City of Redlands Police Department

Police Expand Intelligent Video Surveillance Network Citywide to Improve Public Safety

The City of Redlands Police Department has enjoyed measurable success using video surveillance cameras to improve security operations, deter crime, and catch criminals at its municipal airport, 4,000-seat amphitheater, schools, and businesses.

Building on this success, police officials were looking to expand the video monitoring capabilities into the downtown area. However, they recognized adding monitoring sites throughout the city would require next-generation advanced video surveillance technology that would:

In addition to these technical requirements, the Redlands Police Department was seeking a vendor with the ability to deliver a proven intelligent video surveillance system with centralized control in the police dispatch center.

The Solution

Downtown area video surveillance proposals were requested from prominent vendors for the installation of wireless pan/tilt/zoom cameras and their integration with the city's existing security system.

After evaluating several different approaches, the city chose one from Leverage Information Systems, a network integration, advanced technology, and professional services company that engineers, installs, and maintains intelligent video surveillance networks.

The Leverage-engineered Internet Protocol (IP) intelligent video surveillance system features peer-to-peer architecture, virtually unlimited scalability, ubiquitous access, and is proactive with alarms and analytics. In addition, the “network centric” system features a “no single point of failure” (to the edge), video provisioned from the edge of the network, DR recording capability, a high degree of availability and reliability, and optimized bandwidth and storage.

At the core of the Leverage system are IP cameras, network video recorders (NVRs), control center application software and pattern recognition libraries for analytics. The Leverage system is designed for future expansion and the ability to meet specific requirements for each municipal application.

For the Redlands project Leverage installed cameras at the three heavily traveled downtown intersections and networked the monitors to the police dispatch. This enhanced police department operations during both day and night to ensure safety and security, especially during downtown events.

Leverage’s advanced video surveillance system goes beyond simple video monitoring. Through video analytics software and the video cameras the police department is able to identify suspicious activities. For example, if a video camera detects motion it can send an alert to the central monitoring station, where police can view the activity and take the necessary response actions. No longer do the police have to watch monitors as the system automatically alerts them to suspicious activity. With the installed video surveillance system the police department now has the capability of using analytical pattern recognition technology to determine motion detection, shape and object tracking, direction monitoring, and congestion detection.

Improved Response

Soon after the installation of the video surveillance cameras the City of Redlands Police benefited from the one of the advantages the system offers: the ability to intervene during a crime in progress or even before a crime occurs.

According to published reports dispatchers were monitoring the video from surveillance cameras in several downtown locations when they saw a man in the crosswalk challenging people walking to their cars.

The reports noted that while continuing to keep an eye on the individual through the video screens mounted in the police department's dispatch center personnel alerted officers who arrived and arrested the man for being drunk in public. Police, according to the published report, noted that they would rather put someone in jail before they ended up in a fight or an assault.

In another incident, Redlands police dispatchers used downtown surveillance cameras to spot a man leave a bar and while driving swerve his car. According to published reports officers were able to pull the driver over, resulting in an arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence.

In both cases, using intelligent video surveillance technology expanded the police force’s capabilities -- often called a force multiplier -- without adding additional officers. The system provided a measurable return on the city’s investment (ROI).

Ongoing Expansion

Building on its most recent successes, the city expanded its Leverage-engineered video surveillance network by installing cameras at the city jail, , and the city’s Sports Park, a 120 acre facility with soccer and softball fields, group picnic facilities, playgrounds, and other recreational services.

Networking the city’s Sports Park also offered an additional benefit of using a video surveillance system architecture that allows for expansion and integration. Upon hearing that the City’s Parks & Recreation department was looking to install video cameras at the City’s Sports Park, the police department contacted department officials about tying in the new system to the city’s monitoring system. Parks & Recreation officials installed the Leverage video surveillance, which took the burden of fighting crime off of their shoulders by tying in the Sports Park cameras to the police central monitoring and dispatch center at headquarters

Recognizing the video surveillance system allows for easy expansion and integration, the City of Redlands Police Department has developed a strategy of proactive outreach to municipal departments and agencies considering video surveillance.

Quote on the results of the Police/Parks cooperative venture and how this case might be a model for other municipalities to follow.

Extending Public Safety

The intelligent video surveillance system engineered by Leverage Information Systems is enabling the City of Redlands Police Department to fight crime, expand the reach of the police force without adding personnel and see a return on its investment.