NCJ Number
229410
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 57 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2009 Pages: 40-42,44,45
Date Published
October 2009
Length
5 pages
Annotation
After reviewing options for wireless surveillance of designated outdoor areas for public protection, key success factors are identified, and the wireless video surveillance network recently installed in Rochester, NY is described.
Abstract
A wireless surveillance system can transport real-time wireless video, voice, and data from just about any location. Cameras can be installed in buses or trains, fixed on buildings, repositioned, added, or replaced. Before embarking on a wireless project, agencies should consider the feasibility and appropriateness of three available technologies: point-to-point wireless systems, which provide connections between two fixed locations and are typically used in limited-scope deployments; point-to-multipoint wireless systems, which deliver network connections to multiple remote locations; and multipoint-to-multipoint (wireless mesh) systems, which involve redundant links that eliminate single points of failure. The latter system may be the best choice for critical applications. Before installing a wireless surveillance system, agencies should weigh costs versus benefits. Site surveys must be performed in order to identify line-of-sight obstructions. Planning for scale is also important, especially when new applications may be added. Video will require bandwidth, so any wireless infrastructure should have ample room to grow. Recently, Rochester installed a wireless video surveillance network to counter violent and drug-related crime. Deployed by national security solutions provider Avrio RMS Group and using Firetide wireless infrastructure mesh technology, the network spans 36 square miles and reaches into vulnerable areas. In just the first 6 months of deployment, police have made more than 30 arrests. California State University in Long Beach, one of the Nation's largest public universities, deployed a wireless surveillance system in order to alleviate safety concerns ranging from auto theft and vandalism to traffic flow and congestion. Thirty-seven pan-tilt-zoom cameras, 29 of which are connected wirelessly, and 40 Firetide mesh nodes compose the university's network.