Real-time Security Cameras in the NYC Subway

Since their very creation, subways have been dangerous places. The large underground train stations became breeding grounds for crime, a weigh station for the homeless, and more recently, an ideal target for terrorists. Security cameras have been in place in subways for many years, but these cameras were only useful for seeing what took place after the fact. As frightening as this all is, subways are still an extremely useful form of transportation used by thousands of people a day, and because of their consistent popularity, New York has decided to install real-time security cameras in their subway systems. With these cameras in place the New York Police Department hopes to stop crime before it starts.

While over 3,000 security cameras monitor the whole of the New York subway, only cameras from the three main stations broadcast in real-time. The Grand Central, Time Square, and Pennsylvania stations are the main hubs of the subway and therefore have the most traffic. Because of their size and importance to the subway system these are also the three stations that are the biggest targets to terrorists. The hope is that the knowledge that the authorities are always watching will eliminate the temptation to commit crimes.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly states that "Around the world, we've seen subway and rail lines attacked. In London, in Madrid, in Moscow, in Mumbai," Kelly said. "Having access to these MTA cameras gives us another crucial tool with which to protect New York's transit system."

The cameras are connected to the police station via a high-bandwith fiber optic network. Once broadcast to the police station, the real-time images are displayed on computer screens and can be used to analyze images with tools like license plate readers and environmental sensors. The goal is to eventually have 3,000 real-time cameras up and running. There are currently 1,159 functional cameras. The cost for these cameras is a whopping $200 million dollars, paid for with grants from Homeland Security. Mayor Michael Bloomberg assures the city that these costs are necessary, and that technology is the only way to continue making the city safer.

Eventually New York hopes to mimic the London subway's "Ring of Steel" security camera network, which has more than 12,000 cameras up and running. London security officials say they plan to add even more cameras, enough to record the face of every person who enters the subway. With the recent arrest of a Colorado man who planned to bomb three New York subway stations, the camera system couldn't come at a better time for New York.

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How to connectorize a RG59 cable with a BNC end

Security Camera Expert, Josh Van Cleave, shows how to properly connectorize an RG59 with a BNC end. Josh has over 10 years in the security camera industry and nearly 20 years in computer networking.

Proper connection to the cable is very important. The benefit of being able to properly connectorize cables is lower cost and easier installs. The cables Josh is making are water tight and will last for many years.

In the video you find out how to use a compression tool, wire stripper and techniques to get a good, watertight connection, first time every time!

The connector Josh is using is the FCONN RG59 BNC male universal compression fitting. You can buy a 5-Pack for $18.00 here: RG59 BNC - 5 PACK COMPRESSION

For more information and videos, go to the CCTV Learning Center at Camera Security Now.

Information to show you that you can Do-it-yourself and install it like a pro.

Are You Covering Your Assets?

A wise man once told me that with anything that you do you always need to C.Y.A.(cover your assets). Lets face it, if we did not have things that other people wanted, we would not need to protect them. A great way to protect your assets is to either have someone watch your possessions twenty four hours a day, which is extremely costly, or invest in a security surveillance system.

This is part one of a three-part series to help you answer a few questions that you may have about protecting your property, investments, or classified information. In part one we will go over what types of cameras to use, where to place the cameras for maximum coverage, and how you should connect the cameras to your video management system. Part two will touch base on what type of video management system that you should be using and how much storage that you will be needing. Third and final segment will go over video analytics and viewing the videos.


Camera Selection

Security cameras are the eyes of a video surveillance system. Cameras should be deployed in critical areas to capture relevant video. There are two basic principles of placement. First, there are the use of chokepoints. Chokepoints are areas where people or vehicles must pass to enter a certain area. Examples include doorways, hallways and driveways.This is a very inexpensive way of recording who has entered your facility.
Second is covering the assets. These are the specific objects that need coverage, i.e. safes, cars on a car lot or merchandise in a store. The asset is defined relative to the needs of the organization. You will then need to prioritize what your assets are and choose the location of the cameras. Now we can take a look at three of the main characteristics of camera types.

