by Ana María Restrepo
Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, is the most populous city in the country, has more than 6 million inhabitants and 7,945,263 in the metropolitan area, with a population density of approximately 3,912 inhabitants per square kilometer, according to figures presented in the 2005 Census of the Dane (National Administrative Department of Statistics).
As the capital of the nation it forms the Capital District, it is located most of the metropolitan area of the city, is divided into 20 localities.and houses the estates of the executive, legislative and judicial branch, also stands out as an economic and cultural center.
Because it is the capital, it has countless Colombians and foreigners who live there for labor or social reasons, which implies a high population density that has led to an accelerated urbanization process (like other localities in the country).
Large number of inhabitants
According to the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo, in 2008 construction in Bogotá increased to 47.1%, representing a total of 14.6 million square meters, of these 2.9 million were authorized for social interest housing (VIS). The largest number of licenses, 25.3 percent was given for the construction of single-family homes, 24% for multifamily constructions (residential complexes and buildings with more than three floors), commercial establishments with 16 percent, two-family homes with 14.3 percent.
Today the city is surrounded by neighborhoods that preserve the colonial construction of two-story houses, there are also modern constructions, shopping centers, large university campuses and new urban developments made up mainly of buildings and residential complexes, the latter represent in construction licenses in the last year, 9.6 million square meters.
Due to the high boom of these constructions, the importance of the city and the rate of poverty and violence that occurs in the country due to the political and social situation, the owners and control agencies carry out installations of protection systems that support and improve the safety of the inhabitants of the residential complexes.
To strengthen security
In December 2007, the companies Alcec Seguridad Ltda and Visión Perimetral Ltda, carried out the integration of a rigid grille enclosure solution in which the Phantom perimeter alarm system was installed in a residential complex in Bogotá, located on the road that leads to Zipaquirá (a municipality near the Capital), where great personalities of the country reside.
The installed system, Phantom, is based on piezoelectronic sensors that detect if someone is climbing, cutting or violating the mesh or fence that makes up the perimeter. "Phantom is also made up of electric field sensors that detect if an intruder is climbing the fence or placing stairs. These sensors are installed in each of the sections of the enclosure, being possible to adjust the sensitivity individually to obtain an optimal detection capacity with the minimum of annoying alarms" explains Juan Sebastián Mendieta, technical head of Alcec Seguridad Ltda.
Intrusion detection
Perimeter security comprises the combination of procedures, people, and equipment in order to protect a place in its first line of defense, the perimeter. This type of security allows some unwanted incidents to be avoided in companies, banks and homes, where security is paramount.
The system installed in the residential complex has, according to what is expressed by its integrators, an important quality and that is that it detects the intruder before it is inside the perimeter and gives the exact location of the fact.
Additionally, in this solution, the electric field system and the piezoelectric sensor system were implemented on the same network, in addition the perimeter can be strategically zoned to facilitate the reaction of the ronderos (physical surveillance).
Mendieta explains that the network has 17 zones in piezoelectric Phantom and 16 zones with Phantom electric field sensors that cover a perimeter of approximately 850 meters. The display, where the system reports all the events, is installed in the monitoring center next to the guards and from there all the security of the set is directed.
The perimeter security system protects 120 homes, which in total house 480 people, not counting the staff working there.
Security conditions
Colombia has been suffering from a series of unencouraging events in terms of political and national security. The social situation in the country is not the best due to the high rate of displacement that occurs in the city and the high number of people without work who are under-employed or who join crime to meet their needs.
Despite the efforts of the country's authorities, there are high rates of crimes against property, with theft from residences being one of the most common.
In 2008, according to the portal www.seguridadydemocracia.org, cases of theft from residences in Bogotá was 3665, 22% less compared to 2007 (4682), having a theft rate of 52.13 percent.
Due to this situation, it is increasingly necessary to have systems that help protect property and citizens.
Technical description
Before this system was installed, there was no perimeter security in the residential complex. "Security was based only on the enclosure in the fence as such and on the security personnel who executed periodic rounds," says Juan Sebastián.
The perimeter security solution as mentioned above, allows to protect the places from their first line, in particular the system installed in Bogotá is based on a network cable that runs through the entire protected perimeter, providing power and digital communication for all sensors, equipment and standard accessories.
