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Soccer security

While much of the world is gearing up for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in England, Brazil has a little bit of a different focus. Obviously, a country with such a rich and varied sporting history is excited to see how their compatriots will fare in London; but for many Brazilians, the real excitement begins in 2014 – when they host the FIFA World Cup Games.

These 2014 Games offer much more for Brazil than simply athletic entertainment. Instead, they present a wide variety of additional benefits that have nothing to do with swimming or wrestling. While São Paulo is one of the official host cities, the massive influx of tourists and publicity allow the entire country to prosper.

But with this upside also comes a responsibility to ensure the safety of both Brazilians and visiting foreigner tourists. One such example is the city of Belo Horizonte, located in the state of Minas Gerais. Riding the countrywide wave of World Cup-inspired security projects, Belo Horizonte chose to build a citywide public transportation surveillance programme.

When it comes time for the Belo Horizonte Traffic Agency to choose a primary security camera, they rely upon Hikvision to ensure both their quality and safety needs are successfully addressed.

More than just cars

As of 2010, Belo Horizonte had a population of approximately two and a half million inhabitants, which placed it as the sixth most populous city, and the third largest metropolitan area, in the country. While the large population of this city already offers a daunting task for a project of this nature, the city’s traffic agency had a more ambitious goal: instead of simply focusing on cars and traffic patterns, an additional emphasis was placed on the safety of citizens walking and engaging in the many activities of their daily lives.

To achieve these twin goals, a camera was required that offered both a very high level of flexibility and an equally high level of quality. Alvaro de Souza, CCTV manager at VMI Sistemas de Segurança– Hikvision’s distributor responsible for developing this project – chose Hikvision’s DS-2DF1-517-B network speed dome to meet these demands. As Souza states, “This speed dome is the perfect fit for us. It can quickly zoom onto moving objects, while immediately allowing the security operator to clearly identify who, or what it is.”

Yet, it was more than the simple procedure of being able to move the camera’s focus that was critical. Souza relates, “There are many different speed dome models, from many different speed dome manufacturers, on the market. “

What sets the DS-2DF1-517-B apart is its ability to see clear images in low lighting conditions. In fact, when it came down to making our final choice, this superior low-light ability had a big advantage over its European and American competitors.”

Low light

Operating in low light is critical in Belo Horizonte based on two primary factors. The first is the environment in which these cameras must operate. As a traffic surveillance system, they are placed outdoors and must successfully function in a wide range of lighting conditions.

Hikvision was chosen for its high-quality technology, as Souza explains, “In relation to the DS-2DF1-517-B performing well in low-light condition, we feel that this camera offers a perfect cost-benefit ratio.”

The second area was the ability of this speed dome to immediately zoom onto moving objects and deliver crystal-clear images, regardless of outdoor light. This aspect was extremely important since security personnel need to quickly, and accurately, recognise and respond to fluid situations. In particular, Belo Horizonte authorities were targeting street crime. In order to combat this specific type of crime, authorities needed to quickly assess what has happening and identify who was breaking the law. Souza notes, “Facial recognition would always be ideal. But, the reality is, in an environment such as this, the ability to clearly see distinguishing features, such as particular items of clothing, is critical. But with Hikvision’s 540 TVL image resolution and 3D digital noise reduction, we are able to achieve this goal.”

Through Hikvision technology, such as a 0,25-inch Sony EXVIEW HAD progressive scan CCD, 128x wide dynamic range, a true day/night functionality, 3D intelligent positioning function and an IP66 rating; the DS-2DF1-517-B has already helped Belo Horizonte reduce street crime. In addition, the images captured by this camera are shown at the main TV broadcast company in Brazil, allowing traffic authorities to help the citizens choose – or avoid – certain roads during rush hours.

Souza notes, “An added benefit is the ability of this camera to seamlessly integrate with a variety of different traffic-management technology tools. This allows us to easily upgrade the solution, without having to waste funds. Based on the performance and applicability of the DS-2DF1-517-B, we confidently anticipate using additional Hikvision components in the future.”

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