Whether the events of September 11, 2001 create permanent or temporary changes in our nation or around the world, local law enforcement organizations across the country know that a seismic event of some magnitude has occurred that will affect the way we do business. things in the years to come. Certainly the psyche of this and many other nations was affected. Elections were influenced, relations between nations were altered, and normal international discourse changed dramatically, perhaps permanently.

While it has greatly changed the way we approach our daily lives, the most fundamental change may have taken place in the realm of security. “Business as usual” at the local law enforcement level could no longer be tolerated, as a very real and visceral reality struck at home: that some of the world’s most capable and fearsome military powers could find themselves vulnerable to asymmetric threats much less sophisticated ones that could kill thousands without firing a single round. Asymmetric warfare migrated from an intellectual exercise that Pentagon planners used to channel the directions of the Revolution in Military Affairs to one of practical consequences that seemed to throw all the rules out the window.

When those two passenger planes crashed into the Twin Towers on September 11, they had an exhilarating effect on the way we go about our daily activities and challenged conventional wisdom about how to deal with potential threats. Probably nothing in our lives changed more visibly than the explosion in surveillance capabilities and the willingness, albeit with some degree of objection, to accept further intrusion by governments in their attempt to prevent even more catastrophic events. Protecting the general population became the mantra of governments and their leaders, and surveillance systems became a key means of achieving that security.

However, the need to fill the apparent gap in government and private security architectures has not in all cases been met by a concomitant appropriate response from the commercial arena. Many companies rushed to fill the gap without the corresponding expertise needed to deliver the right solutions to the customer. Company size, deep financial pockets, and an army of engineers themselves mean little without a deep bank of seasoned technocrats who have spent years in the trenches of the surveillance industry and lived through the complex challenges that the industry poses. .

To that end, there are some necessary considerations when looking to purchase a surveillance system. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

one. monitoring systems are not just cameras on a pole: Potential users, such as local law enforcement, need to understand the broader applications and uses of all components in an integrated “total systems” approach. Without a doubt, simple and cost-effective CCTV cable solutions are one part of the total solution. However, by themselves, they deprive the user of a complete solution, a fact that can go unnoticed until it is too late and a situation arises where more is needed.

2. Surveillance systems must have a holistic design and be defined by the specific needs of the user and the desired objectives: There are a myriad of factors that influence what a potential user will require in a surveillance system. What is the goal or threat? Is it the fight against drugs, terrorism, illegal immigration, reducing criminal activity, reducing homicides, etc.? Can the requirement be met with only copper or fiber optic solutions? Is there a wireless component? Is the solution a combination of open and covert platforms? How can a new solution be combined with the existing legacy system that could save the customer a lot? Is there an air component to the requirement? Are there low light camera needs? Is there a mobile requirement, a need for rapid implementation? Is full frame rate video required? The answers to these questions will have a dramatic effect on what is needed, determine the priority of required functionality, and moderate how and when to purchase various desired system components. In addition, answering these questions ensures the practical and measured acquisition of a system commensurate with the fiscal resources available to the user.

3. Surveillance systems must be scalable: able to start small, able to grow in adaptable stages, and anchored to robust, easy-to-use video management software: The term “system” shouldn’t be intimidating, as it can be something as small as a basic video sensor, transmitter, receiver, a pair of antennas, and a small box for viewing video, controlling the sensor, and recording video. . Components should be modularized in such a way that the ability to grow the system is seamless and can be expanded rapidly. Most importantly, the system must be manageable through software that is flexible, agnostic (that is, capable of integrating with a large number of different sensors and video management components, regardless of the brand of each). component) and that the user can work with it. outside the exit gate.

4. Surveillance systems are tricky: It’s not the size of a company that matters, it’s the experience! It’s not a company’s deep pockets that count, but its skills displayed in what is an incredibly complex niche industry. Knowing how to integrate analog with digital solutions, how to transmit large volumes of streaming video over different “channels” over long distances, how to merge wired and wireless components together, and to do it in a reasonable amount of time, are not resident skills in many companies. even if they advertise that’s what they do. So “buyer beware!”

5. Surveillance systems are not cheap and need attention. Sometimes the hardest part is convincing a user that they should protect their investment with an extended service agreement. But doing so isn’t just smart, it’s essential. Systems must be made so that they can be easily operated. But they are a product of advanced electronics, complex sensors, and complicated software, and they need a sustained service program to sustain the investment. This element is the most overlooked but most necessary element in any system.

Surveillance systems are here to stay. They are embedded in much of the fabric of our daily lives. You’ve seen vestiges of such systems in London, you’ve heard of efforts to police the US border with them (albeit with mixed results to date), you’ve seen them used as a means to take down organized crime. and has seen its proliferation in many of the United States. major cities in the United States. There has been a lot of trial and error. . . many successes and failures. But one conclusion is inescapable: they are here to stay, and they will grow in size and scope, and as they do, so will the number of vendors who say they can produce the right solution. The five considerations listed above can help provide the right solution for a city, business, or agency looking to purchase a system to meet their surveillance needs.