Video Surveillance Blog

Municipal Archives

April 20, 2007

IP video essential element of Russian municipal surveillance

The town of Kazan, like many other cities in Russia, has been an seat of trade, government and culture for hundreds of years. However, with modern crises like a dense-evergrowing population, street crime, vandalism and a steady traffic flow, maintaining security has proven to be a bit of a challenge.

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Posted by Jennifer on April 20, 2007 1:23 PM

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May 3, 2007

Co-opted surveillance system nabs reckless driver

Police in Brooklyn, NY have used a surveillance system once used by criminals to track activities around their hideout to incriminate a drunk driver responsible for a tragic accident on Monday.

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Posted by Jennifer on May 3, 2007 12:52 PM

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May 14, 2007

Video surveillance hoped to boost security at Port of Pittsburgh

Ports have long been considered some of the weakest entry points into the United States, and one of the biggest challenges facing security officials in the fight against terrorism is port security. Millions of packages enter and leave the country each day through the 100+ ports in the US, which can make establishing security a challenge. The Port of Pittsburgh, the second busiest inland port in the country, has recently received a $2.6 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security to help secure the area.

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Posted by Jennifer on May 14, 2007 7:53 AM

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June 8, 2007

CCTV cameras to watch over herd of fiberglass elephants

It's hard to believe, but vandals in Bolton, England have targeted the town's prized collection of multi-colored fiberglass elephants. The decorative pachyderm, named Ellie, Elner and Mr. Jackbow, recently fell victim to a series of attacks resulting in a fractured trunk, and cracks to the head and body. The elephant statues were installed in March, replacing the original grey herd that was commissioned in the 1980s. The new elephants were designed by local school children, but only three days after installation, they were removed because of vandalism and attempted theft. In August, the vibrant herd will return to its rightful home on Newborn Street, coinciding with the town's new video surveillance installation.

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Posted by Dan on June 8, 2007 10:10 AM

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July 9, 2007

New York to spread surveillance blanket over Lower Manhattan

New York City will soon be taking strides towards emulating the vast surveillance network that currently monitors London. With both cities recognized as high-profile terrorist targets, it makes sense that comprehensive video surveillance installations would play a significant role in their security efforts. While London's expansive surveillance network has been criticized by some as a breach of privacy, it has helped to identify suspects involved in a number of terrorist plots including the London subway bombings in 2005 and last month's car bombings. The program proposed by New York's Lower Manhattan Security Initiative, when fully operational, will resemble the sweeping network of cameras and roadblocks which works to detect and track terrorist activity throughout London. It will be the first of its kind in the United States.

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Posted by Dan on July 9, 2007 2:10 PM

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July 16, 2007

Downtown business group seeks mall security cameras in wake of recent violence

A series of seemingly unprovoked attacks near downtown Charlottesville, Va. has prompted business owners to seek out an effective form of video security for the popular shopping area. The public's confidence in the Downtown Mall's level of safety has waned due to the widely publicized attacks, each of which featured the same group of youths assaulting innocent pedestrians. Many malls and shopping areas install security cameras to both cut down on theft and also to enhance the overall level of safety by deterring these types of assaults and criminal acts. Surveillance footage can also prove extremely valuable to investigators tracking down suspects involved in incidents after they've been reported.

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Posted by Dan on July 16, 2007 11:49 AM

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August 23, 2007

Do drink the water. Security camera system keeps Water Operations Center safe

Garland, Texas is taking long strides to ensure that the city's water is safe. The biggest step involves the recent relocation of its Water Operation Center to an unmarked building equipped with a comprehensive video surveillance system.

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Posted by Dan on August 23, 2007 4:51 PM

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October 2, 2007

Bloomberg sounds off on New York City camera surveillance detractors

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg made his feelings about video surveillance loud and clear during a press conference in London yesterday. Bloomberg, who's spending part of his London "holiday" observing the city's comprehensive security camera network, is looking to implement a similar system in New York City. Critics claim the cameras are a breach of privacy, but yesterday Bloomberg called such detractors "very naive," noting that everyone he's talked to in London supports the use of technology as a way to enhance security.

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Posted by Dan on October 2, 2007 11:30 AM

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October 10, 2007

Flint Township surveillance system brings shame upon trio of purse snatchers

Stealing from old people is just plain wrong. Thankfully, the three unforgivable crooks who swiped a purse from a helpless 95-year-old lady in Flint last week did not go unseen. That's because the Flint Township is in the process of installing what's known as the Safe City security camera system, a network of surveillance cameras aimed at monitoring the township's commercial strips. Images of the recent purse-snatching were captured by the system and then sent to the police. End result: the three suspects are now in custody.

