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| Dont mess with Dallas |
| by James Careless |
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August 5, 2008
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The Dallas Police Department is driving down crime and increasing arrests, thanks to two wireless video surveillance systems deployed in the city. To date, 40 cameras have been installed in the Dallas Central Business District, with seven more located in the high crime neighborhood of Jubilee Park.
Soon after the cameras were switched on, criminal activity took a serious hit in the monitored areas. In the first year after the CBD surveillance system went live in late 2006, the crime rate fell three percent, said Sgt. David Franklin of the DPDs Communications Division Camera Team.
We answered 785 calls generated by camera surveillance and made 211 arrests during 2007, he reported. The charges included carjackings, burglaries of vehicles and property, and quality of life issues like panhandlers and people sleeping on the street. The CBD camera system also helped us apprehend an Oklahoma man wanted for aggravated sexual assault against a child.
A similar downward trend has been reported in the Jubilee Park neighborhood. Within two months of going live last September, the surveillance system helped Dallas Police make 30 arrests, two-thirds of which were drug related.
VISUAL DETERRENT
Both video surveillance systems were spearheaded by local business associations, which lobbied for government grants and contributed some money themselves. It cost about $850,000 to install the CBD system and another $250,000 to cover Jubilee Park, said Franklin.
Designed, installed, and managed by Dallas systems integrator BearCom, the system currently supports 47 Sony cameras, and all but seven are equipped for remote PTZ functionality. Cameras are mounted inside protective domes and attached to boxes clearly marked with the Dallas Police Department logo. After all, this is not a covert operation the systems use as a deterrent only works if people know they are being watched.
Cameras are powered by the closest power source, typically found on the utility pole to which the units have been mounted. Video signals are transmitted back to City Hall via a high-speed Firetide wireless mesh network, where they are monitored in a room in the basement near the radio room and next door to 911.
Both the CBD and Jubilee Park networks connect back to the monitoring room using a 60 GHz wireless backhaul provided by BridgeWave Communications. The wireless network operates on the 4.9 GHz band, which keeps it safe from consumer interference on the 2.4 GHz spectrum.
Back at City Hall, the video feeds are monitored by a mix of retired and limited-duty police officers. (The IP-based Firetide signals can be viewed on any browser-equipped PC.) When they see something that indicates a crime is taking place, the monitors pass the information onto DPD Dispatch, which sends officers to the scene.
Initially, our officers were skeptical about the value of crime reports based on camera surveillance, Franklin told GOVERNMENT VIDEO
. Eventually, this changed when they learned that we are using a number of experienced retired officers to monitor the feeds, including a former assistant deputy chief, several sergeants, and people who worked homicide and narcotics.
Currently, the DPDs surveillance video can only be seen in house, but Firetide provides software to transmit video to portable, wireless-linked laptops in police cars and helicopters. Thats something we hope to do in the future, said Franklin.
BUILD CONFIDENCE
The use of wireless mesh technology makes installing the DPD cameras relatively simple. In fact, the biggest challenge is getting approval from the citys planning department to do the installations, said Franklin, which is why the department doesnt like to move a camera once its in place. With the associated costs of the paperwork and manpower, moving a camera can cost around $4,000, he estimated.
A quality transmission system is the main consideration for any department considering deployment of a wireless surveillance system. According to Franklin, Only a quality wireless network will ensure expandability for adding more cameras, which is an important consideration for the future. Another suggestion: Hire retired police officers part time to monitor the feeds. Compared to civilians, retired officers are both knowledgeable and motivated to do their jobs conscientiously and accurately, Franklin said. This approach delivers maximum value from the surveillance system and helps build confidence in it among responding officers.
The Dallas Police Department is satisfied with the performance of its video surveillance system, and is planning to expand it as funds permit. For instance, the King Tut Exhibition is coming to the Dallas Museum of Art in October and staying until May 2009, said Franklin. To provide extra security, we are going to install another 40 cameras in the citys Arts District.
Meanwhile, the positive results achieved in the Jubilee Park neighborhood are motivating other community groups to lobby the city for their own video surveillance systems. They see the improvements in public safety and they feel good about the cameras. They know they are making a difference, Franklin explained. Wireless video surveillance is working well for Dallas. It helps us to do our job better by deterring crime from happening and responding to it effectively when it does. ★
MORE INFO
Bearcom bearcom.com
BridgeWave Communications bridgewave.com
Firetide firetide.com
Sony sony.com/government
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