The Port of Odense needed to modernize its surveillance system. In an area equivalent to 100 football fields, there were only a few analog cameras with low resolution. The new system, installed by G4S, consists of 17 mobile Axis PTZ cameras and fixed cameras that are managed by software from Milestone. The system also includes an intelligent application that detects anyone entering the area and produces an alarm.
At the end of the canal in Odense is one of the biggest ports in Denmark, with a history going back to the early 19th century. Ports have always required high security as extremely valuable goods pass through them and they can also be used for smuggling and other criminal activities. After 9/11, security requirements were enhanced in a number of locations that were considered to be strategic targets for terrorists, including ports. The International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code was given a considerably stricter wording in order to prevent acts of terror.
Solution
The Port of Odense needed to modernize its surveillance system. In an area equivalent to 100 football fields, there were only a few analog cameras with low resolution. The new system, installed by G4S, consists of 17 mobile Axis PTZ cameras and fixed cameras that are managed by software from Milestone. The system also includes an intelligent application that detects anyone entering the area and produces an alarm.
Result
When the system was installed it proved to have many advantages in addition to meeting the ISPS standards. It detects not only potential terror threats but also more everyday incidents such as unauthorized persons. The high image quality means that perpetrators can be identified and prosecuted. The system also saves money and is environmentally-friendly as the remote control solution means that the guards can establish a situation and the degree of action required without needing to visit the scene, thus minimizing any negative impact on the environment.
Needle in a haystack
Finding smuggled goods, hazardous goods, stolen goods or, in a worst case scenario, explosives in a port area is like looking for a needle in a haystack. It is necessary to search hundreds of containers, ships, warehouses and vehicles. With modern IP camera technology, authorities can concentrate on detecting suspicious activities directly. If an unauthorized person enters a container, it is either to steal something from it or to place something in it.
In large open spaces, mobile, high-resolution IP cameras offer several advantages. Intruders can be detected and identified even if they are far from the camera, and it is also possible to set the camera to follow people and vehicles automatically. When the object is out of range of one camera, the next camera takes over. This is called auto-tracking. Each of the 17 cameras covers an area with a diameter of around 200 meters.
Intelligent video
One of the system's linchpins is the software, which produces an alarm when someone enters the area. As it is a camera that produces the alarm, the guards in the control room can immediately see the intruder and assess the situation. If a patrol needs to be sent out, they can use a mobile connection to see where the intruders are going. If it is assessed that the police need to be called, the police can also be given access to the camera footage.
The system has given the Port of Odense efficient protection against everything from terrorism to vandalism. The fact that the cost is kept down means that, in practice, the ISPS requirements can be met without the overall costs of the Port increasing. As surveillance is financed by the harbor dues paid by ships, it is an important competitive factor. If it becomes too expensive to use the Port, goods will be transported elsewhere. However, security also plays a big role, of course.
Carriers need to know that their goods can pass through the Port safely and efficiently and the Port of Odense must be able to ensure that goods are transported correctly.“On occasion, haulage companies have denied that they had entered the area when we have invoiced them. When we sent them the images from our cameras, they paid immediately,” says Jorn Pedersen, Maritime Manager/PSO Port of Odense.