SourceSecurity.com RSS - Notes from Norstrom

CCTV on the frontline

Pauline Norstrom norstrom@sourcesecurity.com — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT

When it comes to maximising the benefits of CCTV, a key priority, in the first instance, must be to look at the frontline where the all-important images are being captured.

Whether being used for commercial or public space surveillance, as the eyes of a solution, cameras must be both fit for purpose and positioned so they are able to see, at an appropriate level, what is actually going on in a designated area, with the right amount of illumination also a prerequisite.

This focus on how cameras are applied may seem logical, however the point is that where, in a minority of cases, common sense does not prevail a solution is liable to fall at the first hurdle, severely constraining its ability to detect crime and provide useful evidence. Certainly this is not a situation which is in the best interests of a specific user; what they are attempting to protect; the potential for authorities to secure convictions or, for that matter, the wider reputation of CCTV.

Given...

Challenging the anti-CCTV agenda of Big Brother Watch

Pauline Norstrom norstrom@sourcesecurity.com — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:00:00 GMT

At the BSIA (British Security Industry Association) we are all for a considered debate regarding CCTV and its effectiveness. In the past, for instance, we have welcomed the efforts of the House of Lords Constitution Committee and other reports and views on this critical area. Whilst we may not have agreed with all of their respective recommendations we were, at least, reassured that the issue was being approached with some semblance of balance, and the resulting documents had benefited from the input of a range of interested parties including members of the public, end users, civil liberties groups and the police.

It would be difficult to argue that the report on CCTV which emerged last month from Big Brother Watch - an offshoot of the Taxpayers Alliance - was not created, from the start, with an anti-CCTV agenda in mind. The very...

CCTV site safety net

Pauline Norstrom norstrom@sourcesecurity.com — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Intelligent CCTV technology is fast becoming an indispensable resource when it comes to managers seeking to secure the health and safety of their workers on busy large-scale sites and also to deter unwanted intruders - in and out of hours - who, if left unchallenged, may find themselves in potentially hazardous and even life threatening situations.

The widespread application of surveillance technology, from network capable solutions to remotely monitored, detector-activated systems, is undoubtedly making a real difference on the ground in the day-to-day operations of commercial concerns ranging from large-scale waste processing facilities to motor dealerships.

A salutary tale regarding the need for event-driven CCTV in terms of minimising the risk of injury - and allowing help to be provided should it be required - comes from a motor dealership. In this case a customer, accidentally locked in at the close of business, scaled the perimeter fence and jumped...

Putting video content analysis into perspective

Pauline Norstrom norstrom@sourcesecurity.com — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Few would argue that the history of Video Content Analysis - also known as Intelligent Video Analytics - has been a smooth one. The reality, in a significant number of cases for the early adopters - such as retailers - has been systems applied incorrectly, not fit-for-purpose, or simply failing to deliver the in-use performance which specifiers and end users had initially hoped for.

Following, what in many ways was a false dawn for Video Content Analysis it is perfectly understandable that there should be a certain reticence when it comes to adopting the latest solutions. Thankfully, time has moved on and today's systems are much more capable and cost effective than before. However, in light of past experience, there is I believe a pressing need to provide clear and effective guidance for organisations who are looking to utilise this key technological development in their CCTV infrastructure, as well as offering specifiers general advice to assess suppliers and their...

Counting on numbers for crime detection and prosecution

Pauline Norstrom norstrom@sourcesecurity.com — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Today ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition), once the sole preserve of the police in their efforts to deal with traffic law violations and other criminal activity, is increasingly being deployed by security managers to control risk and heighten security at commercial and public sector sites. When it comes to the application of ANPR, there is an ever-growing range of scenarios where this technology is having a positive impact, whether it is a petrol station forecourt, to deter and prosecute customer ‘drive-offs', or the effective control of site access for a large-scale manufacturing plant to prevent unauthorised entry to commercially critical areas. In fact most observers would agree that ANPR is one of the most pervasive, reliable and commercially viable of all the available content analysis solutions.

Looking in more detail at the typical end user requirements for ANPR technology, these are likely to include some of the following: the ability to identify and...

Putting CCTV and security issues into context

Pauline Norstrom norstrom@sourcesecurity.com — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Welcome to the first edition of what is planned to be a regular fortnightly column for SourceSecurity.com, in which I will aim to bring topical and incisive comment to bear on the most critical security issues of the day. In particular, through ‘Notes from Norstrom', I plan to take a timely look at what is grabbing the media headlines, from a crime fighting perspective, going behind the sound-bites to offer, what I hope will be, a considered and thought provoking view on topics from retail security to dealing with the ongoing terrorist threat.

Through this column, I will also seek to place each talking point into context, in terms of the specification and application of the latest CCTV technology, outlining the benefits and the pitfalls to be avoided. With technology changing at an ever increasing pace, through advances such as High Definition CCTV and the adoption of rapidly deployable mobile solutions, I will be taking the opportunity offered by 'Notes...