Security Oxford

Recent advances in surveillance and communications technology mean that rapidly deplyable CCTV is increasingly finding favour with security providers and their customers as an extremely cost effective and flexible option to tackle problems at key hotpots on the ground. Temporary CCTV is really coming into its own when there is a pressing requirement to proactively address crime and safety issues across a wide range of applications, whther it be protecting a constantly changing construction site against the theft of valuable materials – by allowing a solution to be put in place without major works and then to be re-deployed as requirements change- to assisting aith the smooth managment of large scale events such as a music festival to ensure the safety of revellers or at demontrations and rallies to prevent rival factions clashing.

Not surprisingly, paralleling the growing range of potential uses for temporary surveillance technology, we have seen vendors bringing an ever more diverse portfolio of systems to market for security professionals to choose from. Today, approaches to temporary CCTV include fully integrated, 3G ebabled, mobile CCTV towers featuring an array of cameras and detectors for an event- driven surveillance solution that can be quickly towed to a specific location, for example a construction site, automatically extended and deploed in a matter of hours.

In addition, we are witnessing the roll- out of advanced, ruggedised, camera (CCTV) platforms with built- in recording that can, typically, be attached to standard lampposts to enhance  public space surveillance. There are even some that use a motorised delivery unit to take the camera to the desired height, so eliminating the need for an expensive cherry- picker.

High visibility vehicle- based CCTV solutions are also a more common sight as they are deploed by the police, multi- agency community partnerships, and local authorities to tackle issues such as under- age drinking and anti- social behavioyr. Being truly mobile means, crucially, that such vehicles can be moved to where they are needed most in a matter of minutes and, once in place, are able to act as a critical force multiplier.

Towers of power

Considering mobile CCTV towers in more detail, there is little doubt that these fully- integrated rapidly- deployable, solutions have been greatly  refined in recent times with considerable investment by the evendors in R&D and important fiels testing. The result is that the latest generation of systems being brought to market, are much faster to set-up than their predecessors, more stable and robust so they are better equipped to withstand sttack, with ruggdised housing. Potential applications for these systems are fluid or vulnerable  locations like construction sites, highway maintance, railway compounds, nd electricity substantions. In the case of substantions it is impractical to carry out the works neessary for permanent CCTV so CCTV toers are ideal to adress vandalism and cable theft with the minimum of disruption.

Perhaps of all the applications where mobile CCTV towers are to be found, the area where thay are now really starting to make their mark are now really starting to make their mark as an indispensable crime prevention tool is in the construction sector which, sadly, continues to be a lucrative target for hardened and opportunist criminals as they target metal, diesl, building materials, and equipment. The extent to which this technology has been embraced by construction industry is underlined by the fact that high visibility JBC- branded mobile CCTV towers are becoming an ever more common feature as they take their place on site, alongside other essential plant and equipment, to smooth day- to – day operations by preventing construction site crime, imporoving project managment and assisting with health and safety monitoring- critical in such as fast moving environment. A key driver for mobile CCTV towers, as a temporary CCTV measure on construction sites, is the ability to combat attacks so mitigating losses and to be relocated as the site progress, helping to reduce insurance premiums and, in some locatons, allowing insurance to be considered where previously it would have been deemed to be too much of a risk.

On a cost benefit analysis mobile CCTV towers- which can be hired or purchased outrught- can be attractive option compared to more conventional options. Key feature which security installers should ideally, look out for hen it comes to specifying a mobile CCTV tower for their customers include: wheather the CCTV towerscan be connected , to deliver detector- activated CCTV. Does the CCTV tower offer a high level of system integrity such as triple path signalling to the RVRC constatnt self- verification routines and issue reporting.

Captured on Camera

When it comes to deciding what will be the best temorary CCTV solution, naturally a primary consideration will be the type of environment in which it is going to be deployed. Adam Haworth, sales director from Wirless CCTV, who are active in this area, said: Local authorities have always been a major sector for us when it comes to the supply of re-deployable cameras that can be put up quickly in areas to enhance coverage and provide viedo back to their existing control rooms.