Why Conventional Surveillance Fails

Ever since local authorities implemented Town Centre Surveillance Programmes in the 1990s, criminals have learned how easy it is to counter conventional surveillance systems. Also, they move to areas where there are no cameras. Or where they know the many cameras are not being watched. This is unfair for the many business and residential communities that are still living and working in fear. This is even worse in today’s security climate, and a major security risk for any city. The high costs of fighting crime continue to increase, but such neglected areas can be a source of high crime.

An Independent Governance Specialist for Video Surveillance, Sydney Australia, said “Failure in one part of a Safe City system can lead to catastrophic events in other parts of the system. Displacement of crime is one example. A juvenile who gets away with minor offences and antisocial disorder may turn to terrorism in later life.”

UK Video Surveillance Leading the Way

At the start of the new millennium, a new Disruptive Technology was invented to solve this problem. Stuart Thompson, a British innovator, conceived this breakthrough in 2000, filed the first patents in 2002 and delivered it. In 2003 the UK DTI (UK Department of Trade and Industry) offered its largest financial Smart Award for his invention. By 2004 the successes of its first installations were highly publicised. Stuart Thompson’s company, Viseum International Limited, trades under the brand name Viseum UK Group. It is well known in the security industry. It introduced AI Surveillance Technologies to help Town Centre Regeneration Projects deliver a stronger community security service.

> Our partnership with the UK Government <

“This success is very important to the entire world’s towns and cities.” (London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime)

Video Surveillance Privacy Issues

The technology breakthrough is an Intelligent Moving Camera which overcomes privacy issues, to automate surveillance. It also plays a major role in optimising the key human element of citywide security. This design answers privacy concerns and satisfies residents. The built-in software records activity by behaviour and location. It does not record how people look. If required, the camera protocols can allow the viewing of live images, and of recordings relevant to a particular incident, only when a crime is actually underway.

Photos of support from the UK Video Surveillance Users Group. The group sits on the UK Commissioner’s Standards Group, Standards Board and Advisory Council.

The UK’s Video Surveillance Users Group has endorsed the Community SafetyWatch concept with a quote from this organisation.

“Potentially the world’s largest surveillance service”

The service that these cameras provide is called Viseum Community SafetyWatch. It uniquely encourages communities to share information with local authorities about their specific security problems. Successful pilot installations have seen the concept embraced by communities, police and local councils throughout the UK. This has spread from each initial camera installation to neighbouring areas.

Communities have praised their councils for taking this Public Safety initiative. People protected by this unique PTZ camera service now depend on it to keep them safe. Families and businesses in London, Nottingham, Salford and the Isle of Man are among the latest to benefit. “This service has transformed all our lives,” is a typical comment from residents under this service. Another said, “we would not have taken on this business here if it wasn’t for this camera.”

As Stuart Thompson says, “Communities are already expected to share security issues with their local authorities, but our cameras give everyone (including the would-be criminals) the confidence that the police can act”, and “These successes show just how well this community security service multiplies in a viral way through word-of-mouth,” he adds.