Critical Success Factors in Wireless Video Surveillance

SecurityInfoWatch.com contributing author Mohan Natarajan is vice president of engineering for wireless communications company Firetide.

For many cities, hard-wiring cameras back to monitoring and control stations isn't an option. Mesh technology from Firetide was part of the integrated solution used in Dallas, Texas.

Wireless surveillance is ideal for providing security and public safety in high traffic areas (shopping malls, downtowns, school and university campuses), in remote areas (parking lots, airport property), in industrial areas (construction sites, warehouses), during mass events, and to protect critical infrastructure against vandalism or tampering (water supplies, power plants).

Video surveillance can offers payback in the form of crime deterrence and reduced security personnel needs. For example, Phoenix police department, which uses wireless video for criminal investigations, estimates that 30 cameras are equivalent to 30 surveillance officers on the street, while only two officers are needed in the central monitoring station.

Wireless technology provides much faster installation compared to wired - no trenching or cabling, - and enormous flexibility, as the network can be easily moved or expanded as needs change or additional funding becomes available. With throughput and performance approaching those of wired IP networks - and with installation costs much lower -- wireless technology makes city-wide video surveillance a reality.

The Top Five Critical Success Factors:

If you're considering a municipal video surveillance project, there are critical success factors that should be considered before you embark upon the process. While these tips are suggested here for city/municipal/police projects, they can be applicable as well for large commercial projects (e.g., large metro shopping malls) as well as educational/institutional campuses.

Tip 1: Draw From Multiple Sources of Funding
Investigate various sources of funding, which may be available from departmental budgets, homeland security grants, and even private grants. Additionally, a public safety network can be securely augmented to provide more services such as public Internet access and voice over IP.

Tip 2: Address Privacy Concerns Head-on
For overt surveillance, adopt written surveillance guidelines and ensure personnel are properly trained. Inform affected constituencies - residents, businesses, and media - ahead of time; open communications and public demos are well received. For covert surveillance, reassure the public and the media that the surveillance is conducted strictly within the law.

Tip 3: Anticipate Staffing and Training Needs
Police personnel need training on the new monitoring technology, for example remote camera management or mastering the video management software. Learning curves may vary; allow for this in the training process. For large surveillance projects, a creative approach is to hire retired police personnel who may be interested in working part-time in the monitoring room.