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Keeping the transport sector safe

Posted: 25 February 2011 | Pauline Norstrom, Chairman of the BSIA's CCTV Section | No comments yet

In challenging economic times, the need for robust security measures to minimise losses and damage within the transport industry has never been greater. With transport companies facing a range of threats from petty vandalism to large-scale terrorist attacks, being able to identify and counteract these risks as soon as they arise is of paramount importance. For Intelligent Transport, Pauline Norstrom, Chairman of the British Security Industry Association’s CCTV Section, explains how recent advances in surveillance technology can help transport companies stay one step ahead of criminals.

In challenging economic times, the need for robust security measures to minimise losses and damage within the transport industry has never been greater. With transport companies facing a range of threats from petty vandalism to large-scale terrorist attacks, being able to identify and counteract these risks as soon as they arise is of paramount importance. For Intelligent Transport, Pauline Norstrom, Chairman of the British Security Industry Association’s CCTV Section, explains how recent advances in surveillance technology can help transport companies stay one step ahead of criminals.

In challenging economic times, the need for robust security measures to minimise losses and damage within the transport industry has never been greater. With transport companies facing a range of threats from petty vandalism to large-scale terrorist attacks, being able to identify and counteract these risks as soon as they arise is of paramount importance. For Intelligent Transport, Pauline Norstrom, Chairman of the British Security Industry Association’s CCTV Section, explains how recent advances in surveillance technology can help transport companies stay one step ahead of criminals.

Public transport carries millions of passengers daily, and the UK’s freight network continues to play an essential role in the country’s economy. Crucially, those responsible for the smooth running of these critical services face constant security challenges, from theft and vandalism to large-scale terrorist attacks as seen on the London Underground in 2005.

The transport industry is at the forefront in the application of CCTV systems by taking advantage of the latest technology to provide round-the-clock protection for vehicle depots and other facilities. Research by the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) shows the important role that CCTV systems play in securing the nation’s transport network, and new technologies such as BS8418 and Video Content Analysis are all being widely employed to ensure the safety of the transport system for passengers, staff and premises.

BS8418 technology

In the BSIA research carried out in 2010, the transport industry ranked third amongst the sectors which members of the BSIA CCTV section most frequently supplied BS8418 solutions to, demonstrating the sector’s investment in new technology.

First introduced in 2003, BS8418 is the British Standard for remotely monitored, detector-activated CCTV systems. When deployed, BS8418 compliant solutions consist of cameras and detectors placed strategically around a site, linked together by specialised transmission equipment to a Remote Video Response Centre (RVRC). Here, operators can visually confirm what is happening, call up onscreen plans of the site and even issue verbal warnings to intruders via on-site speakers. If necessary, the RVRC operators can also alert the police who, as the incident is confirmed visually and is associated with a URN (Unique Reference Number), should provide a rapid response.

This technology is applied to the transport system particularly when it comes to securing large and vulnerable sites out-of-hours. The crime-stopping capability of BS8418 solutions is clearly what makes them moreand- more popular.

Ultimately, BS8418 solutions enable users to take a more proactive approach to ensuring the security of their premises. With the transport industry facing continued threats from vandalism and other criminal activity, it’s encouraging to see that the industry is embracing new technology to help it counter such risks.

The BSIA has published a user guide to BS8418 systems, which can be found by visiting http://www.bsia.co.uk/publications and searching for Form No. 196, and is also in the process of producing a new document in light of the recently published revisions to the standard.

Video Content Analysis

A CCTV system lends itself as a useful tool when protecting a large site such as a railway station, bus station or airport, and it is being used more frequently to secure such premises.

One element of CCTV, which is proving to be especially useful in transport, is that of Video Content Analysis (VCA). VCA systems automatically analyse CCTV images to generate useful information about the image content and issue alerts to security personnel should an incident occur. In theory, any action or ‘behaviour’ that can be seen and accurately defined on a video image can be automatically identified by a VCA system, and the scope of this technology has led to its use in a variety of applications including external and internal intruder detection; the monitoring of buildings for health and safety; people counting; automatic event and incident detection; safety enhancements for public areas; camera failure or sabotage detection and smoke and fire detection. This health and safety application is particularly useful in the testing environment of roads and rail tunnels, where fast detection of smoke and fire is crucial to ensure speedy emergency service response and evacuations. In fact, unlike conventional smoke detectors, that react only once the smoke reaches the device, CCTV systems can identify smoke at any distance, as long as it is within the cameras visual reach.

