Taking a byte out of crime

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Lynnette Luna

An important aspect of deploying the wireless mesh surveillance system was educating the community to alleviate fears of “Big Brother” watching. JPCC representatives explained that the software in the wireless mesh system could black out certain scans, such as those passing over backyards. JPCC didn't have to do much convincing — people welcomed the technology.

“I went to a parent/teacher meeting the other night and was literally mobbed by people thanking us and telling me they feel a lot safer,” Harbison said.

The JPCC already is working to raise additional funds to add 12 cameras to the network. Businesses now are stepping up to fund part of the camera costs, offer space on their facilities and pay utility costs. The effort has been so successful that Harbison now is receiving calls from other jurisdictions looking to replicate the public/private effort. The west side of Dallas now wants to implement a similar program.

Of course, video surveillance isn't the only factor reducing crime in Jubilee Park. For instance, the JCPP has been making improvements, such as fixing streetlights and cleaning out alleys. Moreover, the JCPP has lobbied successfully to make most of the Jubilee Park area a drug-free zone in light of the several schools and churches in the area. Those arrested in those zones can't plea-bargain to a lesser charge.

But the video surveillance system has brought intangible and incremental benefits to the community beyond its crime-busting capabilities. In early December, billionaire T. Boone Pickens donated $6 million to the Jubilee Park community that will be used for land purchase and the construction of community and park facilities. Harbison said the new community center that will be built with these funds would house police officers — who will monitor the area using the wireless mesh system.

Back in 2004, the city of Chicago embarked on a massive video surveillance project that has become one of the largest and most sophisticated video-security systems in the world, now with some 560 cameras. Headed by systems integrator IBM for the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), the Virtual Shield project is designed to provide video surveillance throughout the city.

Video from initial cameras in the network was transmitted to OEMC headquarters via a vast fiber network throughout downtown Chicago, but wireless connections were needed to expand the system. Firetide was brought in to provide the mesh network. Eventually, the project could support thousands of wireless surveillance cameras.

Chicago's video surveillance system is getting a makeover with the help of IBM, which will equip it with advanced real-time intelligence capabilities for everything from homeland security monitoring to traffic control.

The upgrade includes installing cameras along the Lake Michigan shoreline, as well as adding analytics to existing cameras using funds primarily from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grants, said Kevin Smith, an OEMC spokesman.

The city doesn't have any statistics available for the cameras yet, but it is now beginning the next phase of the deployment, which calls for the rollout of advanced detection and notification software that will include IBM's Smart Surveillance Solution — a first-of-a-kind implementation that will bring intelligence to video surveillance. The system would be able to detect suspicious activity such as a backpack left on a park bench or the same truck circling around the block.

“The direction of surveillance is definitely smart cameras, where you build a story by recognizing trends and patterns. It's not just about a point in time but identifying activities that are occurring in just a way that putting them together does raise a concern,” said Roger Rehayem, an executive with IBM's Digital Video Surveillance and Security business.

However, the vast number of cameras creates monitoring problems. No matter how many eyes are watching, it becomes impossible to watch the feed from every surveillance camera around the clock. Intelligent software should help direct those viewing the video to any unusual events.

Moreover, an intelligent system will help the city reap benefits far beyond public safety, such as monitoring traffic flow, Rehayem said. “Municipalities want to do more with what they have and create more intelligence in the mundane things, such as identifying traffic patterns or congestion on city streets,” he said.

That is one of the ideas behind a recent deployment of video surveillance cameras on about 155 buses in the city of Boston. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the fifth-busiest transit system in the U.S., transports about 1.2 million passengers daily. The MBTA tapped mobile video solutions provider Safety Vision and Firetide to install onboard surveillance solutions that enable transmission of live video feeds to laptops in MBTA police officers' networked vehicles, allowing first responders to view onboard incidents as they unfold.

“The transit police came to us and said they wanted to see in the buses,” said Mike Schwerman, account executive for Safety Vision. “They had cameras in there, but now they have wireless mesh nodes in all of their cars with antennas on top and mesh nodes on the bus. When the police get close enough, the system automatically meshes up.”

The $1.4 million project, partially funded by a DHS grant, will also play a vital role in providing accurate feedback when an incident occurs and reduce false claims, such as other drivers saying that the bus driver was at fault in an accident.