Always Watching

Chicago police use PODSS system to help fight crime

• By Brent Dirks
• Jul 06, 2007

CRIME never stands still. And in a big city like Chicago, with its fair share of criminals, police are always trying to stay a step ahead of the bad guys.

Instead of looking to a typical, covert technology, police officials in the city wanted a system that everyone in a neighborhood could see and know was working. And with a little help from the Portable Overt Digital Surveillance System, or PODSS, Chicago police are using technology to help fend off the next wave of criminals. PODSS are portable systems providing flexibility for police officials. The units can be moved as needs change and can be dispatched quickly to occasions such as a one-day special event.

“As long as there is power, they can go anywhere,” said Rick Rubenstein, president of integrator RMS Technology Solutions, the company that designed PODSS.

And unlike traditional video cameras that attempt to blend in with the environment, PODSS are designed to be conspicuous to help alert would-be criminals they are being watched. The unit consists of a two-foot-high box with a black-and-white checkerboard border that shows the police department’s logo topped by a flashing blue strobe light.

“Chicago police wanted the cameras to be clearly visible so that there’s no question a public area is being watched,” said Paul Zucker, vice president of technology for RMS. “And it’s being proven to be a highly effective strategy for deterring criminal activity.”

Wireless Ease
Powering the programmable PODSS system is a Pelco Spectra dome camera that gives police 360-degree views around the camera area. The system also has a built-in DVR that records at 30 fps for local recording.

“We use the Spectra dome system because of the quality of the image and the reliability of the camera itself,” Rubenstein said. “The cameras are working when it’s 20 below and when it’s 110.”

Another unique feature of the system is the wireless capability. RMS developed, installed and maintains a more than 200-square-mile wireless network in the Windy City to help complement the PODSS.

“We’re making the most of IP technology,” Rubenstein said. “So far, we’re not aware of another city in the world with a wireless network of this scope.”

The mesh network in Chicago conforms to 802.11 standards, allowing for remote software upgrades and LAN-based video management. The cameras also can be controlled remotely by a laptop or central station.

Rubenstein said the open architecture of the system takes advantage of recent technology improvements in the security industry.

“While the bulk of security systems installed this year will be closed systems, we’re seeing movement in the industry to systems, like PODSS, that take advantage of open systems architecture of networking,” he said.

The IP nature of the technology also has numerous advantages for law enforcement, including Chicago police. Wireless technology allows the cameras to be moved to any new spot without concerns about available infrastructure. The lack of wires also makes the system less costly to maintain. In the field, police can control multiple PODSS from a laptop computer, allowing officers to quickly assess a situation to determine an appropriate response. And in the urban canyon of Chicago, with miles of skyscrapers and dense walls, maintaining the wireless network that operates the PODSS is no easy task.

“It would be very easy for an outsider to underestimate the complexity of what RMS has put together,” said Kyle Parker of Keith Parker & Associates Inc., a Pelco manufacturer representative. “Given all the tall buildings and potential interference, it is no easy task to successfully navigate through a city like Chicago with the wireless network RMS has established.”

Upgrading Technology
The first PODSS systems were installed in June 2003. And in just seven months, Chicago police saw results. Where the system was installed, calls to police dropped more than 70 percent and serious crime was down by 17 percent. And this summer, the PODSS in Chicago are in line for another upgrade.

A pilot program will be unveiled soon to equip PODSS with gunshot detection systems. When a gunshot is detected and recognized, the system will point the camera in the direction of the shot and send an alert to a command center or mobile patrols. Thanks to the initial results, and demand for the technology, more than 500 PODSS will be monitoring for criminal activity in Chicago by the end of the year. And the technology also is being used in Baltimore, Philadelphia and is slated to be rolled out in Indianapolis.

The system also is being used in RMS’ home town of Buffalo Grove, Ill., to deal with graffiti problems at a local skate park.

“Crime is an ever-moving target, and we’re proud to have a product that is really making an impact for public safety,” Rubenstein said. “You really can’t put a price on what the cameras do. It’s pretty neat when you’re a part of saving 150 lives. It blew me away when I overheard my daughter describe what I do. She said ‘My dad helps fight crime.’”

This article originally appeared in the issue of .