Two London boroughs, Bromley and Merton, have selected Synectics’ Synergy 3 command and control platform as part of upgrades to their public space surveillance.
As London’s biggest borough, efficient and effective monitoring of large areas is essential for Bromley (pictured: High Street). In Merton – the only London borough served by Tube, train and tram services – public safety in and around transport links is a key objective. In both places, products have been specified and will be fitted by Tyco.
William Ogg, CCTV Manager for the London borough of Bromley, said: “From the control hub we monitor over 200 cameras – a mix of analogue and IP – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It’s a tough challenge, which means we are always looking at ways we can support the surveillance team and utilise our technology more efficiently and effectively. We knew that upgrading to an open platform solution that could facilitate greater levels of integration with existing systems would be key to this.”
At Bromley two separate systems are in place for controlling and recording footage from public space cameras. With the upgrade, Synergy 3 will bring together these two systems so that operators can react to footage with responsive camera control.
The Synectics software will also see a new display wall at Bromley, including an interactive screen that will display customisable information such as changing threat levels and local news alerts.
William Ogg added: “We are new to Synectics so we’re keen to see what their technology could offer. We actually had a Synergy 3 demo system installed so that we could see the opportunities for improvement ourselves. The difference was clear, and we could immediately understand how features such as the incident collaboration tools, and interactive mapping engine with Geospatial Information System (GIS) technology could really help us to enhance detection and response capabilities.”
In Merton, Synergy 3 will enable the council to unify monitoring and control of separate systems including fixed and redeployable public space cameras, traffic enforcement and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, and Body Worn Video (BWV).
Tom Davis, Parking and CCTV Infrastructure Manager for the London Borough of Merton, said: “The Synergy 3 system will represent a huge upgrade on our current system. As well as integrating all of our cameras and recording systems, the reporting features also mean we will easily be able to analyse exactly why, how and how often cameras are used in relation to incidents. This demonstrates best practice and is an approach integral to the Information Commissioner’s Office CCTV Code of Practice.”
Merton also has a number of remote site systems, such as the Garth Road waste centre, which will be integrated for operators to view, monitor and control cameras from the central control room.
Both borough-wide solutions fulfil criteria specific to London authorities including compliance with TVNP protocol to allow camera sharing between boroughs.
