24 TechnoLogy SUrveillANce

New York and the rest of the USA are catching up with Britain in public surveillance technology, discovers Laurie Wiegler

big brother in the big apple

EvEry LondonEr is caught on camera on average 200 times a day, much more often than a new yorker. yet, terrorist threats real or perceived are changing US attitudes to surveillance. due to major security concerns in America, the US is catching up to its British ally: about 3,000 cameras are being installed as part of the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative, a trend echoed in many other American cities including dallas, Phoenix, Baltimore, new orleans and Los Angeles. Also, new york Citys Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is in the midst of furthering a high-tech security upgrade, which began in 2006. All of this is a challenge to the US Constitution, according to those who lean on the Fourth Amendment as a buttress guaranteeing a right to privacy. Law enforcement officials would argue that cameras are put in public places, where individuals cannot reasonably expect privacy. yet, as surveillance continues and the use of digital images including such seemingly innocuous ones as mobile phone snapshots proliferates, the public debate and legal wrangling rage on. about their displeasure, reaction to surveillance is mixed. Since 9/11, the average new yorker would tell you that indeed, safety is paramount. But that does not mean he or she would accept random Big Brother-like tactics and what has worked well in London is meeting resistance in the Big Apple. Congestion traffic pricing (and that would have also involved congestion surveillance cameras), endorsed by the states new governor, david Paterson, was recently (after much debate) rejected by the state legislature. At the time of going to press, nyPd (the new york Police department) was unavailable for comment. However, City of Londons Chief Superintendent and head of Anti-Terrorism and Public order, Alex robertson, says simply: Were very open with any law enforcement agency who would like to come along and see our systems, and we certainly have spoken to those who have advised nyPd, mainly members of the business community. other London-like surveillance measures have already been embedded in new york. Modeled after the ring of Steel, the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative, along with camera installations for the MTA, arose from the real or perceived threats resulting from

London as a RoLe ModeL

In new york City, where citizens are not known for keeping quiet

engineering & Technology 24 may - 6 June 2008 www.theiet.org/engtechmag

25

Since 9/11, the average New Yorker would tell you that safety is paramount. But that does not mean he or she would accept random Big Brother-like tactics

both 9/11 and 7/7 bombings. Chief Superintendent robertson told E&T that indeed, new yorks representatives visited from across the Atlantic to study the ring of Steel, aptly referred to as the City of London Traffic and Environmental Zone, which contains 200 surveillance cameras within the Square Mile alone. Since the first installation of close circuit television (CCTv) cameras in 1993, approximately 8m has been spent on the system. Weve used CCTv for an awful lot longer than probably

most places in America, says robertson. Asked what drives the use of these cameras, he insists that it is primarily the safety of the people, rather than a specific terrorist threat. People think the IrA problem, for example, is no longer relevant, but we are still very much aware that there are certain factions within northern Ireland who would be keen to carry out terrorist attacks on the mainland.

WheRe in the WoRLd?

Londoners may be used to having their pictures taken and as robertson put it, ironically especially when

theyre standing in front of a camera, but it remains to be seen if new yorkers are quite as keen about it. Perhaps for this reason, MTA will not reveal which subway stations have the cameras already. And US cities far beyond new yorks borders have also been upping their surveillance in recent years. While exact numbers are constantly changing, IdC analyst John Gantz says the overall digital universe that includes surveillance cameras will be ten times bigger in five years as digital growth creates economic growth. dilip Sarangan, an analyst for Frost & Sullivans north

American branch, confirms that indeed, surveillance is booming in the US. Until a couple years ago it was a completely unknown market. In the UK, there has been public surveillance for years, but in the US because of all the privacy laws theyve never really tried it. But now, with an increased perceived threat they are starting to implement surveillance systems in public areas, he says. Some of these include the area around the nFL venue for this years Super Bowl; the new Jersey transit system; Amtraks trains; the City of Chicago; the dallas Police department; the City of new orleans; the City E

www.theiet.org/engtechmag 24 may - 6 June 2008 engineering & Technology

26 TechnoLogy SUrveillANce

city of London Police have an intricate cctV system, a network thats been in place far longer than that of their new york counterparts

F of Baltimore; and innumerable schools, libraries, shopping malls, banks and stores. new Jersey Transit employs a nice surveillance system, and Amtrak recently announced the implementation of security measures on its trains similar to those on airlines. Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole says: Security cameras are one of many tools Amtrak has used in the past, and continues to use, to improve safety and security on our system. As with other tools, we are constantly re-evaluating the effectiveness of such cameras and adjusting their deployment. not all surveillance systems are equal, but some, it seems, are more efficient than others. Michael dillon, vP of business development with Firetide, says they employed surveillance outside the Super Bowl arena in Phoenix, Arizonas downtown district. He quickly adds that this involved much more than CCTv cameras, namely voice over Internet Protocol (voIP). voIP is giving rise to a strong market share for vendors such as Firetide, which takes an integrated approach to bringing pictures to life. Id like to say its video and voIP on purpose, dillon says. He is not sure how much of his business is video versus voIP, because the desire for both is strong. The Super Bowls an excellent example of that not only did they run video surveillance cameras, but they were also running discrete voice channels, dillon says. Another vendor, Israel-based nice Systems, has installed its nicevision ControlCenter at such world-famous landmarks as the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower (see sidebar) as well as at dallas Fort Worth Airport, Chinas Ministry of railways and numerous gaming and corporate facilities. nices Moti Shabtai says they also recorded last years Superbowl in Miami with their own mesh technology.

taLking PictuRes

digital information created, captured, replicated Worldwide

exabytes 1,800 1,800 1,400 1,200 1,000 800 600 400 200 0 2006

tenfold growth in five years!

