Axis cameras focus on street crime in Footscray

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 03 November 2011 11:52

Business IT - Security

 

A surveillance system in the Melbourne inner suburb of Footscray led to 18 arrests before it was commissioned.

 

Surveillance cameras have their critics, but the system installed in central Footscray allowed police to make 18 arrests earlier in the year while it was still being tested.

 

The system uses 31 cameras, a mix of Axis P13 (fixed) and Q6032 (pan/tilt/zoom) high-definition models. Although it is owned and maintained by Maribyrnong City Council, the surveillance system is operated by Victoria Police for security and privacy reasons.

Objectives of the system include increasing public perceptions of safety, reducing crime and anti-social behaviour, and disrupting the street drug trade.

The project was managed by IPP Consulting. "You can't predict when crime will occur, so it is essential to ensure that a surveillance system is reliable," said IPP consultant Bob Firth. "We can rest easy knowing that, if the wireless network connection drops out for any reason, images will automatically write to a memory card which is stored locally on the camera. The system has been so effective that the police made 18 arrests using the system before it was even commissioned."

Wai King Wong, regional manager at Axis Communications, said "When you consider the resources needed to install and operate a surveillance system on this scale, investing in an IP network surveillance solution was really a no brainer.

"Not only does it offer the council cost savings through the use of high resolution cameras, PoE technology and seamless integration with a wireless mesh network, but the advantages offered by an IP based system means law enforcement officers will now have easy access to a database of high definition video footage for retrospective crime-scene monitoring."