For most people, CCTV brings to mind dozens of cameras, closely monitored by security officers. Acting as both a proven crime deterrent and used as evidence in Court, video surveillance has proven to be an invaluable tool for the police service. However, an increasingly sophisticated criminal fraternity – coupled with a marked rise in anti-social behaviour across the UK – has highlighted the need for a more robust alternative.
The primary goal of CCTV has been to protect citizens from crime, and for organisations to protect their property and employees. Where that hasn’t been possible, CCTV’s aim is to ensure that criminal behaviour is ‘caught’ and, thereafter, punished.
New technologies – including IP-based CCTV systems – are enabling a ‘next generation’ approach to surveillance. CCTV can now be an integrated application running on the corporate network, and may be managed by the central IT Department. How has this all come about, though? What are the limitations of CCTV? What can today’s IP CCTV solutions offer above and beyond traditional CCTV?
What’s the matter with CCTV?
One of the key limitations of CCTV is the sheer amount of wired cabling associated with a traditional network. Cabling upgrades and expansions can therefore become time-consuming and expensive, making it highly restrictive. If a camera needs to be moved, or a new camera added to the network, a completely new cable is usually the order of the day.
Another major limitation is the storage of CCTV footage. Traditional CCTV systems were designed for the point-to-point transmission of video from a camera to a recorder on the same site. Hard copy tapes are the only method of storage, and these need to be changed regularly and stored in an easy-to-reach location.
Not only does this mean that there’s a huge cost and time implication involved in constantly changing and storing video, but also that recordings need to be monitored by security personnel in real-time (a huge undertaking if this is to be done consistently). In addition, if the footage is stored on magnetic tape, images may be easily damaged and/or lost, thus completely negating their value.
One way in which end user organisations can overcome these problems is by turning to IP CCTV – a solution which enables the convergence of data, communications and security on to a single network which can then be controlled from a central system or location. There are numerous advantages to IP CCTV, not least of which are the significant cost savings resulting from simpler maintenance and the ease of centralising control.
IP CCTV also adds flexibility and increased functionality to CCTV. The existing network and CCTV infrastructure can be leveraged to enable recording over IP, ensuring that existing investments are protected while benefiting from the new technology. Consequently, cameras can be positioned to address specific problem areas and tackle a wide range of crimes, including fly-tipping, damage to property and violent or otherwise anti-social behaviour. Images from local trouble spots can then be sent directly to policemen ‘on the ground’ via mobile phones or PDAs, enabling them to pinpoint troublemakers and react to incidents quickly.
Real-time policing – enabled by IP CCTV – has already been embraced by North Lanarkshire Council, one of the first UK local authorities to implement IP CCTV in a bid to combat anti-social behaviour (‘Safety Council’, SMT, March 2007, pp28-30). The Council’s IP CCTV infrastructure, which was part of a GB pound 3 million investment, is one of the largest in Europe. The Council now has a huge advantage over criminals. The monitoring service covers a far greater area.
Consolidating the CCTV network in to a central monitoring station – and establishing a 24-hour, 365-day monitoring location – has also enabled the synergy of CCTV with other around-the-clock services, a lone worker support service and a back-up service for Community Wardens.
Cost savings to be realised
The biggest attraction of IP CCTV is the cost savings realised with simpler maintenance, and the ease of centralising control from a number of locations under surveillance. For example, system maintenance is easier and quicker as much of the diagnostic work can be carried out remotely. It’s also much easier to expand an organisation’s surveillance system using IP CCTV as additional cameras can be added to the network much more easily than those which are cabled… often at the touch of a button. Furthermore, data back-up and recovery is far easier with IP CCTV. Data may be backed-up at an off-site location, ensuring that footage remains safe at all times.
IP CCTV images are easier to store and retrieve as they can be saved on to a hard drive as opposed to hard copy tape. In fact, by using IP CCTV police officers no longer need to source hard copy tapes from image libraries (which may not even be on site) meaning they can access footage or evidence much quicker than before. They simply need to ‘click and search’ on their PC to locate the relevant images. Each image is time and date-stamped, providing more concrete evidence in Court, while the footage can also be enhanced in terms of size and quality to meet demand during major incidents.
A further benefit of the digital format includes the ability to store video images at different resolutions and frame rates to the original video, thereby reducing the amount of storage space required.
Police services are not the only ones to benefit from IP CCTV as such solutions can also enable security officers to work more effectively. Rather than having a number of security officers patrolling sites on foot, which can be both expensive and ineffective, a single CCTV operative can carry out a ‘point and click’ search from one location and examine footage across various sites. This is particularly good when companies have offices across the UK and, if an incident does occur, the safety of security staff is no longer compromised.
In addition, using IP CCTV, operators are now flagged in real-time when a suspicious image is captured. For example, if a movement is detected near a certain door or camera the operator can be alerted immediately, ensuring that they are looking at the right image, at the right time and can then take the appropriate action.
Analysing and presenting data
IP CCTV technology is changing the face of surveillance and, because images can now be monitored and stored digitally, this has enabled software developers to create innovative new applications for analysing and presenting data. For example, interactive applications can now be run over IP CCTV providing even more filters to increase operators’ efficiency.
Applications such as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) ensure that IP CCTV is a proactive security system, rather than being reactive. Contrary to popular belief, ANPR is not only used to monitor speeding cars. The application is often deployed by the police to track stolen or wanted vehicles and an alert is triggered as soon as a wanted vehicle is spotted on the road. The vehicle’s information and details of the alleged offence are then sent instantaneously to a police monitoring centre and then on to the motorway patrol. This enables suspects to be apprehended quickly, denying criminals use of the road.
Similarly, Automatic Face Recognition enables known suspects to be flagged to operators. The application is ten times more effective than the average policeman on the street, while private organisations (such as supermarkets) can even use it to catch known shoplifters.
These are just some of the examples of new applications which can be enabled through IP CCTV. Before we see any further advances in surveillance technology, such as mobile CCTV, involving the transmission of video over high-speed GSM, more organisations need to understand the benefits of moving to an IP-based CCTV solution.
In a world where criminals are now far more sophisticated, and in which the traditional methods of surveillance no longer provide the same levels of security, organisations need to reassess their surveillance strategy and look towards new technology to improve the levels of protection and security they offer.
