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| Effective Video Surveillance Fights Crime in Lancaster |
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Camera network run by nonprofit puts eyes on the street
Crime is down in Lancaster, Pa., thanks to a 70-camera video surveillance system operated by the Lancaster Community Safety Coalition (LCSC). A nonprofit agency funded by government and private donations, the LCSC has installed 70 Bosch AutoDome and EnviroDome pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras in Lancaster’s high crime areas.
SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE
All 70 of Lancaster’s video surveillance cameras are connected to the LCSC’s monitoring station with over 100 miles of fiber-optic cable.
“Our first few cameras piggybacked on the city’s fiber optic network for traffic signals,” said Joe Morales Sr., LCSC executive director. “But then we got permission from the utility companies to use their poles, so we strung our own lines and installed cameras around the city.”
The monitoring station is housed in its own separate facility (at an undisclosed location). It is operated by LCSC staff during the 15-18 hours of the day that are considered peak crime periods.
Physically, the monitoring station consists of a raised 42-inch plasma display, under which sit three tabletop LCDs, two for video and one for data. Each of the three video screens shows four different camera views, with actual feeds being controlled by the operators (usually two) on duty.
The camera feeds are switched between the 12 available video windows using a Bosch Allegiant control system and IntuiKey keyboard. This same technology can be used to pan, tilt and zoom the EnvironDome cameras as required. Each camera displays its location and date/time, so that the video source can be accurately identified.
“At any time, our staff can flip between cameras to watch for anything that might be happening,” Morales said. “They are trained to identify anything that looks suspicious, and to send the video to Lancaster 911. At the same time, 911 can contact them to pull up specific cameras, when reports of a crime in progress come in.”
All of the footage is captured on Bosch digital video recorders, for use in investigations and as evidence in court.
READING THE RESULTS
Crime has declined in Lancaster since the cameras were switched on January 2005. Moreover, convictions of those who have committed crimes have gone up while court costs have gone down.
“We are receiving great value from the LCSC surveillance system,” said Lt. Steve Skiles of the Lancaster Police Department. “By themselves, the cameras act as deterrents to crime occurring in the areas they cover. In fact, we have seen crime go down in areas that they’ve been installed in, as a direct result of people not wanting to do drug deals where they can be seen and recorded.”
Meanwhile, the cameras are great for alerting police to crimes in progress and helping officers respond appropriately. “The same usefulness occurs in investigations,” he said. “Video surveillance helped us solve a homicide that was captured happening half a block away from one of our cameras.”
In this instance, LCSC staff alerted Lancaster 911 that a fight had broken out. Just 20 seconds before officers arrived, one of the people involved was shot and killed. The shooter fled into a nearby house and tried to change his appearance. However, his efforts failed because the LCSC staff was able to tell officers which house he had hidden in. Contrast this fast arrest with a previous crime in Lancaster where the shooter was not seen on video: That case required 1,600 expensive police hours to crack.
“Video surveillance makes life much easier for our police,” said Rick Harrison, operations manager at Lancaster 911.
For example, they can drive right to the corner where an illegal activity is ongoing and arrest the right person on the spot. “Eighteen months ago, our people spotted what appeared to be an illegal gun purchase on a street corner,” LCSC’s Morales said. “The responding officers arrived, had their guns drawn and the suspects apprehended just twoand- a-half minutes later.”
There are even times when video surveillance prevents unnecessary police work from taking place, as was the case when an elderly man was found dead on the sidewalk with head trauma.
“The video showed that he had fallen from a low wall onto the sidewalk, injuring himself,” said Lt. Skiles. “Without that video, we would have spent hundreds of man-hours investigating this as a potential homicide.”
For the guy who actually gets criminals convicted, the value of the LCSC video system is immeasurable.
“There is no better evidence than video, especially in this day and age when jurors are demanding it,” said Lancaster District Attorney Craig Stedman. “More than once, someone has decided to plead ‘not guilty’ until their defense lawyer has seen our footage, then changed their plea to ‘guilty.’ This saves us substantial time and money in the courts, while ensuring that those who are guilty are caught.” Since an average trial costs Lancaster $20,000, these savings are very real.
FUTURE PLANS
The Lancaster Community Safety Coalition is adding another 95 cameras to its surveillance system; extending its reach in this community. This will include 15 wireless cameras.
“Lancaster is not Gotham City,” Joe Morales Sr. concluded. “We have a relatively low crime rate for a city our size — and our video surveillance system is helping us keep it that way.”
| COMMENTS (1) | | 07/09/2009 | | bullshit. crime is up. |
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