California College Deploys HD Surveillance System For Campus-Wide Crime Prevention

Avigilon recently announced that Merced College in Merced, Calif. has deployed the Avigilon HD Surveillance System as part of its proactive crime prevention strategy to ensure the general welfare of staff and students on campus. By deploying the Avigilon HD Surveillance System with its advanced management features and superior image clarity, the College is able to leverage existing analog-based cameras to ease the transition from analog to HD performance as budget allows.

“A key differentiator of the Avigilon HD Surveillance System is the fact that it enables us to zoom in to examine specific details of an event while it is still recording, a feature we initially thought was too good to be true,” said Deputy Sheriff Wilde of the Merced College Police Department. “The Avigilon HD Surveillance System also delivers a major improvement in image clarity, resulting in more useable footage for greater conflict resolution. Overall, image clarity is one thousand times better than what we had before.”

Security officers at Merced College seamlessly manage the Avigilon HD Surveillance System using Avigilon Control Center NVMS with HD Stream Management. The College installed Avigilon 16 megapixel, 11 megapixel, and 5 megapixel HD cameras to monitor activity across both the Merced and Los Baños campuses, including several parking lots. Merced College also installed Avigilon analog video encoders to dramatically improve the performance of its existing analog cameras, which monitor the interior of several college buildings.

Since deploying the Avigilon HD Surveillance System, Merced College has successfully investigated and resolved numerous cases of crime, vandalism and assault on campus. In one case, they caught a perpetrator in the act of stealing trim off several parked vehicles, leading to a successful conviction. Because of Avigilon’s ease-of-use and powerful management tools, security staff can easily capture and review the detail needed to successfully resolve incidents and ultimately, reduce crime to create a safe and secure campus environment. 

“The need to ensure student safety and campus asset protection has increased dramatically,” said Alexander Fernandes, president and CEO at Avigilon. “By incorporating the Avigilon HD Surveillance System into its crime prevention strategy, Merced College has created a hybrid surveillance solution that cost-effectively helps to ensure campus security and delivers greater peace of mind to staff and students alike.”

Featured

  • The Evolution of IP Camera Intelligence

    As the 30th anniversary of the IP camera approaches in 2026, it is worth reflecting on how far we have come. The first network camera, launched in 1996, delivered one frame every 17 seconds—not impressive by today’s standards, but groundbreaking at the time. It did something that no analog system could: transmit video over a standard IP network. Read Now

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

New Products

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.