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San Diego:Sprinter line's stations, rails, cars equiped with cameras for 'high-tech security'

Anyone planning to break into a car parked at a Sprinter stop or grab the purse of an unsuspecting woman waiting for a train may want to think twice.

There's hardly an inch of parking lot, platform or track that isn't being watched at the 15 stations along the Sprinter line, which is expected to start running between Escondido and Oceanside on Jan. 13.

An invitation-only grand opening for the North County Transit District's $477 million line is set for Friday.

Security cameras – 10 to 14 are at each station – are already sending images to a panel of 48 screens, each carrying four feeds, in a dim room of the Sprinter operations center in Escondido.

From this center, in a tightly secured building off Washington Avenue where the trains are maintained, Sprinters are dispatched and the tracks and stations are watched. Should someone fall onto the tracks or break into a car, the transit employees watching the screens will send police, the fire department or its own security team.

“We've pulled out all the stops for a high-tech security operation,” said control-room supervisor Ed Hale, a former Los Angeles police lieutenant.

The transit district is paying $1.6 million for security for the Sprinter's first year of operation, which includes a private security force, sheriff's patrols and in-house monitoring.

If someone picks up an emergency phone, the camera swings over to cover the phone so security can see what's going on and tell callers they can be seen.

Cameras also will be added to the 12 Sprinter trains, Hale said. Although they won't provide a live feed, they will record action inside the cars.

In the past couple of weeks, Veolia Transportation, the company hired to operate the line, has been making practice runs along the route. Operators have been learning to handle the new trains and testing crossing signals and gates before the Sprinter starts taking passengers.

The transit district is paying Veolia $27.1 million over five years to operate the Sprinter, with a $5.5 million option for extra work on the line.

The dispatching capability is a first for the district, which has never had direct control of train travel on its tracks before.

The coastal railroad used by the Coaster, Amtrak and freight trains is owned by the transit district, but the trains are dispatched from Pomona by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority, district spokesman Tom Kelleher said.

The transit district operates a security office at the Oceanside Transit Center that oversees the coastal railroad.

HIGH SCHOOL SAFETY KPS will add 200 security cameras

KALAMAZOO -- More than 200 additional security cameras will be installed in Kalamazoo's high schools after the Kalamazoo Public Schools Board of Education approved their purchase Thursday night.

Kalamazoo Central High School will go from having 16 cameras to 129, Loy Norrix High School will go from 42 to 164, and the Kennedy Center, which houses alternative programs, will go from 15 cameras to 22. Norrix has the most because of its sprawling layout.

A federal grant will cover the $288,000 cost of the cameras, and the district is spending an additional $131,000 from its 2006 bond issue to install the cabling infrastructure.

The plan calls for installation of a new video system that will provide surveillance of all corridors, stairways, lobbies and places of assembly, including cafeterias, gymnasiums, swimming pools and weight rooms. Exterior surveillance includes parking lots, bus-loading areas, student entrances and building perimeters.

Superintendent Michael Rice said the new cameras will provide much better coverage and images and that the data will be stored for longer.

``It's expected to provide a much safer environment at the three schools,'' Rice said.

He said other security upgrades are under consideration, included upgrading the video-surveillance system on school buses and installing a buzzer system for the main entrances at the elementary schools.

Police Catching Criminals Thanks To Park Cameras

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Police officers can now monitor surveillance cameras in Metro parks from their patrol cars. The technology is new this year, and Friday the cameras paid off. The Metro Police Department has been working on the project for almost a year. Friday one of the cameras captured a crime in West Nashville. Steve Englert hoped police could capture the man who broke into his wife's car and stole her purse. "I hope we can track down the car. I know she was there," Englert said.

The video was captured by one of Metro's park cameras stationed above the Centennial Sportsplex parking lot. There are a dozen cameras watching parks all over the city, and now park police can monitor what is happening from computers in their patrol cars. Sergeant Houston Taylor entered a few passwords on his laptop and pulled up a live picture from Two Rivers Park. "At the skate park we can see any vandalism, graffiti that anybody might be being, also break-ins in that were in the park, and other illegal acts that also might be going on in the park," said Taylor. Not only can Taylor and his colleagues watch any of the cameras, they can also pan and zoom in.

