The city of Locarno has responded to a growing problem of vandalism by installing a ‘Video-Over-IP’ network.
An additional problem arose at the town’s four waste depots. Unauthorised refuse was being dumped regularly, resulting in escalating costs for the town’s administration. Hence in cooperation with the county’s Information Technology Centre, the Police Department, and the Technical Law offices, a new security system. The authorities focused on safeguarding three strategic zones: the waste disposal area, high-traffic areas, and so-called ‘hot zones’ which cover the historical parts of the town. The vision was to get a surveillance system to act as a deterrent, but not to give any ‘Big Brother’ feeling that could have a negative effect on the picturesque image of the old town, the authorities say.
John Lay Electronics, part of Gruppo Sicurezza SA, were awarded the contract for the installation. The Panasonic camera and Milestone software system is scalable for the future, enabling integration of additional surveillance cameras, if needed, it is claimed.
The new security system is operating 100pc with Video-Over-IP (Internet Protocol). This project marks the first time a town surveillance system completely based on IP technology has been installed in Switzerland, it is claimed.
"Acts of vandalism no longer have any place in our town, thanks to leading-edge technology, which provides the requisite deterrence with the utmost discretion," says Clemente Gramigna, Ing. Dipl. EPFL/SIA, Centro Informatico Comunale di Locarno.
