Peace of mind

CCTV Handbook 2011 Surveillance

Video surveillance system transforms a mid-sized city into a model of progress.

The Lancaster Community Safety Coalition is a non-profit organisation formed to prevent crime in the nation’s oldest inland city – Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The organisation’s mission is to enhance public safety and the quality of life in Lancaster by engaging the community and advancing current crime prevention strategies. The Coalition uses a three-pronged approach – environmental design, community mobilisation and technology – to aid police in protecting the city.

When the city planned to upgrade its traffic signal communications from copper to fibre-optics, the Coalition worked with city engineers to ensure the fibre-optic network could also support a video system. In addition to the infrastructure, the Coalition required reliable cameras that could withstand various weather conditions and vandalism while delivering excellent image quality.

Now, Bosch AutoDome and EnviroDome pan-tilt-zoom cameras are spread throughout the city, streaming video over more than 100 miles of fibre-optic strands to the Coalition’s monitoring centre.

Coalition employees – civilians hired for their knowledge of the city and their commitment to its safety and growth – monitor live video from the cameras 16 hours a day. Using a Bosch Allegiant Control System and an IntuiKey keyboard that controls the PTZ cameras, employees can switch between video streams from each of the cameras and hone in on suspicious activities or crimes in progress up to three or four blocks away.

The Coalition’s monitoring facility has a direct line to the city’s centre for 911 calls for times when police need to be immediately dispatched to an area. Coalition employees can even send live video to flat-screen monitors in the emergency centre to help the dispatchers communicate more effectively with officers patrolling the streets or arriving on a scene.

Video is recorded on Bosch digital video recorders which aids police during investigations. In a recent incident, officers used surveillance camera video to find and arrest a suspect soon after a shooting occurred. This same feat took 1600 hours in a previous case that was similar in nature.

The system and the overall work of the Coalition have also helped to revitalise the city of Lancaster. Lancaster is on the cutting edge with more cameras than any city in Pennsylvania.

“There is a link between crime reduction and growth,” said Joseph Morales, COO of the Coalition. “Our citizens no longer perceive downtown as a high crime area, which has helped bring more people into the city from suburban areas.”

For more information contact Bosch Security Systems, +27 (0)11 651 9604, www.boschsecurity.co.za



Credit(s)




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

AI human detection cameras vs outdoor detectors
Provision ISR SA Surveillance
The advancement of technology has revolutionised many aspects of security systems, notably in the transition from traditional outdoor alarm detectors to modern, AI-based, human-detection IP cameras, which offer many benefits.

Read more...
Safeguarding farmland with digital solutions
Axis Communications SA Surveillance
Marlenique Estate, located in the Western Cape, opted for an Axis end-to-end solution to protect its premises with access management, remote monitoring, and property and asset protection.

Read more...
Cutting costs and enhancing security
Secutel Technologies Surveillance
[Sponsored] Visual verification, powered by the Secutel Visual Verifier, detects and verifies intrusions and physical attacks and ensures comprehensive protection in areas where high-value losses are at risk.

Read more...
Supercharge surveillance with AXIS Camera Station Pro
Surveillance Products & Solutions
Designed to put efficient surveillance at users’ fingertips with an intuitive interface that is easy to operate, AXIS Camera Station Pro 6.2 provides a customisable video management and access control solution for companies of all sizes.

Read more...
Easy, secure access for student apartments
Paxton Access Control & Identity Management Surveillance
Enhancing Security and Convenience at Beau Vie II Student Accommodation, a student apartment block located at Banghoek Road, Stellenbosch, with Paxton's access control and video management solution

Read more...
SMART Surveillance at the Indaba
SMART Security Solutions Editor's Choice Surveillance Videos
SMART Security Solutions hosted its second SMART Surveillance conference, focusing on a range of topics related to the video surveillance market, on July 11th, 2024, at the Indaba Conference Centre in Fourways.

Read more...
Horn speakers from Sunell
Forbatt SA Products & Solutions Surveillance Residential Estate (Industry)
Horn speakers are an effective tool for actively deterring intruders from entering estates. By emitting loud, clear audio warnings, horn speakers can alert trespassers that they have been detected and are being monitored.

Read more...
Sunell’s range of thermal cameras
Forbatt SA Products & Solutions Surveillance Residential Estate (Industry)
Thermal cameras offer significant value to estate security. Their ability to provide reliable surveillance in all lighting and weather conditions ensures continuous monitoring, providing a constant sense of security and reducing the likelihood of security breaches.

Read more...
Integrating radar and surveillance
Forbatt SA Products & Solutions Surveillance Residential Estate (Industry)
Integrating radar with CCTV video systems significantly enhances estate security by providing long-range threat detection and comprehensive monitoring capabilities. This combination leverages the strengths of both technologies, offering several key benefits.

Read more...
Sunell anti-corrosion cameras
Forbatt SA Products & Solutions Surveillance Residential Estate (Industry)
With Sunell’s anti-corrosion range of cameras, the initial investment in anti-corrosion CCTV cameras may be higher than standard cameras, but the long-term benefits outweigh the upfront costs.

Read more...