Enough
On October 24, 2024, a small dealership in Farmville, NC faced a nightmare scenario. Thieves destroyed a security camera, broke into the building, cracked two safes, and drove off with seven high-end vehicles worth $200,000.
The aftermath was devastating. Insurance shortfalls left the owner bankrupt. Investigations caused weeks of operational downtime. And the reputational damage? It ended the business entirely.
“The surveillance video infuriates me,” said owner Spencer Beamon. “I’m angry because I’m sitting here watching these guys just walk around in my lot, like they’re shopping for cars.”
Traditional cameras only recorded what happened. They didn’t stop it. And that’s the problem; reactive security is no longer enough.
This Isn’t Just a Dealership Problem
While this story happened at a car dealership, the truth is that schools, warehouses, churches, and businesses everywhere face similar risks. Security cameras only record events. People have to review the footage after the fact. Even when nothing wrong is happening, security monitors waste hours staring at screens, hoping to catch something before it’s too late. Then, after something does happen, they may have to review hours of recorded footage. In fact, many security teams spend up to 70% of their time reviewing footage after incidents instead of preventing them. (Securityboulevard).
One Pentegra Systems engineer shared a real-world experience:
“I’ve been to schools where staff spent three or four days reviewing camera footage just to find one incident. That’s time they could have spent on safety and prevention, not scrubbing through video.”
This is the reality of traditional surveillance: it consumes valuable time and delays response when every second counts. By the time you know something happened, it’s already too late.
Advanced Software Detection Turns Reactive to Proactive
Pentegra Systems brings smart digital surveillance software to life, turning passive cameras into proactive protection without replacing a single device.
Instead of people performing endless monitoring, smart surveillance does the heavy lifting. It identifies suspicious behavior in real time, before a break-in occurs, and sends alerts based on patterns such as loitering near vehicles, tampering with gates, or unusual movement. Beyond theft prevention, advanced detection can recognize weapons, threats, facial matches, propped doors, slips and falls, fights, PPE violations, and more. When a verified threat is detected, the system responds instantly with voice-down warnings, notifications, and even rapid law enforcement dispatch, turning cameras into proactive protection rather than passive recording.
But here’s the angle most people miss: advanced detection isn’t just about early warning; it’s about time management. Security teams no longer need to spend hours watching screens or combing through footage; and you don’t need dedicated staff to monitor cameras. Instead, your existing team can focus on higher-value tasks rather than surveillance.
With centralized management, unified dashboards allow teams to oversee multiple locations from a single interface, eliminating the need to juggle separate systems for cameras, access control, and alarms. Additionally, with intelligent video search, finding specific events takes seconds, not hours, so investigations and insurance claims move faster than ever. Just type in what you are looking for, and the AI engine will find the relevant footage.
Why It Matters for Every Organization
Smart surveillance isn’t just for car dealerships. Schools can prevent unauthorized access and protect students. Warehouses can stop theft and monitor restricted zones. Churches can safeguard property and ensure community safety. Businesses of all sizes can protect assets and reduce operational risk; all without adding more cameras or hiring more staff.
Check out this video to see how AI surveillance helped this church release the responsibilities of managing cameras and quickly gain the footage that they are searching for:
And because Pentegra’s solutions work with existing IP cameras, deployment is fast and cost-effective. No expensive hardware upgrades. No complicated integrations. Just smarter security, ready to go.
At Pentegra Systems, our goal is simple: to save you time, help you scale, and keep your community, team, and assets safe. Smart surveillance isn’t just technology; it’s a trusted partner in protecting what matters most. Together, we can create safer environments and give you the peace of mind you deserve.