DVD, RFID, Digital TV, MP3 players, Digital cameras, Camera phones, VoIP, Medical imaging, Laptops,

Datacenter applications, Games, Satellite images, GPS, ATMs, Scanners, Sensors, Digital radio, DLP theaters, Telematics, Peer-to-peer, Email, Instant messaging, Videoconferencing, CAD/CAM, Toys, Industrial machines, Security systems, Appliances

2006

2008

2009

2010

2011

this graph from a report issued by idc/eMc shows how the use of digital images is rising exponentially

surveillance

SmArt FocUS
Many camera manufacturers are taking a smart approach to surveillance. IBMs Smart Surveillance system uses video analytics tools to file surveillance footages. It detects patterns and sounds alerts when appropriate, while also warning security guards of individuals in restricted areas. Jeanne Jang, IBMs lead on video surveillance, says that the cameras are used by numerous entities, most of whom prefer to remain anonymous. Since 2003, Sony has been marketing an Internet Protocol (IP)-based surveillance system that taps its software, servers and video cameras and is deployed by a third-party networking infrastructure. Initially designed as an educational surveillance system, it is now installed in many types of locations. According to Sonys Miguel Lazatin: Our cameras are increasingly installed in medical buildings, government agencies, housing authorities, housing projects, hotels, and corporate securities. Understandably, he refused to indicate any specific locations in New York where Sony cameras may be used.

While the nicevision system manages networked video servers, IP devices and video analytics, it also integrates with third-party security systems. Those could be Siemens, IBM or Motorola, as well as numerous telecommunications, e-business or software vendors. Another surveillance system integrator, Firetide, touts a scheme based on a mesh network that routes visual and aural data between nodes. It allows for streamlined connections, hopping from node to node until the signals destination is reached. The technology has been deployed not only at the periphery of the Superbowl, but in numerous other locations. For example, an AgileMesh/ Firetide video surveillance system was embedded at nASAs SoFIA (Stratospheric observatory for Infrared Astronomy) and dC-8 Airborne Laboratory aircraft in Palmdale, California, a satellite facility for nASAs dryden Flight research Center at Edwards Airforce Base. The surveillance system is solar-powered, high-resolution and wireless, transmitting video from the perimeter of the hangar to the on-site security operations center. The video is monitored in real-time; personnel patrolling the perimeter communicate with the operations center and can respond to incidents within seconds, according to Firetide. Images are stored for 30 days for incident review and investigation. Shabtai points out that with systems such as the nicevision, there are four steps involved: capturing video and transmitting it, recording, analysing and managing. of this last step, Shabtai says: This pertains to what you do with the metadata you extract from the video, for example interaction between people, abnormal behaviour. He emphasises that the analytic aspect of a surveillance system is key. A good example is an unattended bag which would

integRation key

engineering & Technology 24 may - 6 June 2008 www.theiet.org/engtechmag

27

the potential of cameras is rising all the time, and the current generation of camera technology is good
Paul Vernon, LAPD

be watched to anticipate an event before something is exploding at an airport. We have a number of applications to analyse any type of abnormal behaviour, he concludes. none of the video would mean much without reliable images. vendors such as Sony, IBM, and others, scrambling to address this burgeoning US market, would do well to come up with the clearest images possible. Image quality is definitely improving. one champion of the technology is Lieutenant Paul vernon of the Los Angeles Police department (LAPd), who says that his department adopted the cameras when quality met price point. The potential of cameras is rising all the time because people are recognising the benefits, and the current generation of camera technology is good, with the costs going down steadily, says vernon. Even so, it is impossible to run reams and reams of images whenever one actually needs to pin a thug. In recent weeks, the

ReLiabiLity of iMages

nyPd was faced with examining lots of video surveillance footage after a bomber dropped his load at an Army recruiting facility in the citys Times Square. While images of a cyclist approaching the station around 3am EST were helpful, the casual observer would certainly wish for something far clearer and less grainy.

motion detection

Looking ahead

reliability of images notwithstanding, surveillance marketers are trying to keep up with the growing need for their services. In the words of Shabtai, video surveillance has been a reactive procedure, but what his company and others are trying to do is anticipate incidents. We are trying to make security a proactive thing, so that instead of simply reacting to incidents, well anticipate events even before they happen, he says. Camera footage seems to be holding up in court. Baltimore Pd, for example, has seen a 40 per cent decrease in crime since installation of their cameras in 2005. L

moNUmeNtAl chAlleNgeS
The Eiffel Tower is loaded down with NiceVision surveillance cameras, but specific placements cannot be disclosed. According to Nices Moti Shabtai, there are dozens of five-to-ten-inch cameras scattered around the structure. One challenge, as he says, is that the famous evening light shows conducted on the hour make the cameras go crazy. Nice has a problem with its jewel of a client, Lady Liberty, too: according to Shabtai, it is the water and the reflection from the water that can prevent wrongdoings from being detected. The motion detection is done by the camera, he explains. But its also object tracking: once we detect an object coming out of the water, were tracking him and analysing his behaviour. Once we conclude its something suspicious, we take an action and make an alarm. While its been widely reported that the Statue of Liberty in New Yorks East River has some of the densest placements of cameras in the entire US, officials there will not go into details.

new yorks subway system is being carefully monitored, although the Metropolitan transit authority will not divulge the exact locations for most of the cameras

www.theiet.org/engtechmag 24 may - 6 June 2008 engineering & Technology