Some might say Big Brother is watching.  "We have again no desire to infringe upon anybody's privacy while watching our parks, but we do want to make them safe for those people in there. We hope this to be a tool," said Taylor.     Taylor said police can use all the help they can get. There are more than 10,000 acres of park space in Davidson County. In the case of Steve Englert's stolen SUV, the camera worked. Video showed the suspect's car - a white mini van. A little later the suspect can be seen standing to the right of his wife's Ford Expedition. Metro police can enhance the video to see the license plate of the mini van and track down the owner. 

Metro has cameras in Watkins Park, Hamilton Creek, Cedar Hill, Two Rivers, and the Centennial Sportsplex. There are plans to install cameras at Charlotte Park, Peeler Park and Cane Ridge. Cameras at Riverfront and Whitfield Park will be added within the next couple of weeks.    When police detect a crime spree in another neighborhood, cameras can be installed within just a few days.

Surveillance Society: New High-Tech Cameras Are Watching You

Liberty Island's video cameras all feed into a computer system. The park doesn't disclose details, but fully equipped, the system is capable of running software that analyzes the imagery and automatically alerts human overseers to any suspicious events. The software can spot when somebody abandons a bag or backpack. It has the ability to discern between ferryboats, which are allowed to approach the island, and private vessels, which are not. And it can count bodies, detecting if somebody is trying to stay on the island after closing, or assessing when people are grouped too tightly together, which might indicate a fight or gang activity. "A camera with artificial intelligence can be there 24/7, doesn't need a bathroom break, doesn't need a lunch break and doesn't go on vacation," says Ian Ehrenberg, former vice president of Nice Systems, the program's developer.

Read the entire article here.

Security Cameras Effective In Schools

The Marion County Board of Education is working to apply for a school safety grant to install more security updates to the county's schools, including security cameras.

Fairmont Senior High School installed several security cameras last year and Principal Chad Norman says they're really helping out.

The cameras are spread out all over campus and can be monitored from different administrative offices as well as online by a few school officials.

Norman says it's a pro-active safety measure that they're glad to be taking. They put their cameras in strategic locations to help with student behavior and safety. They used data from their Responsible Students Program to local "hot spots" where students would tend to hang out or loiter.

Norman says the presence of the cameras has cut down on student tardiness, improved student behavior, and has allowed them to police the campus and catch students involved in a few on campus incidents this year.

Fairmont Senior High School plans to continue to install more cameras to continually increase student safety and security.

The Board of Education is still working on specific details of the application for the grant.

Read the entire article here

Extra Set Of Eyes

CUMBERLAND - The Cumberland Police Department plans to place a few more real-time cameras at various locations in the Queen City as part of its continuing effort to enhance public safety.

"These cameras are valuable as investigative tools as well as real-time recording that aids us in our response to the scene," said Capt. Kevin Ogle, the department's operations supervisor.

Fixed-mount cameras that record 24 hours, seven days a week are situated at each corner of the Public Safety Building on Bedford Street; in the Queen City Drive pedestrian underpass; in downtown Cumberland atop the Cumberland Arms building and on the roof of the Business Resource Center; on buildings in the 700 block of Maryland Avenue; and at Virginia Avenue and Third Street.

About a month ago, a camera was mounted on a traffic light at the busy intersection of Oldtown Road, Virginia and Maryland avenues, and Lamont Street to monitor activity on those streets. The first cameras in the city were installed within the last two years.

Additional locations are planned at the Centre Street playground in the 500 block of North Centre Street and the 400 block of Henderson Avenue.

And that's not all.

"We would like to have a mobile camera that we can move from location to location as needed," said Ogle.

"For example, if we have disturbances or problems in a particular section of the city, we could set up this camera."

All the cameras are monitored at city police headquarters and at the Allegany County 911 Joint Communications Division by police dispatchers.

The cameras, which have pan, tilt and zoom capabilities, are recording around the clock and recordings are stored for about 45 days. The cameras can be operated by supervisors at the police station and at the 911 center and are operated through Allconet, a local government Internet system.

