Wireless technology was on the agenda when dozens of local authority and police representatives from all over the country met a range of manufacturers.
Lower running costs and improved functionality were a recurring theme during a day when it was stressed that new wireless equipment could run alongside existing analogue CCTV, allowing systems to evolve over time.
Mike Holt from Sirrus told the conference in Swindon that high resolution Internet Protocol (IP) cameras provided ten times the resolution of the best available analogue equivalents, yet there was no reason why they couldn’t simply be added on to enhance what was already in place.
Bristol-based consultancy Global MSC Security Director Derek Maltby, who arranged the event to also explore ways of generating income, said: "We were able to attract the Premier League of security system manufacturers and put them in a room with a range of the people who buy their products. Both groups benefit from those personal contacts."
Peter Currie, from Vigilant, admitted that manufacturers hadn’t always been very good at explaining themselves so he welcomed the chance to speak to end users.
Gary Frost from Indigo Vision agreed: "There is still a lot of misunderstanding about IP systems and a reluctance on the part of some local authorities to move into this new technology. That’s why an event like this is so valuable, to give us an opportunity to explain and people to consider their options for the future."
Speakers touched on issues including the vexed question of the balance between quality, frame rate, compression and storage. Global MSC Security’s Graeme Ross tried to simplify things by encouraging customers to consider clearly what they wanted systems to do and then challenge producers to satisfy those needs.
"The days of massive capital investment have gone. IP systems allow us to look at a completely different business model which can also include income generation where enforcement helps pay for the cost of the infrastructure."
He also pointed out ways to save significantly: "At the moment something like 93pc of the pictures transmitted from the camera are wasted because only 7pc end up being stored. People should be thinking about doing the processing at the camera and then only transmitting the data that will actually be required."
One man who has already made steps towards savings is John Broomfield, Nottingham’s CCTV Manager, who explained he was looking to move away from rented fibre optic circuits, which cost £900 a year, per camera. But he urged delegates to plan across the whole of their areas rather than attempting to solve problems in a piecemeal fashion.
Charles Butters, from Aylesbury Vale District Council, was impressed by what he’d heard from Nottingham.
"In the future we expect councils right across Buckinghamshire to move towards a closer relationship. If we plan on a wider basis now for the future, the benefits will be clear both in terms of the service council tax payers enjoy and the amount of money wireless systems cost," he said.
Bristol City Council’s Emergency Control Manager, Gordon McLanaghan, saw ways in which he could save money and bring in much needed cash. "I am lucky that I am encouraged to look for new ways of doing things, to be innovative and entrepreneurial if you like. One of the things I am thinking about is making better use of the existing broadband connection in Bristol’s 180 schools. They are standing idle when the schools are closed. By using the new technologies that are now available, we could link up with their security cameras, look out for criminal activity and get a quick response to incidents. We could make a modest charge, it would save the schools money repairing damage and could even lower insurance premiums," he added.
Enforcement Officers, Ady Cole and Glen Lee, from West Oxfordshire District Council decided to leave no stone unturned in their fight to combat fly tippers and they were impressed by a covert, movement activated camera system.
"An officer has to spend hours at a potential fly tipping site and there’s no guarantee they will actually see anything. The reason we’re so keen to invest in this technology is it will save a lot of time and therefore money. We can regularly check on the cameras and capture the high quality pictures which will help us secure a conviction," said Mr Cole.
Fly tipping is a problem across the country, not only spoiling the look of the environment but costing councils, as they clear up behind the irresponsible.
"The beauty of this kind of system is the camera could be lurking practically anywhere, so when people are dumping their rubbish they will never know if they’re under surveillance," added Mr Lee.
