Page 21 - Security Today, May/June 2021

“Manufacturers and integrators should be aware of both the operational and budgetary constraints within the law enforcement community, and be prepared to offer solutions.”
avoid becoming locked into a single manufacturer’s product offer- ings. This allows departments to evaluate all available solutions to identify those that meet their needs and budget, but it also has im- plications that go beyond body-worn technology.
Today’s safe city infrastructure features a broad range of cam- eras, sensors, and other tools used by law enforcement. Open- architecture technology makes it easier for those devices to talk to each other, all while ensuring that departments won’t become dependent on a discontinued product line, or worse—a defunct manufacturer or supplier.
CITIES ARE BECOMING MORE INTEGRATED,
WHICH MEANS COMMUNICATION IS KEY
Safe city infrastructure likely includes a wide array of tools and devices, but if those devices are unable to communicate with one another, utility is limited. In addition to the potential financial benefits, open-architecture solutions make it easier to integrate new devices with existing technologies that users have already been trained to operate. Integrating body-worn cameras into an open-platform VMS that the organization has already invested in creates better workflow and ensures minimal disruption for em- ployees as they learn to use the new devices.
A given municipality might have security cameras at specific intersections throughout the city. Likewise, a local college might have surveillance cameras present in multiple locations across cam- pus. If an incident occurs at one of those locations that requires an officer to respond, having those security cameras and the of- ficer’s body-worn camera feeding into the same system makes it considerably easier to not only combine and manage the resulting video and get a clearer picture of what happened on the ground, but to prepare it for potential legal proceedings as well. This sort of integration also helps with chain of custody because the video is all coming from one platform, making it simple to control access, to share among authorized users, and to present in a court of law.
This level of integration can help cities adopt a more holistic approach to security. With departments like public transporta- tion, law enforcement, public works and even sanitation operat- ing under the same platform architecture, it becomes easier to view the city as a single entity.
What’s more, any department that wishes to use a new sensor or tool can easily incorporate it into the existing platform. If a security incident happens at the airport, law enforcement might be able to tap into body cam footage, surveillance feeds, or even cameras designed to track arriving and departing flights. Because these are all integrated, information sharing becomes easier, and cities become safer.
EMPOWERING INTEGRATORS
IS MORE CRITICAL THAN EVER
The way that body-worn technology is sold has changed con- siderably in recent years. In the past, systems integrators never had a chance to position body-worn solutions to their customers
because the technology was traditionally sold via a direct sales model. Today, that technology can go through the channel, en- abling integrators to present new options to the customers who trust their expertise.
From a local municipality standpoint, this also allows inte- grators to provide another value-added service to customers. Although going direct to the manufacturer has its benefits, it is ultimately not scalable, and it isn’t always feasible for smaller de- partments to account for expenses like flying in an out-of-state factory engineer who knows the specifics of the technology.
As more municipalities mandate the use of body-worn camer- as and more end-users request them, the ability to work with local integrators able to provide consistent, scalable service becomes increasingly important. Manufacturers must empower those inte- grators with the information they need to confidently recommend the right body-worn solutions.
This means additional emphasis on education, particularly as law enforcement and other verticals continue to explore ways to better incorporate body-worn solutions into their day-to-day operations. Body-worn cameras are about more than just record- ing incidents: they are about providing transparency to the public regarding what actually took place. While this can sometimes re- sult in a department being cast in a negative light, it can also be used to exonerate officers falsely accused of misconduct. A grow- ing number of law enforcement leaders have also warmed to the idea that even footage that depicts an officer handling a situation poorly can serve as an effective training tool.
Perhaps best of all, body-worn cameras can serve as an effec- tive deterrent for both members of the public and officers them- selves. After all, if both parties know they are on camera, they are less likely to behave in a way that might later reflect poorly on them.
TODAY’S BODY-WORN SOLUTIONS
ARE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE—
AND THEY MAKE SOCIETY SAFER
Body-worn cameras remain a relatively new technology, but the growing cries for increased accountability in the law enforcement community have thrust them to the forefront of the public con- sciousness. But police departments and correctional offices around the country have been left with questions: which devices to use, how to implement them, and—most importantly—how to pay for them.
Fortunately, the increased variety and accessibility of body- worn solutions has made it easier than ever for departments to identify the right technology to meet their specific needs—par- ticularly amid the shift to a channel-based sales
model. Police departments around the country
can now work with the integrators they trust to
find a body-worn solution that fits both their
situation and their budget, and they can do so
with the confidence that today’s open-architec-
ture offerings will allow them to scale that so-
lution effectively. As cities embrace a smarter,
more integrated vision for the future, the ability
to incorporate technology like body-worn cam-
eras into broader smart city infrastructure will
only grow more valuable.
Kevin Taylor is the segment development man- ager, Smart Cities, at Axis Communications. Steve Jussaume is the solutions engineer, Busi- ness Development, at Axis Communications
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