In this exclusive first look at a Genetec city surveillance case in Bhavnagar City, read about how Genetec Security Center was leveraged by the local police force to improve operations and overall security.
In this exclusive first look at a Genetec city surveillance case in Bhavnagar City, read about how Genetec Security Center was leveraged by the local police force to improve operations and overall security.
Overview
No matter a city’s size, residents want their every day to go smoothly. The same is true for visitors who move about communities for business or pleasure. That’s why the police force in Bhavnagar, India, use intelligent surveillance to keep an eye on happenings in the city. From petty theft to more serious offenses, officers can quickly respond and handle any situation. That way regardless if it’s a big religious celebration that draws thousands of visitors or just another bustling day, they ensure everything proceeds smoothly.
Challenge
In a growing city, police officers need to be able to adapt to constant change. As the Bhavnagar City grew, so did its traffic congestion and crime rates. The city also faced challenges protecting the hundreds of thousands of people who partook in an annual festival called Jagannath Rath Yatra. While over 4,000 on-foot officers secured the event, spotting incidents in the crowded streets was difficult. Dipankar Trivedi, Superintendent of Police in Bhavnagar, knew his police force could become more efficient with the right tools. That’s when the search began for video surveillance technology.
Solution
"There's been a 20-25 percent drop in the number of crimes in our city," said Trivedi. That’s because officers now monitor 155 cameras from a central control room using
Genetec Security Center. Working with eSec Security Consultants, the Bhavnagar City chose Security Center because it allows them to adapt and grow their system over time. The solution provides a birds-eye-view of the city’s roadways, attractions, entry points, transportation hubs, and other important sites. With this visibility, police officers can spot incidents, pull up video from a city map, and respond much quicker than they could before.
Bhavnagar City enhances urban living and safety with security center
Funding a new surveillance system can be challenging for any city. For Bhavnagar City, the flexible implementation of
Genetec's Security Center made things easier. The police department gradually built its command and control center known as ‘Netra’ (Eye), and added cameras in multiple phases. This gave them time to secure funding from private and public organizations, and eventually expand coverage across the entire city. Operators monitor 155 cameras with ease using Plan Manager, the map interface of Security Center. At any time, they can input a street name or go to an area on the map to pull up or playback video. This cuts response time down to seconds and simplifies the search for evidence when local precincts need help during investigations.
“With the implementation of Security Center, we can now effectively monitor traffic and assist in police investigations. The technology and the cameras used are of very good quality and are not only reliable, but also provide high-definition image quality making surveillance easier,” said Trivedi.
Source: Genetec
Growing confidence in city security
With better visibility, officers can keep everyone safe. At the last annual Jagannath Rath Yatra, officers in the control room, Netra, collaborated closely with those on ground. They worked as a team, sharing information to address crowd congestion or rowdiness before it escalated. On-foot officers could use tablets to record video in the field when camera views were unable to fully capture the situation. The video streamed back to the command center via the Security Center Mobile App, where it could be viewed and archived.
"With this implementation, people are experiencing a greater sense of security and feeling more confident than before. The number of small crimes, like chain or bag snatching and small thefts, has gone down to zero. The surveillance system has proven to be a strong deterrence to criminal offenders and miscreants,” said Trivedi.
Keeping an eye on roadway safety
In Bhavnagar City, Security Center is being used for more than security. Officers can identify safety concerns or accidents on roadways too. For instance, if an officer spots someone in the vehicle using their cellphone or not wearing a seatbelt, they can take a video snapshot from Security Center. Then, they are able to send the vehicle owner an infraction along with the evidence.
The outlook on more citywide security
Big plans are on the horizon. As more funding becomes available, the Superintendent of Police in Bhavnagar would like to continue expanding the citywide surveillance system by adding cameras. They also want to integrate drones into Security Center. The city would like to install distress call stations in public areas as well. These stations will be connected to Security Center via the Sipelia Communications Management module, which enables two-way communication between operators and intercom devices. With one press of the button, a victim or witness can speak directly with officers at Netra who can then dispatch local police to respond.
“eSec has delivered a very reliable and intuitive citywide surveillance solution, and we are thrilled with the outcome. The Security Center platform has been critical in our efforts to reduce crime. More than that, it has made our team more responsive and efficient in keeping our people, businesses, and visitors safe,” concluded Trivedi.