Fixed or PTZ: Cameras can be fixed to only look at one specific view or be movable through the use of panning, tilting and zooming (i.e., moving left and right, up and down, closer and further away). Most cameras used in surveillance are fixed. PTZ (pan, tilt, and zoom) cameras are generally used to cover wide fields of views and should be used only if you expect to actively use the cameras on a daily basis. The reason fixed cameras are used so often is that they are a conservative choice over the PTZ's due to higher prices. Fixed cameras can run $200-$500 and PTZ cameras are upwards of $2000.

Thermal,Infrared, and Color: In video surveillance a black and white image makes sense when lighting is very low . In those conditions, infrared cameras produce black and white images. Infrared cameras require special lamps (infrared illuminators) that produce clear image in the dark. Only silhouettes are produced with thermal cameras and are used in areas with little or no light .In daytime and well lit areas color cameras are a well planned choice.

 IP or Analog: The largest trend in video surveillance today is the move from analog cameras to IP cameras. While all surveillance cameras are digitized to view and record on computers, only IP cameras digitize the video inside the camera. Even though most infrared and thermal cameras are still only available as analog cameras, you can only use megapixel resolution in IP cameras.

Most organizations mix and match of their types of cameras . For instance, an organization may use infrared fixed analog cameras around a perimeter with an analog PTZ overlooking the parking lot. On the inside, they may have a fixed megapixel camera covering the warehouse and a number of fixed IP cameras covering the entrance and hallways. The monitoring, playback, and system configurations can all be maintained by the IE browser without hassles.


Connections


Cameras are connected to video management systems for the purpose of recording and managing access to video. There are two main characteristics to decide on for connecting your system

Analog and IP: Video can be transmitted over your computer network (IP) or it can be sent as analog video. Most video feeds are sent using analog but retooling to IP transmission is rapidly increasing. Both IP cameras and analog cameras can be transmitted over your computer network. IP cameras can connect directly to an computer network and analog cameras cannot. However installing encoders to transmit analog feeds over IP is a effective way to keep costs down by not having to replace the entire system. Encoders will have an input for analog video feed and output it in a digital transmission stream so that it can be transmitted over an IP network..

Wired or Wireless: Video can be sent over cables or though the air, whether you are using IP or analog video. Generally, the most cost effective and least troublesome way is wired, being more reliable with less of a headache for the administrators of the system. However, wireless is a great option for transmitting video where running wires can be quite difficult in certain areas such as playgrounds,remote buildings and off site areas which you want to survey.

There will be two more segments to come on surveillance cameras and accessories. If you have any needs for surveillance equipment in the meantime, please contact www.camerasecuritynow.com. And remember to always Cover Your Assets.

Security Camera Footage May Help Police Catch Stabbing Suspect

Last month we talked about the benefits of parking lot security cameras. Now it looks like police in Leesburg, Virginia are learning that for themselves. Earlier this week the Leesburg Police Department released parking lot security camera footage of an SUV, and they're hoping the video will lead to the arrest of a suspected attacker.

Between May 24 and August 2, five men were killed and 11 injured in the Flint, Michigan area; one was injured in Toledo, Ohio; and three were injured in Leesburg. Police believe all of these attacks were related due to the descriptions of the suspect, the vehicle he was driving, and patterns related to the actual crime.

The suspect is said to be a tall, white man with a muscular build. He asks the victims for directions or help with his car before attacking them. The video, which was shot in a mall parking lot in Leesburg, shows the potential suspect driving a dark green Chevrolet Blazer.

All but two of the victims were black men and they were walking alone, usually at night or in the early morning hours. Six of the attacks were committed between 12:15 AM and 6:00 AM on Mondays, while six of the attacks happened between 5:45 AM and 6:15 AM between Thursday and Sunday.

So far, police have put together a list of potential suspects. According to the Associated Press, Genesee County, Michigan prosecutor David Leyton said 469 tips have been received. The tips have been shared between all law enforcement agencies involved with the investigation, including the FBI. The investigation is being managed by Michigan State Police.

