Court System Surveillance Challenges

By Carlton Purvis, Published Oct 21, 2013, 12:00am EDT (Info+)

Tyco Integrated Security is contracted to do all the installation, maintenance and monitoring for the court system of a major U.S. city. They watch and maintain around 1800 cameras across 180 courtrooms. We talked to an operator about the day to day operations of the system, what it takes to keep the cameras running and what the most common problems and crimes are.

Why Tyco Monitors the System

“**** ****** ** ** ******* **** it ***** ** ********* *** *** courts ** **** ** **** *** train ******* **** ** ******* *** system, **** ****** ** ******** *** system *** **** ****** ** ******* it,” *** ****** ****. ** ** more **** ********* *** *** **** to ******** *** *** *** *********** ** ******** ******* **** **** ********* companies. 

************, ** ** ** ******* ******* to ****** ** ******** *** *** court ******, ** ****. ******* **** are ** *** ******** ** ****** officials*** ******* **** *** ******** ********** buildings, *** ********* ******* ** ******. They *** *** **** ******** ** Tyco, *** **** *** *.*. ********.

A ******* *** *** ** ********

* ******* *** *** ** ******** consists ** **** ********** *** ** hour, *********** *** ** **** (********* camera ***********, ******** *** *************), *** paperwork *** ** **** (******** *** parts, *********** *******). **** ******** ********* for ** *-**** *****.

**** *** ********* ******* ******* ******** for ************** **** ********** **, *** most ****** ********* -- **** ***** theft.

Most ****** *****

*** ****** *** ****** ******* ** reviewed ** *** ******* ****** ******. Either ******* *** ***** ***** **** and ***** *** ******* **, **** claims ** ** ******** ******* ******** **** ***** *** phone.

************

***** ** ******* ** *** *** is ************. **** ******** ********* ******* or ******** ** ***** ** *** system. **** ** *** ********* *** undergoing ********** ** **** ** ***** most ** *** *** ******** *** concentrated.

***********

***** ********** ********** *** **** ***** a *** ** ***********, ***** ********* 60 ******* ** *** ***, ** concentrated ** ****. “** **** ***** the ********** **** *** ** *** cameras **** ** ** ******* **/*. So *********** *** ******* *** ****** ongoing,” ** ****. ***** ** **** a ******* *********** ******** **** ** strictly ******* **.

******* *********** *****

“* *** ** ** ** *********** from ***** *********** [******* ** ***********]." Whether **’* ***** ******* ** ********* else, ***** *** ****** ****** **** come **** *** *** ************ **** bleed **** **** *** ******** *****,” he ****.

******* ****** *** **** *** ********** to **** *** *** **** *** someone *** ***** ** ***** *** the **** ******* ******* *** ****** from **** ******* *** ************. *** outages *** ************ **** ** *** system ******* ** **** *** ****** in ************** ******* ******* ***** ** **** *** for ** ******. “**** *** **** to ***** *** ****** *** ******* it *****,” ** ****.

****** ***** *** ******** ********* ** that ****** ********* **** ** *** blackout ********.

**********

*** ********* ** ******* ** *** job ** **** ** **********. *** 1800 ******* *** ******* ** **-** people -- * *** ** **** employees *** ***** ******** ******** -- from * ***** ******* ****. *** of *** ******* ** *** ****** can ** ********* ****, *** *** all ******* ** *** ****** *** recording, *** ** **** **** **** enough ******* **** *** **** “***** footstep * ****** *****” ** *** courts ** ********.

******* ******** *****

*** ** *** ***** ***** ************ is **** ********* ** ******** *********. “We ********* **** **** *** **** they *** *** *** *** ** when *** *** ****** **** ** the ******** **** *** ***** ****** Department. ***** **** ** *** ***, even ** *** ******* *****, ***** are ******* ** **** **** ********** is **** *********,” ** ****. *** cameras *** **** *** **** ************* claims ******* *** ******** *** ******** them ** ***********. ******* ******* ********* police ********, ** **** **** ******** as * ******* ***** **** ** comes ** ******. “** **** ******* the ***** ** **** ********,” ** said.

Cameras *** ***

*** ****** **** ***** ***** *** PTZ ******* **** ****** *** *******. “Ninety-six ******* ** *** ******* *** Bosch, *** ** ** **** **** Pelcos *** **********,” ** ****. *** system ********* **** ***** ***** ********** System *.*.* [**** ** ****** *********] ************ ***** ****** **.

*********** *******

*** ****** **** *** **** ** called *********** *******. ***** *** ******* that ***** * ***** *** ** inside *** ******** ** *** *** is ******* *** **** ** *** hallway.

