97-Camera CCTV System Stops Overnight Vehicle Theft at Columbus Auto Dealership
A high-volume Columbus auto dealership with a sprawling outdoor lot and multi-building service campus was suffering repeated overnight theft of vehicles, parts, and tools from service bays. Their outdated camera system covered less than 30% of the property. DLM Installations designed and deployed a 97-camera enterprise IP surveillance system that provided complete coverage of the entire dealership campus — stopping theft in its tracks within weeks.
The Challenge
The dealership operated across a large campus including a new vehicle lot, a used vehicle lot, a full-service repair shop, a parts department, a detail shop, and a standalone used car building. Over an extended period, they experienced multiple vehicle thefts, catalytic converter removals, and repeated tool theft from the service department. Their existing analog camera system was completely inadequate for the property size, and the footage quality was too poor to be of use in any investigation.
The Solution
DLM performed a two-day site survey mapping every section of the 4.2-acre campus. The final 97-camera design included 4K bullet cameras on all building exteriors and lot perimeter, 4MP PTZ cameras at the four corners of the new vehicle lot providing full sweep coverage between camera positions, license plate recognition cameras at the two main vehicle entrances and the service drive exit, dome cameras throughout the service bays, parts room, and finance offices, and varifocal cameras in the detail shop and tool storage areas. All cameras were connected via a new Cat6A cabling infrastructure to a centralized rack-mounted enterprise NVR. The dealership's security guard station was equipped with a dedicated 4-monitor viewing setup.
The Results
- Theft activity on the lot was identified and addressed within the first 30 days of installation
- Zero vehicle thefts reported in the 12 months following installation
- Catalytic converter theft attempts dropped to zero after cameras were installed across the lot
- Service department tool theft was eliminated after cameras were installed in all service bays
- LPR system provides a searchable record of every vehicle entering and leaving the campus
- Insurance carrier significantly reduced coverage premiums after reviewing the system documentation
- Owner can monitor the entire campus from home via mobile app during overnight and weekend hours
Project Details
Location
Columbus, Ohio
Industry
Car Dealerships
Cameras Installed
97 cameras
Equipment Used
- 4K Bullet Cameras (perimeter/exterior)
- 4MP PTZ Cameras (vehicle lots)
- LPR Cameras (entrances/service exit)
- 4MP Dome Cameras (service bays/interior)
- Enterprise NVR — Redundant Arrays
- Cat6A Structured Cabling
- 4-Monitor Security Guard Station
What Was Installed
Vehicle Lot Coverage
PTZ cameras at the four corners of both vehicle lots provide sweeping coverage that can be zoomed to identify any individual, vehicle, or VIN across the entire outdoor inventory.
License Plate Recognition
LPR cameras at both main entrances and the service drive exit log the plate number of every vehicle entering and leaving the campus — searchable by plate number or time range.
Service Bay Monitoring
Dome cameras installed in each of the 22 service bays capture every vehicle, technician interaction, and parts transaction — eliminating disputes and deterring internal theft.
Perimeter Bullet Cameras
4K bullet cameras on every building exterior and lot perimeter fence line, providing evidence-quality footage of anyone approaching or breaching the property boundary.
Parts & Tool Storage
Cameras in the parts department, tool storage room, and detail shop — the areas where high-value inventory had been repeatedly targeted.
Guard Station Display
A dedicated 4-monitor workstation at the security guard station displaying live feeds from all 97 cameras in an organized multi-view layout.
Learn More
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