Massasoit Community College caters for more than 8,000 students. The institution is one of the largest community colleges within the Massachusetts Public Higher Education system and offers a variety of associate degree programs and certificate courses.
Massasoit Community College caters for more than 8,000 students. The institution is one of the largest community colleges within the Massachusetts Public Higher Education system and offers a variety of associate degree programs and certificate courses.
Local integrator SoundBytes Security were charged with creating a 100-camera surveillance system that would contribute to the safety of students and faculty members across the college's two sites, the 100-acre Brockton campus and an 18-acre complex in Canton. The end user requested the ability to monitor live video as well as inspect footage retrospectively as far back as a calendar month at high frame rates. The storage implications of keeping this amount of data were significant and the nature of the site also necessitated use of PoE.
SoundBytes chose two dome camera models from the Hikvision range together with the company's DVRs, which the integrator custom-assembled. The college installed Hikvision's mini PTZ speed dome cameras for indoor locations, including laboratories, computer centers, theaters, media studies studios and major hubs such as the library, cafeteria and gym.
The mini speed dome features a 1/4" Sony CCD. Campus security appreciates the dome's 3.8 to 38mm, 10x zoom ratio as well as 200 preset positions, tour mode and ability to set privacy zones.
SoundBytes is using a fiber optic network to record footage to Sun Oracle servers. "The RAID demands for this number of cameras functioning at 30 fps are significant and we are benefiting from Hikvision's H.264 dual streaming real-time compression. Footage is monitored both within the college and at a local police department, with officers having had input on the programming of the high-activity cameras that they often wish to scrutinize in detail," said Ed Morando, Senior of SoundBytes.
"The conduct of Massasoit students is exemplary, though in the unlikely event of any inappropriate behavior the problem could also be monitored on the camera system," he said. "But the surveillance is designed to protect students and faculty members from the threat of intruders and possible assault as a result of trespass."
"The system covers all public spaces such as entrances, exits, hallways and foyers," Morando said. "The larger outdoor domes from Hikvision have a zoom ratio of 36x. They are effective in helping to protect users of the many parking lots where low-light capability is one of many valuable attributes."
College administrators and police can not only observe live footage but may review it retrospectively to assess specific incidents tracing back to 30 days before. SoundBytes, who are based in Middlesex County, have laid Cat 6 cable across the two sites and benefited from the ability of the cameras to function as part of a PoE installation though the remote location of a few outside cameras meant hard-wired power was necessary. The external dome cameras are fitted with heaters that allow the units to operate for the extreme weather conditions catering for the eastern seaboard.
Massasoit Community College is known for nursing and allied health, such as respiratory care. The courses in media studies have a state-wide reputation. It excels in physical education, with recent alumni including Major League Baseball player Jim Mann, a pitcher for the New York Mets and the Houston Astros. Faculty numbers currently approach 500 and their pupils range from teenagers to senior citizens attending life enrichment classes. More than 4,600 people are enrolled annually in noncredit community education or workforce development courses.
The Canton campus is home to the Milton Art Museum, housing a permanent collection of traditional disciplines as well as the development of photography. Highlights include work by the painter, sculptor and war correspondent Frederick Remington.