A G4S-managed prison is trialling video analytics against criminals who throw contraband over prison walls.
HMP Altcourse near Liverpool, a category B prison, is to deploy analytics from Avigilon linked to CCTV on the prison perimeter, to tell apart people, vehicles and other moving objects. If the analytics alert CCTV operators to areas of concern, the control room can then determine if people on camera look likely to launch objects over the wall. Prison officers can then be dispatched and police called.
The system uses artificial intelligence or machine learning. The private security company says that it has already re-trained drug dogs to detect new psychoactive substances.
Director for HMP Altcourse, Steve Williams, said: “We are constantly looking for new ways to support our vigilant security teams and we are hopeful that this initiative could dramatically improve the chances of catching the criminals on the outside who target Altcourse with contraband.
“Our team has a good record of intercepting packages thrown inside but the size of the prison combined with our location near busy roads and a housing estate means that it’s a constant challenge to keep the entire perimeter under observation at all times of the day and night.
“This smart technology of instant alerts could reduce false alarms and also provide the speed of response which is so vital if the police are to catch the criminals behind this activity on the outside. We’ll be sharing the results of this trial with our colleagues across the prison system.”
And Avigilon’s Chief Technology Officer, Dr Mahesh Saptharishi, said: “Video analytics act as a force multiplier, being able to provide constant surveillance and intelligently notify operators of situations they need to be aware of. Avigilon’s self-learning video analytics further build on this notion by constantly learning and adapting to the environment allowing the system to improve accuracy over time.”
View a video from Avigilon on Youtube.
