Oncam Global, the world’s leading technology and security solutions specialist, announced the completion of Stage 1 of the Kagithane Municipality Parks Project and their key key role in the redevelopment of parks and gardens throughout Turkey.
Oncam’s specialist 360-degree CCTV solutions have been deployed throughout 132 parks and gardens in the Kagithane Municipality in Istanbul as part of a strategy to enhance security and provide total situational awareness to the authorities.
The working-class region has been ravaged by muggings, violence and drug related incidents in recent years, and it is expected that with the completion of stage 1 of the Project, the introduction of full-scale monitoring across the parks will have led to a reduced level of crime and has attracted more local residents and families to use the recreation areas. Oncam has also enabled the use of free WiFi in the parks to add to the whole user experience.
With some of the parks covering areas the size of several football pitches, perimeter control simply wasn’t going to provide an adequate level of cover. Local government officials knew their only real solution was to have 360-degree cameras installed as part of a wider security solution.
A total of 214cameras have been installed throughout the parks and all are strategically placed to provide maximum coverage – leaving no blind spots for potential thieves and criminals.
Oncam has also built a brand new control room for the Kagithane Municipality, which will act as the heartbeat of the entire operation – monitoring every single camera. The control room features a police waiting area, where law enforcement officers can go through all camera footage from all the parks in the muncipality, in the event of a crime.
Officials in the region are already noticing a difference.
Canan Atasoy, Kagithane Municipality Environment Protect and Control Manager, in Istanbul said: “Parks are very important areas to us. We wanted to decrease crime in the area and make people feel secure so we chose to install a 360 Surveillance System. It’s good for people in the area to know their children are safe playing in the parks.
She added that although the system is very new, they are already noticing a reduction in crime rates throughout the municipality: “We have been able to monitor everything that’s going on from the control room we built in the municipality building – essentially enabling us to anticipate and interrogate some things before they have the chance to happen, and provide the appropriate level of response. There’s really no hiding from 360 degree cameras.”
Firas Bashee, CEO of Oncam Global Group, said the project is the first phase of Oncam’s objective to transform security in the parks and gardens across Istanbul.
He added: “The requirement for 360 degree security technology in areas like the Kagithane Municipality – and across the world for that matter – is growing. There is a huge demand for high-tech security solutions and 360 plays an important part of that development.
“The overall 360 degree solution is about total situation awareness: knowing everything that is going on without the need for hundreds of cameras – and even with hundreds of cameras you still get blind spots. There is a growing emphasis around the phrase ‘total situation awareness’ and that is what we at Oncam pride ourselves in being able to provide to the Kagithane Municipality.
“Our objective now will be to extend the project to transform security and surveillance capability throughout the municipality and expanding our reach into other municipalities across Istanbul.”
