NCJ Number
107844
Journal
Security Management Volume: 31 Issue: 10 Dated: (October 1987) Pages: 83-87
Date Published
1987
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article reviews recent developments in electronic article surveillance (EAS) which have improved the ability of businesses to monitor their assets more efficiently and effectively.
Abstract
Eighty-nine percent of retailers recently surveyed reported that EAS helped prevent theft, but until recently a reputation for false alarms and mediocre reliability made EAS more of a deterrent than a means of prevention. Shoplifters had learned ways to defeat the system. Tags could be shielded or detuned by placing packages under the arm or against the body, and systems were often turned off on sale days when they were most needed. Technological developments in the early 1980's eliminated false alarms, detuning, and inadequate detection reliability. New systems use low radio frequency to negate detuning by body fluids, prevent division of frequencies by devices such as hearing aid batteries and electronic key rings, and eliminate detection unreliability through the use of transponder tags. The new systems require no special wiring or onsite tuning and are manufactured at a low cost. With these new developments, electronic surveillance systems now fall into three market categories -- electronic article surveillance (EAS) for the traditional retail market, business article surveillance (BAS), and automated identification systems (AIS). BAS systems are installed at critical business exits to deter theft of valuable company equipment by tagging such objects. Frequency division technology prevents theft of magnetic tapes and cartridges critical to company operations. AIS systems use transponder tags to monitor the location of hospital patients and prison inmates and can identify persons entering military bases and embassy compounds, as well as collect bridge and road tolls and identify boats leaving private marinas. 2 exhibits.