Designing Visual Solutions - CCTV
Whether your intentions are reactive or proactive, the uses and effectiveness of CCTV have moved on at speeds the industry itself struggles to keep up with. In today's commercial and public environments it is essential to ensure safe and secure surroundings; for customers, staff and, of course valuable assets.
Furthermore, the presence of surveillance systems provides the public and customers with 'peace of mind' for their personal safety and the safety of their property in public environments such as shopping centers.
RELEVANT AND ACCURATE
Cogent prides itself on always advising on up to date products and practices. This process has been carefully developed with the understanding of the market place. Cogent establishes close contacts with the manufacturing companies to ensure our advice is always correct and up to date.
In a recent survey we undertook, many manufacturers didn't even know about certain British Standards relevant to the product they made, this impacts on the system you get as evidence could become un-usable due to its non-conformity.
When embarking on any assessment of your current system or deciding on a new or upgraded CCTV system, understanding and documenting that process is essential to ensure the outcome it all that you expect. An operational requirement is a very important process to undertake, as it will document, the WHY, the WHERE and the WHO for CCTV systems design and useage, don't start your process without one.
IP CCTV and HD MEGAPIXEL IP CCTV
New CCTV systems are incorporating IP cameras and network recording, providing exceptional quality and savings when utilising existing network infrastructures. The use of Mega-Pixel or HD cameras producing detail and results typically only previously seen on fictional police programs, the products and solutions are now very real and available.
Megapixel images can be used to assist in identification in high risk areas, or clarity in marketing or high profile areas. These images have to be seen to be believed, but the cameras are only part of the solution, so make sure you don't invest in 'white elephants' chose the best solution, not just the best product.
DIGITAL RECORDING
Recent moves in CCTV systems is the development of digital recording of images, with significant advantages to your system in both recording and viewing of live images, but some consider the move beneficial due to the flexible network access to live and and recorded images and the speed of locating footage when required.
Time saving in tape changes and tape management and the simple fact of availability of tapes and video recorders must be considered when assessing the cost effectiveness of remaining with analogue recording.
DATA PROTECTION ACT & COMPLIANCE THROUGH VERIFI-CCTV - The UK's CCTV Compliance Consultancy Service
Changes in the Data Protection Act 1998 have now deemed that CCTV images are classified as 'personal data' this means that the images captured by your CCTV system are now regulated under the Act.
As this Act is governed by criminal law, the onus is on you the system owner, not the installer to have a compliant system. This includes the area of coverage of the system, the signage type, wording and the policy that supports both the systems and its usage.
Simple and effective measure can also ensure that the Act does not prohibit you from getting the most out of your system, understanding the act is far more than simply being able to read the document or claim compliance.
90% of CCTV is defined as ILLEGAL (Camerawatch 2006) and 80% of CCTV is INEFFECTIVE (Home Office National CCTV Strategy)
A new CCTV compliance consultancy service is being launched in 2010, utilizing over 200 years of combined CCTV industry experience that is available to every CCTV system owner in the UK. The service is offering the independent management and compliance assessment and video processing services, whilst they will be delivered under the umbrella of VMS a well know name in the CCTV industry, the services will be delivered by industry accredited and vetted personnel who have a significant skill set in relation to the security industry and specializing in CCTV.
Understand more by visiting the Verifi-CCTV website, please feel free to speak to us directly or contact Verifi-CCTV directly by using the contact page on their website.
Mike Tolley who is the principal consultant at Cogent is an associate consultant at Verifi-CCTV.
EFFECTIVENESS OF CCTV SYSTEMS AND THEIR OPERATORS
Simple yet effective training of your operators can significantly improve the performance of both the system and the operators. Many operators may be licensed by SIA to use CCTV; this will cover the legal issues, but not involve training in the most effective way to use the CCTV cameras and the system as a whole.
Cogent has lots of experience is delivering proactive on-site training to CCTV operators in Town Centre’s and those managing large public space surveillance systems as well as high profile private and commercial establishments.
Call us today to see how we can help you deliver more for your money.
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