Vandalism affects virtually every country in the world. Graffiti and the destruction of public and private property are problems that continually haunt government officials, commercial institutions, and citizens at all levels.
by Ada Han*
The United States is no exception. According to recent government data, the estimated costs of vandalism in this country amount annually to a figure ranging from $10 to $25 billion.
Recently, the municipal district of Hamburg, in Pennsylvania, United States, decided to combat vandalism, and those who promote it, by ingeniously installing Hikvision security products that provide better overall security and act as tangible deterrents against vandalism.
A better option
The recreational park and pool area of the Hamburg district is not only a source of civic pride for the city, it is also an important recreational area of the region. This area, made up of an extensive park, a public swimming pool and facilities for public concerts, serves as a recreation center for Hamburg and the many surrounding communities. Additionally, these civic facilities serve as a catalyst for Hamburg's business community and, as such, any deterioration of its status has a cascading backlash throughout the municipal district.
"We have recently started to experience an increasing number of problems with various vandalism-related crimes in the recreation park and pool area of our district," said John Leonforte, Hamburg's code manager.
"At first, we tried to fix this problem with private security; but we realized, not only that it was expensive, approximately $20,000 annually, but also that it did not significantly reduce the levels of destruction of public property or graffiti," Leonforte added.
In a change of strategy, Hamburg decided to invest in a complete security solution with Hikvision products. Leonforte noted an immediate impact: "After two days of installing Hikvision's cameras, there was a significant decrease in vandalism. It was obvious that these cameras had a strong deterrent value, but we had to back them up with technological innovation in order to preserve our initial achievements."
Two different cameras, two different lenses
The leader of many of the technical issues related to the installation of this solution was Brad Heckelman, manager for the Central Atlantic region of the United States at Hikvision. Heckelman chose the DS-2CD762MF-IFB 1.3 MP anti-vandalism and weatherproof network dome camera, as well as Hikvision's DS-2DF1-672 1.3 MP network speed dome camera to be the "eyes" of this solution.
In many respects the DS-2DF1-672 1.3 MP network speed dome serves as the core of the solution. "Among many of the beneficial features it offers, we chose this camera for its 18x optical zoom, and up to 10x digital zoom, which provide a very detailed and high-quality image. Additionally, Sony's 1/3" CCD chip allows this camera to perform very well in changing light conditions," Heckelman explained.
Installed in elevated sites, in specific locations throughout the park, and remotely controlled, this PTZ camera offers 360° unlimited panning range and a tilt angle of -5°~-90°, allowing up to 2 miles/3.22 kilometers of extraordinarily sharp images in any direction. Interestingly, if there were no obstruction of the visualization (trees, buildings, etc.), "we could only use a DS-2DF1-672 model camera, that's how good the zoom quality of the image is, regardless of the distance," Heckelman said.
Additionally, the camera's IP66 standard (full protection against dust and very powerful water jets) ensures smooth operation in any weather conditions that this camera has to face. And since Pennsylvania is known for its extreme heat in summer and intense cold in winter, this is a pressing need for any camera installed in this part of the United States.
The second Hikvision camera that is part of this solution, the anti-vandal and weather-resistant network dome DS-2CD762MF-IFB 1.3 MP, has a slightly different function, but no less important.
Located throughout the length of the park and pool, in the outdoor area, as well as within facilities such as food stalls, this camera maintains a focused surveillance in areas considered high priority. "One of the areas that has traditionally been especially complex, from the point of view of the amount of graffiti, has been the back of the acoustic platform. However, now, thanks to this camera offering 24/7 surveillance of this specific location we haven't had any new graffiti-related incidents," Leonforte said.
The virtual PTZ function allowed Hamburg to focus the DS-2CD762MF-IFB 1.3 MP on areas affected by vandalism – such as the aforementioned acoustic platform – and also on areas with safety problems, such as the pool diving area and parking lots. "We were able to mitigate our vandalism problems and offer our visitors a greater sense of security," Leonforte said.
In addition, both the anti-vandalism function and the resistance to any weather conditions provide protection against the elements and against those who might be tempted to damage the physical integrity of these cameras.
It is important to note that, thanks to the infrared pass filter with automatic switching and infrared illuminator, this camera works very well in low light conditions, at any time of the day. Its 1280 x 960 pixel resolution allows operators to make sharp approaches to critical areas, in any circumstance.
Mr. Leonforte added, "The motion detection feature of this camera is particularly useful for our situation. This feature allows our police department to set up specific cameras to turn on when something catches their attention, thus allowing officers to immediately recognize and respond to any potential threats, rather than simply relying on an officer to notice them when the various camera footage is displayed."
Network Video Recorders (NVRs)
Two Hikvision NVR models were selected to complete this solution: the DS-9516NI-S integrated NVR and the DS-9616NI-SH integrated NVR.
For Mr. Heckelman, the decisive element of both drives was the large storage capacity: "Most NVRs have only a 4 SATA interface. These two Hikvision models have 8 SATA, which allows you to store up to 16TB, much more than the standards required by the industry."
In addition, both devices provide a high resolution, up to 5 megapixels (2560 x 1920) of recording resolution in the case of the DS-9516NI-S; and an HDMI output of 1920 x 1080 resolution on the DS-9616NI-SH.
It is important to note that these Hikvision NVRs allowed the Hamburg municipal district to save money by putting this networked solution to work. Thus, the police department can monitor the video surveillance of the park and its adjacent areas, while Hamburg patrols can use laptops with wireless connection to access the same information.
In addition, the Hamburg park management group also has access, via laptops, to these surveillance cameras. In this sense, Mr. Leonforte points out "We maintain access to these computers in a controlled environment, so we can guarantee that only authorized personnel can view and manipulate our public cameras."
The positive effects are not long in coming
In addition to eliminating virtually all incidents of vandalism, and bolstering the overall security of the park, Hikvision's technology has also brought an unexpected benefit: increased business opportunities, as Mr. Leonforte explains: "Some of our facilities, such as food stalls, had been idle since the 50s and 60s, but now, having installed these cameras, we have been receiving requests to reopen many of them and even to build an outdoor café."
*If you would like more information about this article, write to Ada Han at the email [email protected]
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