Historically, operators in control rooms have been tasked with viewing banks of monitors, displaying CCTV images, from stations across a specific line or region. A key determinant of success in this approach is the experience and attention level of the operator concerned, specifically their ability to separate suspicious activity from the otherwise benign. By taking a technologically-intelligent approach such as VCA, transport companies can increase efficiency by enabling security personnel to spend time away from the CCTV monitor, and also to enable the highlighting of incidents as soon as they occur, allowing for remedial action to be taken before incidents have chance to escalate to a more serious level.

According to another piece of research conducted by the BSIA in 2010, usage of VCA across the board has risen by 23% since 2009 and its use in the transport sector in particular will help to tackle continued threats of vandalism, assault and terrorism.

Recently, the BSIA has published a guide to VCA, which assists end-users, such as the transport industry, to make informed decisions when considering the introduction of VCA technology for the purposes of security, safety or people management. The publication can be downloaded by visiting www.bsia.co.uk/publications.

Mobile CCTV

It is not only static cameras that are being employed but mobile CCTV too, which is used by both the police and the transport industry itself. It is now the case that some school buses have on-board CCTV to protect pupils and use footage as evidence in the event of any incidents taking place to and from school. A real success story of this on-board CCTV comes from Tallahassee in Florida where systems have been rolled out in more than 100 yellow school buses, which has resulted in a major improvement in behaviour.

In addition to this, we are now seeing the widespread deployment of ruggedised mobile Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) on trains and buses and other parts of the public transport infrastructure. When fitted, these compact, selfcontained systems are capable of continuously monitoring the inside of a carriage or bus, which provides a significant deterrent to criminal damage, delivering much-needed reassurance to the travelling public.

As well as transport operators making use of mobile CCTV, the Police too rely on the technology. Forces across the country use mobile CCTV to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime. Cumbria Police used a BSIA member to provide mobile CCTV to help it tackle anti-social behaviour. On one particular day, a group of Newcastle and Carlisle football supporters arranged to fight outside a pub and as the CCTV van was in the area, it was able to follow the group and capture footage of the activity. The footage was used as evidence in court and led to a number of successful convictions including fines and community service orders.

Mobile CCTV can also be a helpful tool in ensuring that false insurance claims are uncovered. This happens through the detection of forces, for example if the bus has been speeding or heavily breaking, or by identifying who was on the vehicle at a specific time.

Both the transport sector and the Police recognise the importance of this technology. Whether it’s mobile or static, the systems lend benefits to both parties and with the public’s safety being paramount, CCTV and its components effective protection.

The importance of quality and expert advice

There is little doubt, when specified and installed correctly, that such recent technological advances can have a positive impact on the effectiveness and return on investment of CCTV systems by adding enhanced or increased capabilities to detect and analyse post-event video. It may also have a positive effect on insurance costs, as this extra protection may lead to insurance providers reducing their premiums.

It is therefore essential when sourcing CCTV systems to choose a top quality supplier. If you are new to procuring security solutions, or would benefit from some additional advice, enlisting the help of an expert on all aspects of security can be a great place to start. The unbiased advice of a security consultancy will provide a useful overview of the broad-based challenges faced by each individual premises, and can provide a tailored solution based on each client’s challenges, taking into account budgetary and resource limitations.

BSIA members meet strict corporate requirements, so customers who source CCTV systems and developing technology from them can be confident that they will receive quality advice and an excellent service.

About the Author

Pauline Norstrom is the Chairman of the BSIA’s CCTV Section and is also heavily involved in the Association’s technical committee TC/10, which focuses on CCTV standards and guidance and has looked at critical areas from digital video evidence to privacy masking. A well-respected expert, Pauline is also involved with the National CCTV Strategy alongside key stakeholders such as the police and the Home Office. She is regularly called upon to represent the BSIA at interviews about topical CCTV issues and provide expert commentary for the national media.