Milestone Systems

Milestone Systems, the open platform company in IP VMS, provided ‘the right stuff’ as the technology for live monitoring with archived recordings when the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) needed to supervise every moment during the space shuttle Endeavour’s recent weekend-long journey from the Los Angeles International Airport to its final home at the California Science Center.

Traveling to its final destination, the space shuttle Endeavour was slowly paraded through major streets and residential neighborhoods of Los Angeles and Inglewood, California, delivering its final payload to the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. With hundreds of thousands of spectators lining the streets during the 12-mile passage, dubbed "Mission 26," successful delivery of the shuttle and the safety of people and property along the streets were major goals. An effective and flexible monitoring solution was a key tool for completing the two-day trip.

As Los Angeles residents and outer space enthusiasts crowded the streets for space shuttle Endeavour’s impressive moving presence, the Los Angeles Police Department relied on strategically placed high-definition (HD) cameras from Axis Communications and Milestone XProtect Professional VMS to ensure the safety of all concerned.

Along with the physical presence of security guards, first responders and engineers surrounding Endeavour, the HD network video cameras were temporarily deployed to monitor the event. The Los Angeles Police Department Major Crimes Technical Support Unit installed a series of Axis network cameras that were viewed and archived by the Milestone XProtect software.

A critical infrastructure wireless mesh IP radio network was the backbone for uninterrupted communications between the cameras and radio nodes for the mobile command center and video display. A wired solution was deemed impractical due to the vast distance between cameras over the planned shuttle route.

"We had numerous cameras lining Endeavour’s path, with feeds from three to four devices on our screens at any moment. Milestone allowed us to split multiple views on our monitors, whereas other video products only allow a one-to-one monitor-to-camera solution. Milestone is intuitive and worked very well with our temporary camera setup. We were able to view and record in high definition with a flawless connection," reported Rich Cowgill, Police Surveillance Specialist for the LAPD Major Crimes Technical Support Unit.

The video surveillance solution provided live monitoring with the ability to quickly check archived recordings, to supervise every minute during Endeavour’s transit from the L.A. International Airport to the California Science Center. Cowgill was in the command center, watching the crowds and traffic during Mission 26, constantly in radio contact with the officers guarding Endeavour, in helicopters and the surrounding areas. The entire setup provided the LAPD with optimal situational awareness and response capabilities.

Los Angeles regularly hosts events whose temporary nature requires on-the-fly surveillance to ensure the safety of participants and spectators. From championship parades and award shows to protests and political appearances, there are endless scenarios. The Milestone open platform is especially well-suited for this, supporting a wide mix of camera models and unlimited integrations with third-party security solutions – ideal for the LAPD’s changing needs to protect and serve the community in different situations.

"Our main objective was to ensure the safety of the residents and visitors lining the streets to watch this momentous event," summarized Cowgill. "There were so many eyes on the shuttle itself – from officers to responders – who were concerned about the payload. With hundreds of people filling every block, our team was able to walk with the spacecraft’s security, while we had an overhead view of the huge crowd, keeping order."