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| Verint's solution proved its value when a riot brought chaos to the city |
Opportunity
Guayaquil is the largest and most populous city in Ecuador with around 3.75 million people in the metropolitan area. As the nation’s principal commercial and manufacturing centre, Guayaquil is located on the western bank of the Guayas River–and is the capital of the Ecuadorian province of Guayas.
The Guayaquil Corporation for Public Safety (Corporación para la Seguridad Ciudadana de Guayaquil, or CSCG) is a non-profit municipal corporation that coordinates public safety institutions to establish a culture of prevention, care and response to citizens. In addition to public safety, CSCG also addresses and monitors a range of challenges in the city, from traffic to firefighters to emergency response. CSCG works with 30 to 40 agencies, including police, garbage collection, army, electrical, municipal and other critical agencies. The corporation also handles emergency dispatch and monitors video cameras located at strategic points throughout the city.
Guayaquil has been a leader in the use of video surveillance in Latin America, leveraging video to provide service to the community. The city has been a role model for other countries and entities, and CSCG often conducts tours to enable representatives from other locations to see their comprehensive video surveillance system, which is driven by Verint® Video Management Software™ (VMS). While Ecuador’s central government tends to favour lower-cost solutions, CSCG, in contrast, prides itself on using the most up-to-date, modern systems. The emphasis is on protecting citizens and engaging and empowering them with greater participation. Looking ahead, CSCG is planning to expand its camera system in the next year, both in terms of camera count and to leverage new capabilities.
CSCG often conducts tours to |
Guayaquil’s use of video surveillance goes back to 2002, when the first 20-camera video system was installed. The city was pleased with the results, and the pilot system grew over time to about 300 cameras.
In 2008, CSCG invested in Verint VMS to replace the older system, using Verint encoders to translate analogue signals to connect with the IP network. CSCG also upgraded the video monitors to approximately twenty-five 55-inch screens in the command centre. The number of monitors has since grown to 55.
As of 2014, the total camera count has increased to 800, which includes both analogue and more than 475 IP cameras, reflecting the ease of scalability of Verint’s solution. All camera inputs are viewed using Verint VMS. “Over time, the goal is to transition the current analogue cameras to IP-based devices, with projected system growth to include around 1,200 cameras this year,” says Gustavo Zuñiga, president of CSCG.
Results
Reflecting the success of the system are lower crime rates and a greater ability to anticipate responses.
Cesar Lopez of Union Electrica says Verint’s system excels at integrating with third-party equipment and offers the ability to share information with various agencies. “The reliable, scalable solution has provided immediate results,” explains Lopez, general manager, Union Electrica Ecuador. CSCG is able to share information quickly with third parties, such as the justice department, to help expedite investigations and minimise crime around the area. CSCG has been pleased with the system’s performance and now considers the solution a necessity to conduct business and to ensure the safety of the city.
By monitoring various events, |
Other benefits include increased traffic control and streamlined garbage collection. Historically, citizens have put garbage on the street on days when collection isn’t planned. Enforcement based on use of the video has helped to solve the problem.
The solution proved its value when a riot brought chaos to the city. By monitoring various events, the city was able to direct appropriate agencies (fire and police) to address the situations and coordinate immediate resolutions. Cameras are also helpful in case of natural disasters, such as heavy rains or earthquakes. For CSCG, IP solutions offer more capabilities compared to analogue. “We are able to extract video easily and send it to appropriate agencies, resulting in faster more conclusive investigations,” adds Gebert. Among other benefits, the IP systems have helped streamline work with other agencies, providing immediate results and facilitating sharing of information.
CSCG is committed to leading the technology revolution with innovative solutions, a commitment reflected in its planned expansion of the video system to incorporate the latest available technologies. CSCG’s success using Verint’s platform provides a glimpse into the vast potential for new video applications in public places throughout Latin America – and the world.
