Event driven CCTV

Having set up their own control centres for high profile town centre schemes, many local authorities are now looking at security for external areas such as works depots. These unattended sites are potentially vulnerable, with valuable refuse and street cleansing vehicles parked-up overnight.

Sophisticated remotely monitored CCTV is being brought into sharp focus with the welcome intro-duction, for the first time, of effective standards. BS 8418:2003 now covers the installation and remote monitoring of detector-activated CCTV.

The case for remote monitoring has also been strengthened by a dramatic reduction in set-up costs ensuring that it is now realistically within reach of financially stretched councils.

The beauty of remotely monitored CCTV is its ability to link on-site external and internal cameras, usually via an ISDN line, to a Remote Video Response Centre that can be tens or even hundreds of miles away. At the RVRC operators are then able to provide event-driven monitoring of a specified area, and issue verbal warnings (via on-site speakers) to intruders.

Experience suggests that this step alone is a sufficient deterrent in over 90 per cent of incidents. Where offenders are more determined, operators can rapidly alert the emergency services and keyholders. Because incidents are confirmed visually, intelligent remote monitoring is able to detect unauthorised and potentially malicious intruders at the earliest possible stage when they first seek to gain access to a site.

It can also be used to monitor critical internal areas where access is not permitted out of hours. This approach can dramatically reduce false alarm rates that are as high as 90 per cent in some areas.

Succession of break-ins
It can also prevent criminal damage, minimise disruption to the work of local authorities, lower security costs and maintain vital police cover – a prerequisite for insurance – compared to more conventional options such as manned guarding.

RemGuard's own remotely monitored CCTV system for out-of-hours security has been installed at Pendle Borough Council, Lancashire, for over five years, following on from a succession of break-ins and vandalism at the council's Nelson vehicle depot. There are 150 people employed at the depot which operates six days a week from 7am to 5.30 pm on weekdays and 7 am to 12 noon Saturdays.

Ian McInery, Operational Services Manager for Pendle Borough Council, who took over responsibility for the Nelson depot in 1990, says "It was decided in 1991 that a CCTV monitoring system should be installed throughout all our premises after our vehicle depots were continuously the target of malicious activities."

Quite frequently vehicles stored overnight would be vandalised or broken into and it cost the council a quarter of a million pounds in damages.

"With our initial system we monitored the site ourselves around the clock using our emergency console. This worked fairly well but stretched our own resource that can, at times be fully committed."

The types of attack have changed over the years. The main theme in the early 1990s was malicious damage but that has changed to the situation today where theft predominates.

"In 1998 we upgraded to the RemGuard event driven system, which allowed us to monitor our premises from many miles away. We have found that the verbal warning issued to potential intruders is also extremely effective in deterring criminal activity," he said.

Verbal warnings to intruders via an on-site speaker is a sufficient deterrent in over 90 per cent of cases

The system proved invaluable when three intruders broke into the vehicle depot which houses approximately 110 vehicles some containing expensive tools and equipment. The system picked up the intruders on site. They had broken into the canteen of the depot and were attempting to steal money from the vending machines.

Police were alerted immediately and the three intruders, plus two accomplices were arrested.

The company is delighted. It is an excellent example of the ability of remote monitoring to deal with serious incidents and in this case has resulted in the all- important arrest of the attackers.

The depot is currently undergoing a process of redevelopment with the Victorian accommodation being demolished and replaced with modern warehouse and office facilities, which at the same time will make better use of the site for parking.

Pendle has also upgraded the capability of the remote monitoring service by having the next generation RemVu Aquila digital transmission equipment installed on-site to link it to the RVRC.

Installer, Red Rose Security, was also involved in the upgrade on the council's instructions. Commented Bill Wigham, Business Manager at Red Rose: "We have worked with Pendle for many years now installing cameras, detectors and transmission equipment. Recently, as well as fitting the RemVu Aquila system, we were involved in conducting a site survey, laying temporary cabling and repositioning cameras to ensure that the remote monitoring remains effective even during the ongoing construction work."

Remotely monitored CCTV is becoming an increasingly attractive option for local authorities to secure key sites out of hours.

Limited budget sites
Financially it is now possible to select fully scalable solutions for sites with much more limited budgets. The most critical change is the provision of on-site transmission equipment on a free for use basis, to organisations that sign-up to a specific monitoring contract.

RemGuard is the first provider to challenge the traditional position that organisations should pay up front – as much as £4,000 – for these systems which send the event-activated pictures to the RVRC. This is a major change and brings remotely monitored CCTV within reach of even the most financially pressed authorities. It is now possible to have a complete professional quality picture transmission system for a location such as a depot for under £1,500 because users need only to cover basic camera, detector and installation costs.

  Remote CCTV monitoring is now at the stage where its true potential can be unlocked both in terms of quality – with BS 8418:2003 – and the system economics. When these benefits are set against the pressing need to reduce risk, this is one solution that will be in ever-sharper focus when choices have to be made on how best to secure local authority premises out of hours.