Community Security North West Limited

Background

Community Security is a well established company that is constantly refreshing its business with technological innovation. During this time, it has fostered close working relationships with property owners, law enforcement, emergency services, local authorities, housing associations and schools, for which it provides 24/7 electronic security and monitoring services.

All aspects of security and monitoring are addressed by Community Security, which prides itself on being competitive as a consequence of its innovation, and exploitation of new technology. Community Security services include:

• CCTV monitoring
• Alarm installation and monitoring
• Mobile patrols
• Concierge services
• Key holding services
• Access control
• Security consulting

The Challenge

Community Security leads the market in its provision of live CCTV monitoring. From its CCTV control rooms, Community Security provides a complete monitoring service, which includes an ability to provide secure relay of CCTV streams to its customers’ premises as appropriate.

This is possible through Community Security’s deployment of advanced IP (Internet Protocol) based solutions that enable the Company to provide controlled access to video streams. Obviously, data security and integrity is paramount, so all communications are dual encrypted with proprietary 128-bit cipher strength encryption protocols.

To accommodate the necessary data throughput (25 frames per second) and support camera control and diagnostic telemetry, CCTV camera communication has in the past been dependent upon the installation and management of fibre optic communications links.

Although an excellent medium, fibre optic networks introduce specific problems including:

• Considerable installation lead time - typically 12 to 16 weeks
• Static positioning - it is often the case that where a security camera is installed, the problem that it is intended to address is displaced to another location
• Costs of installation - both initial and ongoing service costs
• High profile installation whereby the work necessary to install the cable provides advanced warning
• Lack of geographical coverage. In most cases, whether or not a service is procured directly from BT, installation is dependent upon a BT ‘last mile’ private circuit. This can incur additional, and sometimes terminal, cost and time overruns
• Lack of control as a result of not being able to provide full end to end management of the solution, including the network cable

The Solution

To address these issues, Community Security has pioneered the use of wireless leased line communications links to relay live CCTV streaming. Tony Nuttall, MD of Community Security, recalls, "At the time the CCTV industry told us that it could not be done as we would be let down by low quality images, and network capacity issues."

Convinced of the practicability of the scheme, Community Security worked in partnership with Manchester Metronet to refine a combined solution that integrates the latest IP CCTV technology, and an urban wireless broadband communications network. The Company is now in the enviable position of being able to provide cost effective wireless CCTV monitoring anywhere within the M60 ring road that encircles all of metropolitan Manchester.

Key advantages gained through working in partnership with Manchester Metronet include:

• The ‘Rapid Deployment CCTV’ service offered by Community Security allowing for hardware, human and bandwidth resources to be allocated at extremely short notice
• Cost effectiveness, particularly with regard to ongoing costs
• Discreet deployment
• Total ‘end-to-end’ control over infrastructure

After some initial scepticism, and following demonstrations of both technologies in action, clients were won over by wireless CCTV’s manifold advantages. One of which was demonstrated effectively during the summer of 2006, when the weather conditions adversely affected fibre communications systems, resulting in service drop-outs.

The Benefits

Security is arguably one of the dominant issues in modern society. Manchester, as with other cities, has its share of community problems and, in line with other urban areas, use of wireless CCTV is seen as a strategic part of the armoury in fighting crime and disorder.

Unlike other cities, Manchester enjoys the benefit of a world leading broadband wireless communications super highway and local pioneering expertise that combine to ensure that authorities can deploy cost effective security monitoring throughout its jurisdiction.

It is the aim of Manchester Metronet, in collaboration with dynamic companies like Community Security, to allow all other cities to share in the enviable situation that Manchester currently occupies.