With a capacity of over 32,000, The Ricoh Arena attracts huge crowds for some of the largest concerts, exhibitions and sporting events in the UK, and is one of only five venues (along with Hampden Park in Glasgow) that were selected to host 2012 Olympic football matches.
With such high profile events taking place, security systems integration to allow quick, accurate access to CCTV footage is a top priority for the West Midlands Police.
Quadrant Security Group (QSG) was selected as an integration partner to specify, install and integrate a surveillance and ANPR system enabling footage from key locations surrounding The Ricoh Arena to be viewed and controlled from various control centres across the force area.
Bespoke cabinet-based columns housing CCTV and ANPR cameras, located at key viewpoint locations surrounding the stadium, transmit encoded data via Wave Sprint transmission links back to collection points which, in turn, feed decoded analogue video data back to police control centres.
The system also enables ANPR data to be fed directly into West Midlands Police’s BOF (Back Office Facility), thus enabling instant access for any authorised user from the force.
Another key aspect of QSG’s work on the project was the installation and integration of control workstations at a dedicated events control suite.
Two Synectics Synergy workstations, a 19-inch touch screen control monitor and 19-inch Neovo TFT Spot Monitors were among the technologies installed by QSG and connected remotely to the main Synergy CCTV system.
Police users are able to view cameras in real time, including the newly-installed Ricoh Arena system, facilitating immediate data capture, evidence collation and rapid response as required.
The Olympic football tournament resulted in dramatic increases in temporary populations and traffic levels, and so the project proved a valuable asset to West Midlands Police.
Nik Calvert, QSG’s project manager, commented: “The region’s leisure, retail and conference amenities, together with Premiership and Championship football teams, attract millions of people each year – around 170,000 motorists travel on West Midlands roads each and every day. Add to that an event that attracts global visitors in vast numbers and it’s clear to see why integrated CCTV monitoring and control is so important to West Midlands Police.”
Calvert added: “Having worked with the force in the past and built up trust as an integration partner, we were well positioned to help the force meet its objectives for improved CCTV, ANPR and event surveillance.”
QSG is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UK-based Quadnetics Group plc. It’s also one of the UK’s largest independent integrated security systems integrators, delivering end-to-end security and surveillance solutions from consultancy to systems design, installation and support.
Working in conjunction with all the major security product manufacturers and in partnership with its clients, QSG delivers integrated security solutions for a wide range of sectors including public space, financial services, high security, commercial, oil and gas, transport and the gaming industry.
