360 Vision Technology and OpenView strengthen public space safety

In order to maximise security surveillance coverage, the London Borough of Enfield’s town centre, public spaces and parks have been equipped with a combination of 360 Vision Predator and Invictus HD PTZ cameras. In high-risk areas, the Predator cameras, featuring built-in LED IR or white light illumination, provide night imaging. With a lighting range of up to 250 metres and the ability to deliver full-colour video even in low-light conditions, they significantly improve security surveillance visibility and safety in dimly lit locations.

Enfield Council’s policy on video surveillance is based on a ward survey, where the potential impact of installing surveillance cameras to deter incidents of street crime and anti-social behaviour was considered. Consultation with partner OpenView and the police enabled informed decisions about where cameras were to be installed.

Using this intelligent data, the location of cameras across the London Borough of Enfield was chosen to define the key operational ‘hot spots’ where the deployment of the 360 Vision cameras would yield maximum benefit.

Combating anti-social behaviour with the aim of keeping the London Borough of Enfield’s streets safe for all, in the town centre a visual overview is provided by Invictus HD PTZ cameras, while a number of long-range Predator HD PTZ cameras fitted with built-in IR LED illumination have been mounted atop tower blocks, providing a comprehensive overview of the town centre and enabling Enfield Council to monitor street level activity effectively.

Radar detection for crime prevention

Surveillance measures are deployed across the London Borough of Enfield’s many public parks. At Albany Park, a solution was required to prevent the occurrence of regular acts of vandalism perpetrated against a community café and protect the premises.

Responding to the problem, OpenView recommended the use of 360 Vision’s Predator Radar camera. After a successful trial, the Predator Radar camera was installed and Enfield Council became one of the first authorities in the UK to deploy advanced camera radar detection to identify potential criminal activity within pre-defined ‘sterile’ areas.

“Traditionally, the use of radar systems has been considered to be the preserve of high-end installations, such as those at airports or ports,” explained David Hall, OpenView’s framework manager. “However, deploying 360 Vision Technology’s Predator Radar all-in-one devices, with integrated 360-degree rotational radar and integrated HD PTZ cameras, we’ve been able to secure the large fenced-off areas around the café to provide a far more effective and economical solution versus using many traditional cameras to cover the same area. In addition, Predator Radar’s advanced detection capability is such that target detection and alarm functionality are continuous, day and night, even within adverse weather conditions.”

Hall added: “The Predator Radar camera creates an alarm on detection of a target, or targets, and instructs its integrated Predator PTZ optical camera to view the target and provide system operators with instant visual verification. Additionally, as the target moves, there’s automatic and continuous tracking by the optical camera to maintain real-time visual coverage.”

Mix of cameras

In addition to the Predator Radar cameras, the cameras in the parks are equipped with 360 Vision’s built-in LED white light option to enable Control Room operators to be proactive when dealing with certain incidents.

Apart from providing lighting to achieve high-quality video images in the dark, the use of white light acts as a visible assurance or as a deterrent to subjects under nearby camera surveillance to make it clear that live surveillance monitoring is being carried out.

HD video from the Predator and Invictus cameras is transmitted to Enfield Council’s CCTV Control Room via a fibre optic and radio transmission network. At the Control Room, the ONVIF-compliant Predator and Invictus cameras are integrated into an IndigoVision ‘Control Centre’ VMS. Map-based monitoring makes security operations easier and faster for the system operators, who can simply click on a map point in Control Center to automatically display any specific 360 Vision camera’s view.

“Enfield Council’s security surveillance system is constantly developing to meet the needs of modern day town centre public safety requirements,” continued David Hall. “We’ve found that the 360 Vison Invictus camera is a great fit for town centre use. Its mix of day and night visual imaging performance versus the Return on Investment is highly effective.”

Commitment to public safety 

The deployment of the 360 Vision Predator and Invictus HD cameras reflects Enfield Council’s commitment to evolving its security surveillance system to meet modern public safety requirements. The combination of daytime and night-time visual imaging performance of the cameras in the London Borough of Enfield’s town centre and parks demonstrates a strong Return on Investment and effectiveness in enhancing the Borough’s overall safety measures.

The implementation of these advanced security measures is part of Enfield Council’s ongoing commitment to maintaining a safe and secure urban environment. Enfield Council will continue to adapt its surveillance infrastructure to meet modern public safety demands, ensuring that residents and visitors alike benefit from the enhanced security measures.

“Working with OpenView on this project has been a great opportunity to enlist innovative camera surveillance solutions that really can help protect public spaces,” noted Adrian Kirk, business development director at 360 Vision Technology. “It’s notable how OpenView engineers embrace the latest technologies with ease, which is a tremendous credit to the team and ensures that the company’s long list of local Government customers can benefit from cutting-edge security solutions. Those solutions can have a major impact on quality of life for members of the public.”

Darren Woods, Enfield Council’s public safety centre manager, explained: “Enfield Council has been impressed with 360 Vision Technology’s range of products that can be installed on various projects or applications. This has proven to be an essential part of the ongoing projects in the London Borough of Enfield, whether it be for applications within parks, ‘Street Scene’ or housing estates.”

Woods continued: “The newest installation has used the 360 Vision Predator Radar camera that has been installed in an area that was suffering from high volumes of vandalism and building damage. Since its installation over the last few months, it has been highly effective. The 360 Vision Predator cameras are currently being installed as part of a system upgrade, replacing older camera units. This investment ensures that Enfield Council is moving forward with affordable and good quality surveillance camera imaging solutions as video technology itself moves forward.”

Quality of delivery 

"We have been highly satisfied with the innovative characteristics of the 360 Vision product range and its suitability for the intended applications,” commented Kevin Hall, OpenView’s group director. “Further, the quality of delivery, ongoing support and operational performance were critical factors influencing our selection of the chosen systems technology.”

OpenView’s framework engineering supervisor Martin Ivory enthused: “360 Vision has been a fantastic partner. We’ve had the chance to use and deploy a large number of the products available from the company. Their ease of deployment and tremendous build quality and ruggedisation, versatility and reliability make them the ideal camera for public safety.”

Ivory continued: “The support provided by Adrian Kirk and the technical team at 360 Vision enabled us to use the full capabilities of both the Invictus IP and Hybrid, and also the Predator and Predator Radar cameras, providing a practical solution for any scenario within the public safety sector.”

*Further information is available online at www.360visiontechnology.com