******** ************

*** ****** ** *** **** ********* for ************ ** **** ** ***** * few ***** ** *** **** ** all ** *** **** ** **** and *** *** ** *** ********. Initially*** **** ******** **** *** ************, which ** *********, *** *** *** average ****** *** *****’* **** * lot ** ********** **’* ************,” ** said. “*** ******** *** ********* ** little ******* ... *** *** ***** over **** ***** *** *** ****** ways ** ** *** **** *****.”

Comments (16)

Morten Nielsen

10/21/13 07:16pm

Love these articles! Keep it up Carlton.

Fabrizio Tofoni

10/22/13 09:20am

Very interesting article. I have a question: "Tyco Integrated Security is contracted to do all the installation, maintenance and monitoring for the court system of a major U.S. city" using Bosch cameras? Why not Tyco products?

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Fabrizio Tofoni | 10/22/13 04:19pm

Fabrizio, it's fairly common that Tyco IS (nee ADT) sells / services non Tyco products. I am sure many inside would prefer to do so, but customers typically have enough power to push for their preferred products.

Fabrizio Tofoni

In reply to John Honovich | 10/23/13 06:53am

Thanks John. So could we say that it is fairly common mainly because the lack of quality in Tyco SP items?

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Fabrizio Tofoni | 10/24/13 12:38am

Regardless of the products Tyco owned, there would always be many end users who would want alternatives. Beyond that, there are obvious gaps/limitations in Tyco's product portfolio.

Undisclosed

In reply to Fabrizio Tofoni | 10/23/13 01:35am

Reason being is that Tyco is an INTEGRATOR not a MANUACTURER

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed | 10/23/13 01:48am

Technically, Tyco is both, right? One division / subsidiary is an integrator (Tyco Integrated Security) and another (Tyco Security Products) is a manufacturer. It's the cross pollination between the two that many wonder / fear / dislike.

Jason Clement

10/22/13 04:08pm

This is a great article.

It's disturbing to me that the hisghest usage of the system is used looking at cell phone theft. I wonder how much money could be saved by simply refusing people who have lost their phone?

Undisclosed Manufacturer #2

10/24/13 06:03pm

Carlton, love the article, especially the "years of training" for BVMS4.5 ....

Undisclosed End User #3

10/28/13 05:56pm

Thanks for article highlighting effective usage of technology. How is the control room staff monitoring 1800 cameras with manpower of 20-30.Are they using any analytics or other smart features.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed End User #3 | 10/28/13 06:15pm

Good question! Actually, I am surprised they even had 20 - 30 people. Is that total operator staff or is that per shift?

Even for 1800 cameras, I was guessing more like 2 - 5 people per shift, with a few high priority cameras being displayed live and others being brought up as people call in events (we have a complaint in room XYZ, etc.).

Carlton, let us know if you can share any color here.

Carlton Purvis

10/28/13 06:21pm

I'll find out more about the analytics. They do have things like propped open door alerts and emergency exit alerts that call up cameras.

For monitoring, that is 20-30 people per shift and around than a third of that after hours. The reason for less at night is because their isn't as much maintenance and repair going on at night. And that 20-30 is not all Tyco people, but some are court officers as well.

Stanley Mezewski

10/29/13 01:01pm

1800 cameras, is this one building or the entire Federal Court system?

Damon Hood

10/29/13 02:42pm

I have worked in many facilities on both the corporate side and the government side. I have worked for both large retail store chains that i did loss prevention looking for shop lifters, corporate security for a large bank with an active security operations center with over 130 sites with over 200 DVR's and over 4000 cameras and our SOC can not view 1800 cameras every day. I have also worked in the military at military SOC's and in 2 military prison's.

I just don't believe the 1800 cameras at one site and 20 - 30 people watching all cameras. They are not watching or monitoring all 1800 cameras. They are monitoring inputs line the door forced or door held alarms or the judges panic alarms and pulling up video for those alarm events. They may also be monitoring entry control points and prisoner transfer points. But they are not actively watching all 1800 cameras. And if they claim they are than they are either lying about it, and most importantly not being realistic. Even being conservitive and excepting the max offered at 30 operators, and assuming none are doing maintenance like they sugested they are also doing, that is 60 cameras per operator to monitor. Just how many monitors do they have in the operations center...... or just how small are the inidividual boxes and how many cameras on a single screen are up at one time.

this is just not happeneing at described.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Damon Hood | 10/29/13 04:30pm

"But they are not actively watching all 1800 cameras." I am sure they are not but are they even claiming that's what they do. I doubt any 1000+ camera system has people watching every camera at the same time. Big cities may have 10 zillion cameras but they most certainly do not keep an eye on every one at all times.

Undisclosed Integrator #4

10/29/13 06:18pm

Tyco has different types of Video monitoring services to offer, so first better to identify what services are being taken by customer and then discuss how Tyco does it. Here is the Youtube channel of Tyco IS where many people commenting here; would see for the first time.

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