How a leading Colorado Springs retail property eliminated overnight camping, vandalism, and illegal dumping with NCS Systems' AI-powered remote guarding platform.
Our client manages a 20-plus-tenant retail hub in Colorado Springs, serving a diverse mix of thrift stores, restaurants, and retail services. Its high-traffic anchors generate steady foot traffic but also attract recurring security incidents that threatened tenant safety and property operations.
Despite the property's active commercial life, it struggled with threats that traditional security measures couldn't address at scale. On-site guard coverage was cost-prohibitive, and limited mobile patrols left critical gaps overnight and on weekends.
The property manager turned to NCS Systems and Deep Sentinel to deploy a smarter solution — one that could protect tenants, reduce operational costs, and restore confidence in the property's safety around the clock.
Three persistent threats were costing the property money, damaging tenant relationships, and creating real safety risks for staff and customers.
People experiencing homelessness regularly camped along the north side of the property and sheltered in west-side alcoves, starting fires for warmth — creating serious fire hazards to the property and neighboring houses.
"We get people who like to camp overnight in those parking spots in the back... they go in there, hide in the cubbies, and start fires back in there."Karrie Jo Nelson — Griffis Blessing
Broken windows and rock-throwing incidents occurred primarily at night, targeting storefronts near ARC Thrift Store, Dollar Tree, and the pool hall corner. These acts of destruction heightened anxiety among tenants opening early or closing late.
Rear dumpster stations behind The Arc became a chronic dumping ground for large items — chairs, refrigerators, and hot water heaters — requiring costly third-party cleanup on a recurring basis.
"We pay on average probably close to $600 to $800 a month to waste removal companies."Karrie Jo Nelson — Property Manager
On-site guard coverage was cost-prohibitive at this scale. Mobile patrols — limited to five daytime and two nighttime drive-throughs — provided only intermittent deterrence, leaving critical vulnerabilities unaddressed during off-peak hours and generating zero actionable reporting for management.
NCS Systems deployed a tailored AI surveillance platform built around the real-world incident patterns of this Colorado Springs retail center — not a one-size-fits-all installation.
To address its persistent security vulnerabilities, the property management team partnered with NCS Systems and Deep Sentinel to deploy a cutting-edge AI surveillance platform. NCS strategically installed 19 cameras featuring two-way audio, placing them precisely in high-risk zones — prioritizing the rear perimeter including the north side, west-side alcoves, dumpster areas, and exposed storefronts.
The installation was methodical and site-specific. NCS technicians worked closely with property management to map camera locations based on real-world incident patterns, fostering immediate confidence in the system and accelerating operational integration.
Advanced cameras instantly recognize suspicious behavior in real time — identifying unusual activity the moment someone enters the property's perimeter and triggering immediate review before an incident escalates.
Professionally trained guards receive real-time alerts and continuously monitor footage, bridging the gap between technology and human judgment. Every incident is reviewed, documented, and escalated appropriately.
Guards engage through two-way audio and activate sirens to deter activity the moment it begins. When warranted, they contact law enforcement directly — stopping incidents before damage occurs, not after.
The integrated system empowered property managers with instant oversight through a secure mobile application — plus regular guard reporting that gave leadership full visibility into overnight activity for the first time.
Since deploying NCS Systems' AI-driven live video monitoring, this Colorado Springs retail center has seen meaningful, sustained improvement across security, reporting, and day-to-day operations.
Real-time interventions have discouraged overnight hangouts and improved the overall sense of safety throughout the north perimeter — the property's most persistent problem zone.
Before NCS, management received little to no reporting about after-hours activity. Now Karrie receives clear documentation, video evidence, and guard summaries showing exactly what happens overnight — often for the first time.
Late-night calls tied to activity behind ARC — once reaching the property manager's personal phone once or twice per night — have significantly decreased, allowing the team to address issues during business hours.
The new reporting dashboard gives property management clearer insight into incident trends and makes it easier to communicate security performance and value to ownership — a capability that didn't exist before.
"We haven't had nearly as much camping as we've had in the past… My tenants don't like it when they camp along that north side of the building."
"This has been very eye-opening for this property. We had another security company doing drive-throughs at night, and we were not getting any reports."
"This has been a really, really good thing for us to do."
Griffis/Blessing is a Colorado-based property management firm founded in 1985, managing over $2 billion in assets across Colorado and Kansas. With more than 400 employees, their portfolio includes 6.5 million square feet of commercial space and over 10,000 apartment units. The company is led by Certified Property Managers (CPM®) and has maintained the AMO® designation from IREM since 1995.
Deep Sentinel is a leading security technology provider offering an advanced AI-powered surveillance system with live guard intervention. Its platform combines smart video analytics and 24/7 monitoring to proactively prevent crime. At this Colorado Springs retail center, Deep Sentinel was the core technology behind the innovative security upgrade — enabling faster response, reducing incidents, and improving safety while easing the burden on on-site staff.
NCS Systems is a Colorado-based security integrator specializing in AI-powered remote guard solutions for multifamily and commercial properties. By combining smart surveillance with live guard monitoring, NCS delivers proactive crime deterrence and operational efficiency. At this Colorado Springs retail center, NCS played a key role in designing and deploying a tailored system that turned a high-risk environment into a safer, more stable community.
Every property is unique. We design your security solution around your specific risks — from camera placement and coverage zones to response protocols and reporting dashboards.
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