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The Hot Dog Caper: College Prank or Parking Deck Vandalism?

At 12:48 on the morning of September 30, BOS Security VirtuGuard™ Agent Hunter White was making a virtual guard patrol of the College Avenue Parking Deck near downtown Athens, when he noticed suspicious activity.  There were two young females standing around a black BMW and a third suspect sitting a parked vehicle two spaces away from the BMW. Agent White was not able to clearly detect what the individuals were doing around the vehicle and began to take pictures and track their movements based on the activity.  

BOS Command Center Agent White continued to observe the activity, watching  the   individuals  using multiple cameras at the site.   The BOS Agent then dispatched a nearby ON Duty BOS Physical Guard, who made her way to the area of the incident. While the BOS Physical Guard was en route, the VirtuGuard Command Center Team observed the suspect individuals get into a blue SUV and leave the parking deck.  Soon after, the on-site physical security officer on duty, Officer Shatika Teasley, called the VirtuGuard™ Command Center to report the alleged vandalism of the black BMW Agent White had noticed the individuals standing around. Officer Teasley took photos of the vehicle and sent them to the Command Center to be evaluated. Nothing could’ve prepared Agent Hunter White for the strange vandalism he would observe in the photos from the College Ave Parking Deck. 

Interactive Remote Guarding for Parking Decks

When reviewing the photos of vandalism, Agent White observed that the black BMW was covered in hot dogs. They had been placed all over the hood of the vehicle, stuffed into the grill, and jammed onto the windshield wipers that had been lifted. Additionally, a white film was seen on the hood of the car, presumably liquid from the package of hot dogs. 

With no way to identify or alert the owner of the black BMW, Officer Teasley called 911 so that there was a report of what had happened, should the car owner be interested in pursuing charges. From the Command Center, Agent White captured photos of the suspects license plate, the two young female suspects standing near the vandalized vehicle, and the suspect’s vehicle leaving through the access gate of the parking deck. 

To make the situation even more odd, the owner of the black BMW was seen arriving at his car 2 hours later. Instead of calling 911 or finding Officer Teasley, the owner of the vehicle simply removed the hot dogs from the hood, grill, and windshield then drove away. Based on the owner’s indifference to the vandalism, BOS Security’s experts believe the incident was a prank conducted by college students. Even if the “hot dog caper” was a harmless prank, it exposed a lapse in the Parking Deck’ security plan that could have missed more serious crime or events. 

Close Security Blind Spots with VirtuGuard™ from BOS Security 

While BOS Security VirtuGuard™ agents and on-site security were able to gather photos of the suspects, their vehicle, and the vandalism done to the BMW, additional cameras and technology could have prevented or stopped the vandalism as it was happening. 

BOS Security offers real-time live voice-down audio deterrents for our VirtuGuard™ clients from our state-of-the-art Command Center. Had the Parking Deck been outfitted with these capabilities, the Command Center Agent could have sent a live voice announcement, directing the vandalism suspects to leave the property or notify them they were being monitored and recorded. This action likely would have spooked the suspects and halted their scheme, eliminating the need for a security response and a police report. 

Contact BOS Security today to learn more about VirtuGuard™ interactive monitoring services and schedule a no-obligation security assessment with our experts. Customize or enhance your parking deck security plan with BOS Security to deter suspicious or criminal behavior, keeping your patrons and their property safe. 

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