Calgary's shopping centres empty out at night, but the parking lots, loading docks and storefronts don't stop being targets. Secure Defence provides retail security for malls, strip malls and standalone stores across Calgary with live video monitoring: cameras that trained, licensed operators watch around the clock, ready to speak to an intruder, set off a siren and call police while it's happening.
We've done this for 11 years. Vancouver is our main market and home to our command centre, and we serve all of Western Canada from there, including Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, Chestermere and Canmore.
Secure Defence is an award-winning live video monitoring company. The Globe and Mail and BIV both ranked us the Fastest Growing Security Company in Canada in 2025 and 2026, and we look after 500+ customers and 1,000+ sites across Western Canada.
The work is part technology, part people. Smart cameras flag a person or vehicle on your property after hours. An operator sees the live picture within seconds and decides what it is. A shopper cutting across the lot at 9 pm is left alone. Someone prying at a rear door at 3 am hears a live voice warning through the speaker, then a siren and strobes if they stay. If a crime is confirmed, we make the call for Verified Police Response, giving officers a description and location instead of a vague alarm.
That 1-minute verified response is why our clients see zero false alarms and 98%+ overall crime reduction. You can read the full process on our live video monitoring page.
Calgary has the lowest crime severity of Western Canada's big cities. Statistics Canada put the Calgary CMA's Crime Severity Index at 61.7 in 2025, below the national figure of 75.0 (Statistics Canada, 2025).
Retail is a different story. The Calgary Police Service's 2025 annual statistical report shows property incidents up 14%, driven by theft and fraud, and shoplifting reports at double the five-year average. Police note part of that jump comes from new online reporting for loss prevention officers, so more incidents are being counted (Calgary Police Service, 2025 Annual Statistical Report).
Commercial break and enters reached 2,870 in 2025, up 1.3% on the year before (Calgary Police Service, 2025 Annual Report). That's close to eight business break-ins every day, and most happen when nobody is there to see them.
Most retail crime we deal with happens outside business hours, which is exactly when live monitoring earns its keep.
Daytime shoplifting is a store's job to manage. What we take off a property manager's plate is everything that happens after the doors lock.
Shopping centres and enclosed malls. Perimeter cameras on the lot, entrances, docks and service corridors, all watched from one place. Tenant access can be tied in with access control.
Strip malls and neighbourhood plazas. These are the most common sites we see in suburbs like Seton, Mahogany and Cornerstone. The back lane is the weak spot, so that's where cameras and speakers go first.
Big-box and standalone stores. Large lots, garden centres and outdoor storage yards get long-range cameras. LPR (licence plate recognition) logs vehicles that keep coming back after hours.
Gas stations and convenience stores. Late-night sites where a live voice on the speaker often settles things before police are needed.
Property managers with several plazas use our incident reports, which include operator notes and HD video, to show owners and insurers exactly what happened and what was done.
Chinooks can swing the temperature fast, and the August 2024 hailstorm caused nearly $2.8 billion in insured damage in the city (Insurance Bureau of Canada). Our equipment is rated to -40 C and every powered site gets a 24-hour backup power system, so a winter outage doesn't leave your lot dark.
Already have cameras? In most cases your existing cameras connect to our command centre the same day. New pole cameras are usually live in 5 to 7 days. For a pad site or overflow lot with no power, a solar camera tower can be up in 24 hours and runs on a 2-week battery that holds in winter. Guards are available as a secondary option for events or busy holiday periods.
Most switch because recording-only cameras showed them the break-in the next morning and nothing more. Live monitoring stops it while it's happening. Clients also save up to 70% compared with on-site guards, the system is insurance-approved, and our 30-Day Performance Guarantee means you can judge the results yourself.
"Secure Defence has consistently gone above and beyond to ensure our sites are secure. Aamir and his team have earned our business and our trust through their hard work, dedication, and personal attention to detail."
Learn more on our Calgary security hub, the retail security and commercial and industrial pages, and strata and property management security in Calgary.
Yes. We monitor shopping centres, strip malls and stores across Calgary, plus Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, Chestermere and Canmore, as part of our coverage across Western Canada.
Regular cameras record a break-in so you can watch it the next day. With live monitoring, trained operators see the alert as it happens, warn the intruder over a speaker, trigger a siren and call police with a verified report.
In most cases, yes. Existing cameras usually connect to our command centre the same day, and we add new cameras where there are gaps.
Our equipment is rated to -40 C, and every powered site has a 24-hour backup power system so cameras stay on through outages.
For most after-hours coverage, yes, and clients save up to 70% compared with on-site guards. Guards are still available as a secondary option for events or peak seasons.
We do the assessment and quote in 24 to 48 hours. Pole cameras are usually live in 5 to 7 days, and existing cameras can often connect the same day.
Tell us about your shopping centre, plaza or store and we'll recommend a camera layout and send a quote within 24 to 48 hours.