As we were passing: Property

Whether it is from a “Neighbourhood Watch” or simply a vigilant milkman, we all appreciate having someone keep an eye on our property - especially when we're away.

This section discusses:

Existing Provision

What

Here we are considering any form of protective surveillance - from watching for vandals defacing property to burglary while the homeowners are abroad.

How

This ranges from informal arrangements between neighbourhoods, through conscientious delivery staff and neighbourhood watch schemes to dedicated connections between CCTV systems and the local police station or monitoring service.

Volume and Frequency

The wealthier among us have burglar alarm systems with CCTV cameras that are monitored for us - but at a cost. Those less fortunate have to rely on their neighbours keeping an eye out while they're away.

Financial Model

Burglar alarms are expensive to install and those with proactive monitoring of cameras are expensive to run.

Providers

No shortage of private security firms - at a price.

Trends

Reductions in the cost of cameras, wireless connectivity and image processing are making systems more and more sophisticated but the majority of properties still have no system at all.

With Localnet

What

Localnet staff will be aware of who is on holiday - just as the milkman always has been. They also know what is “normal” and what is unusual. They are uniquely placed to be the eyes and ears of the neighbourhood.

However, as they are also passing several times a day, there is scope for further services - such as “feed the cat” or “water the flowers weekly“.

How

Unlike existing delivery services, each localnet staff member works within a small radius of their LocalHub and hence knows this area intimately.

Volume and Frequency

As a van travels along each street several times a day, anything out of the ordinary can be picked up very quickly. Notes can easily be passed from one driver to the next so that the continued or repeated presence of a suspicious vehicle can be confirmed.

Financial Model

This is probably not a service that would be charged for. It is more of a side benefit of having the localnet service in place. There should, however, be financially significant reductions in crime within an area that is monitored by localnet staff on their rounds. This, in turn, should lead to lower insurance premiums and increasing property values in the area. Some value added services - such as those discussed under “Evolution” below would be chargeable.

Providers

Although the eyes and ears on the ground are the localnet delivery staff, there is scope for some specialist services within the localnet IT systems.

Evolution

Value added services could be provided on top of the basic “keeping an eye on things” that is inherent in the provision of localnet services. For example, customers could leave secure instructions for localnet staff to perform duties in case of emergencies while they are away; they could request specific checks be done - such as “did I turn off the gas”, “please check the shed is locked”. Other, more planned activities such as “take in the post”, “water the pot-plants” etc. could also be provided. Some of these may be carried out by localnet delivery staff while in other cases, localnet may simply provide the organisation and transport - with volunteers or part-time staff doing the more time consuming tasks such as “walk the dog” or “play with the cat”. Localnet can put together those with time on their hands but no transport and those with no time but things to be done in their home.

 

Comparison

The table below assesses the impact of localnet on this service on a scale of -5 to +5 (details here)

  Existing services As part of localnet Score
Scope
Frequency
Security
Convenience
Cost
Quality
Carbon Footprint
Time
Resources Used
Reuse & Recycling
Landfill Waste
Other Differentiators

Services