"We can watch live footage at all times," said Jon Daddysman, city information technology technician who assisted with installation and setup of the camera and monitor system.

"The cameras give our citizens a greater sense of security, and if something does happen, it's all recorded as evidence that we can look back and review," said Daddysman.

Although the cameras have been in use in the city for a few years, apparently there have been no complaints about cameras. "We've had no complaints. The neighborhood watch groups wanted these cameras. They assisted the department in selecting some of the locations," said Ogle.

Cumberland is just one of many cities throughout the country and the world that now rely on real-time camera surveillance. The widespread use by cities and law enforcement took off after the terrorism of Sept. 11, 2001.

However, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a 25-page report titled "Under the Watchful Eye" that concludes that public surveillance programs should be stopped until they are evaluated thoroughly.

The report stated that cities across the nation are using surveillance cameras with almost no public debate and few adopted policies of how the data will be used.

Ogle said the cameras in the city are used "mostly as investigative tools."

"We're not using these cameras to watch the general public. There is no one sitting in front of a bank of monitors observing what is happening real-time on these cameras.

"So we don't see a need for a regulating policy at this time. And there are no plans to assign personnel to monitor these cameras 24/7," said Ogle.

Funds for the cameras were derived from grant monies and the police department's operating budget. The price of a single camera can be as much as several thousand dollars.

Read the entire article here

Pelco IP Cameras Now Supported by OnSSI Intelligent IP Video Solutions

Clovis, CA (Source: Pelco) - Pelco is pleased to announce a new collaboration with On-Net Surveillance Systems, Inc. (OnSSI), a software development firm and market leader in non-proprietary, open architecture IP-based video surveillance technology solutions.

The partnering of these two industry leaders has resulted in the development of a software management platform that allows Pelco Camclosure IP and IP3701 cameras to work with OnSSI recording software. It allows users to seamlessly integrate current or new OnSSI recording or viewing software to Pelco Camclosure IP and IP3701 cameras.

"We are actively supporting our open architecture message around our IP cameras by continuing to support third-party software integration," says Sara Scroggins, Pelco Product Marketing Manager. "We are committed to working with OnSSI and other software management developers with our IP Camera Application Program Interface."

"Our collaboration with Pelco fits with OnSSI's open architecture approach to IP-based video surveillance," says Mulli Diamant, Vice President of Sales, OnSSI. "By working with top hardware manufacturers such as Pelco, we are able to offer the most flexible surveillance solutions for our customers including scalability, functionality and lower cost of ownership."

Learn more about ONSSI at www.webcamproshop.com

Surveillance System Helps Protect Popular San Diego Beach

San Diego draws millions of tourists every year and is home to miles of beautiful beaches and luscious scenery. But just like any large city, law enforcement must constantly wage battle against an ever-growing number of criminals. One area of concern for San Diego was Mission Beach. The most popular beach in the city draws throngs of visitors and is home to numerous businesses. And in 2006, police reported the largest number of violent crimes in the beach’s history, including two sexual assaults. In response, residents collected more than $30,000 in private donations for a video surveillance system. An additional $80,000 was raised in a bond proposition.

With funding set, the city looked to local provider Dotworkz for a solution. "The city's chief concerns were to deter crime on Mission Beach, to create a visual record of any incidents that may occur and to improve police response times," said William Ferris, CEO of Dotworkz. "An analog CCTV system could not deliver what they needed. IP-based video, however, could achieve those objectives and more, plus add the capability for expansion without significant capital costs."

The system now includes five Sony SNC-RZ50 PTZ network cameras to cover the relatively small perimeters of Belmont Park. The cameras feature 26x optical zoom, allowing police to zoom in on small or distant details. And with the cameras located in a residential area, four of the five cameras are configured with Dotworkz “city link” mesh option in the 5.8 GHz wireless spectrum instead of 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. With the wireless option, the cameras transmit high-resolution video at up to 20 fps with 108 megabyte throughput back to the police command center two miles away. "Wireless connectivity gives the Mission Beach system additional flexibility and scalability, plus saved the municipality the cost of wiring and installation labor," Ferris said. "Right now, the video is sent to the northern division area's command center, but in the future roving police may add camera access on their laptops, PDAs and smart phones."