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Posted by Dan on October 10, 2007 1:40 PM

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October 15, 2007

St. Louis to install downtown video surveillance network

After a recent FBI index release showed St. Louis crime rates to be unacceptably high, the city has made plans to install a network of security cameras that will maintain a closer watch on downtown. The new surveillance system will include eight wireless pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) cameras strategically placed in trouble spots throughout the area. The system is loosely modeled after existing surveillance networks operating in Baltimore and Chicago.

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Posted by Dan on October 15, 2007 9:27 AM

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October 18, 2007

Citizen surveillance prevails in Oregon civil suit

Frank Waterhouse had a major victory against the City of Portland when he was acquitted of charges of criminal trespass and disorderly contact. Now, he and three others are suing the Portland Police department for damages, claiming the police violated their constitutional rights when they tried to film a property search in May 2006. See video from Waterhouse's camera inside....

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Posted by Jennifer on October 18, 2007 7:49 AM

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October 23, 2007

Philadelphia gets $10M surveillance camera expansion

Looking to secure high-crime areas and cut down on gun violence, the city of Philadelphia this week announced plans to dramatically expand its surveillance program. Currently Philly's high-tech crime-fighting program consists of 18 security cameras, but that number will increase substantially with the addition of 250 network cameras. When you consider that the 18-camera system reduced violent crime by 37% in the areas it monitored, it's easy to understand why the city is very enthusiastic about building up its surveillance network.

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Posted by Dan on October 23, 2007 9:22 AM

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November 21, 2007

Durham, NC surveillance flub sparks heated debate

Gary Andrews, owner of the Kountry Kitchen located in downtown Durham, NC is still recovering from an October 8 break-in. Coincidentally, Durham had just installed a state-of-the art wireless camera system in its downtown business district. So why didn't the surveillance cameras catch the Kountry Kitchen Krooks? Wireless.

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Posted by Jennifer on November 21, 2007 3:01 PM

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November 28, 2007

Hialeah, FL police use surveillance to end game of tag with graffiti artists

It's more than common - graffiti, street art, vandalism, tagging...Whatever word you choose to assign to it, it's pervasive. Police and law enforcement around the world have been playing a game of cat-and-mouse with graffiti artists for years, only able to follow clues and witness accounts to prosecute street artists - who often slink and spray under the cover of darkness.

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Posted by Jennifer on November 28, 2007 4:15 PM

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December 17, 2007

Video surveillance: it's not just for big cities anymore

In the small town of Sergnano, Italy, which employs just two police offers to protect 3,000 inhabitants, an IP camera system has been deterring and catching criminals-- particularly vandals-- so successfully that the system paid for itself within a year of its implementation. The system covers an area of thirteen square kilometers, which made traditional analog CCTV impossibly expensive. Instead, IndigoVision, the company that installed the system, came up with a combined wired and wireless network for the cameras, facilitating cost-effective IP surveillance of remote areas.

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Posted by Jennifer on December 17, 2007 3:01 PM

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Helsinki beefs up video surveillance for public areas and cargo ports

The city of Helsinki plans on acquiring upwards of 150 new surveillance cameras to be installed in public places and sensitive areas over the next couple years. The aim is to increase the overall level of security, allowing citizens to feel safe in all areas of the city. The new surveillance plan calls for fixed security cameras, as well as portable surveillance cameras that can be used for large public events.

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Posted by Dan on December 17, 2007 4:13 PM

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December 20, 2007

Philadelphia police unveil video surveillance command center

Philadelphia is one of a handful of big U.S. cities that has fully committed to widespread video security in the past year. This week, Philadelphia police unveiled a new state of the art surveillance command center which monitors hundreds of security cameras now operating throughout the city.

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Posted by Dan on December 20, 2007 9:34 AM

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January 2, 2008

Pittsburgh thoughtfully approaches massive video surveillance expansion

The city of Pittsburgh is gearing up for a large-scale upgrade to its existing video surveillance operation. Plans are in the works to integrate hundreds of existing security cameras with new, high-tech cameras so they can all operate on one centrally-monitored system. To move the process along, the city has hired an outside firm, N.W. Getz and Associates, to develop a timetable, examine computer networks for the system, and evaluate rules for preventing abuse and misuse of the cameras.

