Axis Communications, a provider in the network video market has supplied outdoor PTZ dome cameras to create one of the first wireless IP-based surveillance systems for a council in the U.K.
Axis Communications, a provider in the network video market has supplied outdoor PTZ dome cameras to create one of the first wireless IP-based surveillance systems for a council in the U.K.
In a move aimed at bringing surveillance into the 21st century, Breckland District Council has invested in a new wireless IP-based surveillance system which will cover the five market towns of Dereham, Attleborough, Swaffham, Thetford and Watton which make up Breckland. The new cameras will be installed in the town centers and will replace the council's existing analogue system. The council opted for a wireless system as it allows for greater flexibility for relocating cameras as risks change.
The council has updated its public space surveillance to a new IP-based system in a bid to help reduce crime and incidents of anti-social behavior in the region while improving safety. It anticipates that it will also help to save police time and resources, as the system allows them to log on remotely to view both live and recorded evidence rather than having to travel to the control room.
At the core of the new system will be AXIS Q-6032-E, outdoor PTZ dome network cameras which are designed to be easy to install, withstand harsh weather conditions and provide optimal performance at all times. Compared with the existing analog cameras, the new Axis cameras are tamperproof, able to move extremely fast with improved zoom capabilities, and offer excellent image quality even in poor light conditions. The supply, installation and maintenance of the video surveillance system was awarded to Axis partner Advance Monitoring Solutions (AMS).
Once deployed, the council plans to offer businesses throughout Breckland and East Anglia the chance to access the system for their own surveillance needs. The council hopes businesses and residents will take advantage of the system to enhance their own security requirements, thereby helping to expand the system's sphere of influence and enhance community safety in the area for everyone.
Phil Doyle, MD, Axis Communications, UK and Ireland, said: "Breckland District Council is set to realize the many benefits offered by network video. The flexibility offered by the wireless system and the ease of installation of our cameras will enable the council to move cameras quickly and easily. They also deliver high resolution image quality, coupled with high frame rates which are very important when dealing with fast moving objects and varying light conditions."
Breckland Council's Executive Member for Sustainable Communities, Theresa Hewett, said: "The council has been looking forward to this major upgrade for some time. We are confident that the Axis cameras will make a major contribution towards improving safety and helping to reduce crime and antisocial behavior in Breckland, and will take our plans for community safety and business support well into the future."
Grahame Green, the Community Safety officer for Breckland District Council leading on the project, explained the benefits of the new system: "The new wireless system offers a level of functionality and flexibility that our existing system is unable to provide. It will be cheaper and easier to relocate the wireless cameras and the new system will not be so reliant on costly fiber optics; offering an extremely cost-effective solution in the long term."
Andy Haughton, Head of Business Development for AMS said, "As the market leader in network video, Axis was the obvious choice to partner with for this project as Breckland District Council is one of the first pioneers to take the plunge and go entirely digital in one fell swoop, from camera to control room utilizing wireless IP. We are very impressed with the council's methodology and open mindedness to realize the full potential of how the very latest technologies can bring efficiencies and flexibility to public space surveillance in a way not previously seen within the industry."
Axis will supply 68 Q-6032-E cameras for this project and footage will be transmitted via an Alvarion wireless system. It has also provided four rapid deployment cameras and a megapixel contingent that can be used in hot spot areas. The cameras have subscriber units attached to them, which takes digital footage from the camera, turns it into radio and transmits it to the base station. The base station transmits the data to the new digital control room, which is another first as it is a Public Private Partnership between Breckland and AMS and will be run by AMS staff.