The system is tied together with the NetDVMS software from On-Net Surveillance Systems. The software gives law enforcement in the command center immediate and centralized access to all of the cameras and schedulable PTZ patrol sequences when the system is not being actively manned.

Read the entire article here

www.dotworkz.com

IP PTZ cameras and ONSSI software can be purchased at www.webcamproshop.com

4 Denver high schools to get exterior cameras

Police will be able to monitor feeds from 21 security cameras being placed outside four of Denver's most crime-affected high schools in an effort to boost security, officials announced Thursday. The cameras are being funded by $400,000 in grants from Target Corp. and the U.S. Justice Department.

Denver Public Schools has about 1,400 cameras inside and outside its buildings monitored by district security officials. The partnership puts exterior cameras on East, Montbello, Manual and Abraham Lincoln high schools and allows police direct, wireless access to the video.

"It's all about prevention," Ed Ray, head of DPS security, said at a news conference outside East High announcing the partnership that also featured comments by Mayor John Hickenlooper and Police Chief Gerry Whitman.

Public safety is the entire community's responsibility, not just the police's, said Hickenlooper, and nowhere is that safety more important than at schools. "This is an exciting moment," Hickenlooper said. "In the end, it can't only be the Police Department. It takes all of us."

Schools receiving the new cameras were chosen based on crime statistics, Whitman said. In the past six months, police have investigated 17 criminal incidents near East High, including assault with a weapon, auto theft and burglary, according to the county's website. In the same period, there have been seven incidents investigated near Montbello, 12 near Abraham Lincoln and 14 near Manual, according to the website.

Civil-liberties advocates worry that cameras outside schools could infringe on privacy rights. "Surveillance cameras around school raise issues about how we think of and treat our children," said Cathryn Hazouri, director of the ACLU of Colorado. "That is certainly something that the ACLU wants to talk about with DPS and the police to find out how these cameras will be used and what impact this will have on the students' and the teachers' privacy."

Read the article here.

See the news video here

IP-CCTV helps reduce crime and vandalism in Sergnano

Sergnano in Northern Italy has a population of just 3,000 and employs only two law enforcement officers to police the town. IndigoVision’s complete IP Video solution has helped transform the local policing of this small town. The installation of an IndigoVision IP-CCTV system has enabled the police officers to cover a much larger area more effectively, reduce vandalism and respond more quickly to incidents and crime.

There was no existing CCTV system to build upon so the new system had to be installed from scratch and provide cover for an area of 13 Km2. Installing traditional analogue CCTV technology for the entire area would have been too expensive for a small town like Sergnano. IndigoVision’s solution was installed on a combined wired and wireless network, allowing remote locations to be cost effectively monitored. The system has been so effective in reducing crimes such as vandalism that the Sergnano Police Department estimates that the system paid for itself within 12 months.

The system, supplied by Bettini Video and installed by their local partner Centro Sicurezza Brescia, consists of eleven dome and fixed cameras. These monitor areas such as the primary school, kindergarten, public buildings, cemetery and town square. ‘Control Center’, IndigoVision’s IP Video and Alarm Management software, is used by the police officers to view live and recorded video from any of the cameras. The combination of ‘Control Center’ and the IP network creates a ‘virtual matrix’, which is very flexible and highly scalable, allowing cameras to be located at any point on the network.

Recording is achieved with an IndigoVision Network Video Recorder (NVR) installed at the police station. High-quality evidential video has already been exported from the system to help prosecute and investigate several crimes. Each camera is connected to an IndigoVision 8000 transmitter/receiver module which converts the analogue camera feed into DVD-quality MPEG-4 digital video for transmission over the network.

IndigoVision’s transmitter/receiver modules have a number of built-in features such as Actively Controlled Framerate (ACF). This feature analyses the camera scene and reduces the video framerate during periods of inactivity, thereby reducing the amount of video that is transmitted and recorded over the network.

Commenting on the success of the project, Police Commander Marco Cattaneo said, “The new IP-CCTV system has allowed the police department to better manage its human resources and to achieve greater control of the territory around Sergnano.”