Each Phantom network can cover up to 4 kms and incorporate up to 250 zones to facilitate an immediate and clear interpretation of any event and an accurate and timely reaction.
The integrators ensure that thanks to its communication network, the solution has added values such as control of surveillance rounds, automatic lighting of the violated area, or control of PTZ cameras for immediate and precise focus of the affected area and video recording.
Likewise, due to the low consumption of the sensors and equipment that make up the network, as well as its high immunity to electromagnetic interference, the system can use low-caliber and expensive cable. "This forms a low-cost system installed and great operating autonomy in the absence of energy," says Mendieta.
This system was chosen to protect the residential complex because it operates by "passive detection", without generating potentially dangerous voltages for people or pets. And unlike perimeter systems based on energized wire, the Phantom system with piezoelectronic sensors does not generate false alarms for vegetation growth under the mesh and has high rejection of false alarms due to wind and rain.
It also has the ability to connect multiple terminals with a screen with the ability to visualize a specific area at the moment a point in the network is activated, offering simultaneous information at all strategic monitoring sites.
Compared to other systems, detection algorithms can be programmed independently for each zone, adapting more precisely to the type of structure (mesh, grid or wall). If a grid connection module is used, power and digital communication can be shared by other types of sensors - infrared, photoelectric, etc. Additionally, it offers the option of interface and specialized software for the reception and registration of all events through the computer.
How does it work?
The protection of the system is given in meshes, bars, walls and perimeters without enclosure, preventing them from being cut, scaled, violated or broken. To prevent them from being violated, piezoelectronic sensors (Ref. VT-1) are used to convert vibration into electrical signals, which are analyzed in each area according to several parameters, which admits the rejection of an action carried out by factors such as wind and birds, and facilitates the identification of valid alarms.
Electric field sensors (Ref. PD-10) on the other hand, create an electric field around a tubular or wire antenna, detecting and analyzing disturbances in the field caused by the approach of people or objects of a certain size.
"These sensors allow selective detection, thanks to the possibility of adapting the antenna to follow the profile of the perimeter, being ideal for balconies, terraces and wall stops or bars" says Juan Sebastián.
The installation was carried out by implementing these two sensors in a shared way and on the same network. In 400 meters of the perimeter are electric field sensors and piezoelectronic sensors. Another 450 meters were sensorized are only piezoelectronic.
About 220 piezoelectronic sensors, 32 electric field sensors, 17 zone modules, a display and two panels 2103 battery-backed feeders were used.
It should be noted that this system has a two-year warranty and support from the manufacturer, which has installed more than 45,000 meters of perimeter in Colombia.
More than protection
The implementation of this system not only provides security to the inhabitants of the residential complex, but also allows them to live peacefully.
Currently the system works independently, is not attached to cameras or other electronic security equipment, but has the ability to do so at the time it is required.
The choice of the Phantom perimeter security system was made due to its low cost, the ability to detect early, the versatility to adapt to all types of enclosure and terrain, as well as the possibility of presenting the precise location of any event or intrusion, reducing reaction time and increasing the effectiveness of surveillance personnel.
They also influenced the ability to expand at any time, the fact that the sensitivity can be adjusted individually for each section of the enclosure, and the integration options offered on the same network of dome cameras, lights, sirens, conventional alarms, sensors, etc.
For integrators this solution adapts to the needs of users, also the fence of the residential complex is the most suitable for the proper functioning of the system, since it is composed of a rigid grille, which will detect the intrusion to be reflected throughout the section, so that the system easily reads any anomaly.
"Part of the perimeter is also protected with the electric field system, which at the same time together with that of piezoelectric sensors have played a fundamental role when it comes to making detections of intruders, since these to be able to enter the set must violate the two systems. So then, both the people who inhabit the place, the administration and the security company that offers the surveillance, are calm because they have a system that responds immediately to the moment of an intrusion, "says Mendieta.
Users are satisfied with this technology, the integrators and installers carried out a performance evaluation in February that confirms that the operation of the system has been adequate; In addition, customers have expressed that this is a great help when it comes to making a quick and effective reaction in a certain area of the perimeter.
"The surveillance company that takes care of the whole, has commented that the system has reduced false alarms by up to 90%. They have also expressed satisfaction with the effectiveness to react at the time of an intrusion, since the alarm specifies the area that is being violated. The surveillance company insists that the Phantom alarm has been a great help," says Juan Sebastián.
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