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Posted by Dan on January 2, 2008 8:44 AM

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January 7, 2008

Boca Town Center mall looks to add full-scale video surveillance system

Following a homicide last month involving a mother and a daughter, the Town Center in Boca Raton, Fla. is pushing hard for a major video surveillance upgrade. While plans were already in the works to add more security cameras, the recent tragedy further highlights the importance of enhanced video security. Mall officials are now pursuing a full-scale video surveillance system to monitor the entire exterior of the Town Center mall.

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Posted by Dan on January 7, 2008 9:41 AM

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January 18, 2008

Axium anti-graffiti cameras stopping taggers in their tracks

Late last year, a comprehensive, 120-camera video surveillance system was installed to serve as a deterrent to criminal activity throughout the city of Montebello, Calif. One of the keys to system was putting the clamp down on what was becoming a very serious graffiti problem. Surveillance cameras from Axium Technologies, which employ innovative "Tagger Trap" technology, were installed to detect acts of graffiti. The system is already showing its worth, as six tagging incidents have been captured by the cameras so far.

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Posted by Dan on January 18, 2008 9:41 AM

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January 29, 2008

Security cameras in San Francisco surveillance program not being used to their fullest capabilities

San Francisco's city-funded surveillance program has faced criticism recently for its inability to perform up to its potential. The problem appears to lie less with the quality of the cameras, and more with the way they are being operated. Since the 68-camera system was installed, instances of the cameras providing visual evidence in criminal cases have been rare. A recent review of the program found that choppy video may be the main culprit. If cameras aren't streaming video at a high enough frame rate, then the odds of capturing useful images are lessened. Footage examined during the review played more like a slideshow than continuous streaming video, with 1 or 2 seconds passing between frames. Contrast this with the full-scale surveillance program in Chicago, where high-quality video is delivered at 30 frames per second, and it becomes clear that San Francisco's program has room for improvement.

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Posted by Dan on January 29, 2008 9:42 AM

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February 28, 2008

Richmond looks to enhance city and port security with wireless surveillance

Richmond, Calif. will soon install a wireless surveillance network to protect its ports and to reduce crime and vandalism throughout the city. The incoming system will consist of 116 digital security cameras with the ability to wirelessly transmit surveillance images to Richmond police headquarters, a police dispatch center, and to Port security. The aim of the system is to deter crime, limit vandalism and illegal dumping, and provide visual evidence for prosecuting criminals.

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Posted by Dan on February 28, 2008 10:57 AM

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March 21, 2008

Little Rock beefs up video surveillance for NCAA tournament

Little Rock Arkansas is putting its new downtown video network to the test this weekend when the NCAA men's basketball tournament rolls into town. The system, which has been set up to monitor downtown businesses, will help to secure the area when an estimated 30,000 visitors flock Alltel Arena this weekend for a taste of March Madness.

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Posted by Dan on March 21, 2008 1:57 PM

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April 10, 2008

Municipal surveillance gets a boost in Washington D.C. - VIPS program to monitor more than 5,000 cameras

Washington, D.C. police will be charged with monitoring more than 5,000 surveillance cameras around the city in a new effort to reduce crime and increase safety in the nation's capital. The consolidation of these thousands of cameras (in schools, public housing, and watching over major roads) will form the nation's largest surveillance network - larger than Chicago's 2,000 camera public surveillance network.

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Posted by Jennifer on April 10, 2008 11:21 AM

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April 11, 2008

New Rhode Island police station equipped with IP surveillance system using scalable Milestone IP video software

Charlestown, Rhode Island's new police station was built with features designed to handle future surveillance upgrades not only for video security in and around the station, but also for monitoring the entire community. The station's IP surveillance system uses a mix of Videology and Axis network cameras, analog IR cameras run through video encoders, and Milestone XProtect video management software.

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Posted by Dan on April 11, 2008 3:59 PM

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April 25, 2008

Hidden surveillance cameras in Philadelphia used to hunt down illegal dumpers

Usually we think of hidden cameras as being squirreld away in buttonholes and cleverly placed in newspapers and briefcases during high-stakes criminal investigations or by spies trying to crack open state secrets. Not so in Philadelphia. THe city has recently announced the introduction of mobile covert surveillance cameras to help control the city's rampant problems with illegal dumping.

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Posted by Jennifer on April 25, 2008 10:37 AM

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