Take a look at the video below to see the potential suspect's car caught on camera:



Check out this related story: Virginia Security Cameras

Middletown, Ohio Man Caught on Camera

Another day, another criminal who doesn't understand the power of security cameras.

A few weeks ago Casey Fryman of Middletown, Ohio walked into a bar in Lemon Township, Ohio and began to act aggressively. 26-year-old Fryman, was demanding that his father, who was seated in the bar, give him his car keys. He became very agitated when his father wouldn't give them to him.

The bartender, Terina King-Smeal of Middletown, asked Fryman to leave the bar but he failed to comply. Instead, he threw a stool at her and jumped over the counter. He picked her up, threw her to the ground, and stomped on her. The entire incident was caught on camera.

Fryman jumped back over the bar and left the building, but police took him into custody and charged him with misdemeanor assault. However, after viewing the security camera footage, police decided on more serious charges. Fryman is currently in the Middletown jail and charged with felony assault.

This incident goes to show that having carefully placed security cameras in your business can make a world of difference when it comes to a police investigation. Because the bar had different cameras placed at different angles, police were able to see just how brutal the beating was and charge the alleged criminal with the proper crime.

Check out these related stories:

1. Bar Surveillance
2. Middletown, Ohio News

Parking Lot Security Cameras

Crime is prevalent when it comes to parking lots. The majority of all crimes that happen at retail stores and office buildings happen in the parking lot or parking garage. This is due to the number of hiding places, the vast size, and the fact that most people are coming and going, so there aren't a lot of witnesses around.

One way to help protect your parking lot is to install security cameras. When a would-be criminal sees a well-placed security camera in a parking lot, he or she will think twice about committing the crime, meaning you'll possibly see a reduction in vandalism and theft of store property. Also, the footage captured by these cameras can help aid law enforcement agencies in the event a crime is committed. Customers will see cameras as an important boost to your image. Cameras mean their shopping experience will be safe and secure and it means you care about them. That's a plus for any business. Of course, there's always the occasional parking lot accident and the potential for a liability case; that's another way a parking lot security camera could prove to come in handy.

Below, you'll find a few tips about installing security cameras in your parking lot:

1. Do you already have security in place? Maybe you have a security guard who patrols the parking lot, or some sort of alarm system. You'll want to place cameras in areas where the security options you already have in place are the weakest.

2. Are there certain areas in your parking lot that are particularly vulnerable to crime or accidents, maybe a hidden corner in a parking garage or a blind turn? These areas are ideal for placing security cameras.

3. Is your parking lot very busy at night? If so, you may want to consider a "night vision" or infrared security camera, which can basically see in the dark!

4. Do you have a parking garage or any other type of structure? These areas are often used as hiding places for those looking to commit crimes.

5. Make sure your cameras are placed at all exits and entrances so that you can see every car or person who leaves or enters your parking lot. This can really come in handy when law enforcement agencies are using footage to look for a suspect.

6. Make sure your cameras cover your parking lot from all angles. Cameras that are strategically placed amongst one another can maximize visibility.

Connecticut Schools to Get Security Cameras

Soon, in Madison, Connecticut, security cameras will be installed outside of the city's schools. The cameras are part of an effort to improve safety in the school system. The new safety plan has been a year-long effort from the school's safety team, which is made up of members of the local police department, fire department, directors of facilities, health and school administrators, and the town's engineer.

If everything goes as planned, the cameras will be up and running by fall. In an interview with the New Haven Register, Director of Administrative Services Arthur Sickle said, "The cameras are just another security measure. They weren't put there because of a specific issue. We are certainly hopeful that they'll be a deterrent. Not that there is a specific problem, but there is always an occasional incident."

The security cameras will be aimed at entrances and exits into school buildings, and in outdoor areas such as parking lots. None will be located inside the buildings. While all the cameras will be recording, not all of them will be monitored all of the time.

In addition to the cameras, the schools are putting a number of other safety measures in place. These include upgrading traffic signs, installing new school zone warning signs near all schools and posting speed bumps near a middle school and high school. They will also be establishing a reduced speed zone and using police enforcement in that area.