Street Smart

To ensure safety, city installs surveillance equipment throughout metro area

Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama, spanning 151 square miles and boasting a downtown population of nearly 230,000. Like any major city, it has its share of crime and vandalism. To help combat this and provide a safe environment for residents and visitors, the city has installed 40 video surveillance cameras throughout the metropolitan area.

Thinking Ahead

In early 2008, the mayor hired system integrator ION Interactive Video Technologies to install surveillance cameras in various outdoor locations across the city. ION specializes in IPbased security solutions for businesses and organizations of all sizes, including municipalities.

The city also selected ION for its trained professional agents who remotely monitor the installed cameras from the company's own control center. Agents instantly notify the Birmingham Police Department of any potential threat or suspicious behavior, and the police immediately step in to respond and handle the situation.

"ION provides state-of-the-art solutions to assist in keeping cities, publicaccess areas and government facilities safe, secure and protected, 24 hours a day, seven days a week," said Ed Weldon, CEO of ION. "Our monitoring agents help to facilitate a quicker response to nearly any situation, providing a high degree of security and safety on city streets."

Managed Masses

As part of the installation, ION chose to work with digital camera manufacturer VideoIQ, the inventor of the iCVR, an intelligent video surveillance camera with a built-in DVR. ION chose the iCVR for its ability to monitor for and detect crowds, something the city wanted to keep a particularly close eye on.

"A large crowd can often accompany trouble, and the iCVR's next-generation analytics can automatically detect when a certain number of people are congregating in a specific area," Weldon said. "This gives us advance warning of a potential problem and enables the police to respond before an incident takes place. Additionally, with built-in audio over IP, our remote guards can use loudspeakers to inform intruders they've been detected—driving them off and preventing crime."

The iCVR intelligently controls storage resolution based on what it sees. For example, a potential threat, such as a car in a restricted area or someone lurking near a store front, is recorded at the highest possible resolution and quality, but during times when nothing is taking place, the camera captures images at a lower quality, allowing the built-in 80 GB hard drive to store one to two months worth of video and ultimately saving money.

"Because ION is using the VideoIQ cameras in addition to just installing them, we can be considered a customer as much as the city of Birmingham," Weldon said. "We are pleased with the performance of the iCVR and consider it a cost-effective and efficient solution."

A Higher Level of Security

The cameras have been up and running in the city since August 2008. Throughout 2009, more cameras are scheduled to be installed in the downtown area, replacing the city's older cameras with limited functionality. ION also has plans to layer some of the city's PTZ cameras with the VideoIQ iCVR, giving video technicians the dual ability to zoom in on an event or person of interest and view them with the iCVR's exceptional image resolution.

"Birmingham places the safety and security of its residents and tourists as its foremost priority," Weldon said. "ION's proactive approach to security combined with the power and accuracy of the VideoIQ iCVR provides a level of security protection we are proud to deliver."

About the Author

Scott Schnell is the president and CEO of VideoIQ.

Featured

  • AI to Help Resolve Non-Emergency Calls Across Utah and Decrease 911 Caller Wait Times

    The Utah Communications Authority (UCA), which oversees the state’s next generation 911 technology services, recently announced that public safety answering points (PSAPs) throughout the state plan to implement Motorola Solutions’ Virtual Response technology to automate the receipt and resolution of 10-digit non-emergency line calls in Utah with the help of AI. Read Now

  • Report Reveals Local Governments Face Surge in Ransomware Attacks with Minimal Resources

    KnowBe4, the cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, recently released new research highlighting the critical cybersecurity challenges facing state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments. The report details how government organizations have become prime targets for cybercriminals while simultaneously facing severe resource constraints. Read Now

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.