Out of control Johannesburg crime being cut by IP-CCTV

Story link: Out of control Johannesburg crime being cut by IP-CCTV by Alan Harten

IndigoVision’s integrated IP-CCTV solution is being utilized to lower the crime rates in the suburbs of Johannesburg, South Africa. CSS Tactical, a company that provides mobile security patrols, is introducing something new for South Africa by integrating CCTV surveillance with its area patrols.

South Africa’s crime statistics are horrific by any standards, and Johannesburg is often quoted as being amongst the most dangerous places in the world. Violent crime in particular seems to continue to spiral out of control.

According to CSS they are working on combining their existing physical patrols with IP-based CCTV systems so that they can offer their clients what they refer to as an holistic solution, with the intention of deterring criminal activity and preventing any incidents in their patrolled areas.

CSS main requirement was for wireless video footage to be transmitted from strategically placed CCTV cameras back to a remote central control room. Scalability and bandwidth usage were other very important factors in the choice of a CCTV system. Low bandwidth requirement was also important, as this is a limiting factor in South Africa.

CSS needs every tool it can get; when you look at the statistics for 2007 you can see why security is such big business in South Africa. Murder rose 2.4% last year, which does not sound so bad, until you see the number of victims, was 19,202.

Another concerning area is home invasions up a massive 25% to 12,761, carjacking seems to be a popular way to make a living with 13,599 incidences. Robbery with violence or use of a weapon rose to an astronomical 92,000.

The only good figures were a drop in burglaries to a fraction under quarter of a million! And rape fell to an astonishing 52,600 (reported) incidents.

CSS has partnered with a local IT company Parallel Technologies, who recommended IndigoVision’s solution (distributed in Africa by Norbain). They ensure low bandwidth usage and provide quality video images to assist in convictions. The installation of the first phase of the project, which covers the Dunkeld area, was so successful that CSS will soon be implementing the system in the Hyde Park, Greenside and Emmarentia suburbs.

CSS claims that the average crime incident per client rate in the areas in which we operate typically fell from 11.7 to only 1.1 within 2 - 3 months of the cameras being installed. These compelling statistics are obviously generating great interest with potential clients so they will be adding many more cameras to the system in the near future.

A team of 21 controllers, operating 24/7 from a central control room, use ‘ControlCenter’ IndigoVision’s IP Video and alarm management software to view live and recorded video from all of the cameras.

This allows the team to provide complete coverage of client areas, and to coordinate response from security guards and armed response teams. ‘ControlCenter’ software is supplied by IndigoVision as licence-free, which allows CSS to deploy workstations for no more than the cost of an entry-level PC.

This was an important factor for the company as containing costs is key to keeping the service affordable for its customers. ‘ControlCenter’ provides a range of powerful tools for monitoring live video and analysing recorded footage, yet it is very user-friendly. Typical training for CSS operations personnel is around 2 hours.