Avigilon cameras monitor the Looe Tourist Information Center

Popular UK Tourist Destination Deters Disorderly Conduct and Ensures Safety of Residents and Tourists with Avigilon High-Definition Surveillance System

Looe, a small coastal town in South East Cornwall, England has a strong fishing history dating back to medieval times and remains home to several fish dealers still operating in the area. However, the town’s main business today is tourism. To accommodate the influx of visitors who come to enjoy the sandy beaches, pubs, restaurants, and shops, much of the town has been overtaken by hotels, guest houses, and holiday homes. The Looe Town Council, an elected body of 15 councillors that represents the best interests of the townspeople, a population that doubles each tourist season, is mandated to regulate harmful and disruptive behavior and ensure public safety. The Council installed an analog-based surveillance system several years ago, but has since realised that it no longer meets their growing needs. Consequently, Looe Town Council upgraded to the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system to more successfully deter disorderly conduct and assist local law enforcement in their efforts to manage and ultimately reduce inappropriate activity in the area.

Looe Town Council installed several Avigilon 2MP cameras in durable camera enclosures

Avigilon Outperforms Competition

Realising that the old analog-based surveillance system was no longer fit for purpose, the Looe Town Council established a CCTV sub-committee headed by Councillor Martin Gregory, chairman of the Environment and Public Protection Committee, to find a more effective surveillance solution. “Our old system was better suited for indoor use and the footage was so grainy that we could not easily identify anything,” explained Councillor Gregory. “The system kept breaking down and towards the end, only a couple of cameras were operational – it was an overall insufficient system.”

Under Councillor Gregory’s leadership, the Council reviewed IP-based surveillance solutions, ultimately selecting the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system on the recommendation of Securi-Guard Fire & Security, a local provider of surveillance system design, installation, and service. “We reviewed several different solutions, but the others were nowhere near as good as Avigilon and competing network video management systems were no match to the Avigilon Control Center software,” stated Councillor Gregory. Looe Town Council chose the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system for its superior image quality, advanced management features, and wireless capabilities. “And while cost was not a key consideration, Avigilon delivers a lower Total Cost of Ownership because it is more reliable, requires less maintenance, and is extremely well-supported.”

Monitoring Key Tourist Hubs

Looe Town Council installed several Avigilon 2 MP cameras in durable camera enclosures on buildings to ensure complete coverage of the town’s center, an area approximately 400 meters long made up of pubs, restaurants, hotels, and shops. Avigilon 2 MP cameras were also installed to monitor activity at the Looe Tourist Information Centre, a busy hub during the summer months. The Council manages the system using the Avigilon Control Center NVMS from a workstation located at the Town Hall and installed an Avigilon NVR to store up to 14 days of continuous surveillance footage.

Using Avigilon analogue video encoders, LHC situated along the harbor, plans to integrate its existing analog-based surveillance cameras, which monitor activity at the quay, into the Council’s Avigilon high-definition surveillance system. “The Avigilon high-definition surveillance system gives LHC the flexibility needed to leverage its existing investment in analog technology and cost-effectively upgrade its system for enhanced performance and functionality,” stated Councillor Gregory. LHC will also add several Avigilon 2MP cameras to further enhance its surveillance capabilities.

Overcoming Installation Obstacles

Securi-Guard Fire & Security worked closely with the Council to install the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system in the town center, a challenging process due to its narrow streets, tall buildings, and one-way traffic. In addition, installation had to follow strict guidelines set by the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England because Looe is designated a national conservation area. “We could not have any visible cables, broadband lines, or remote recording units and we had to mount the cameras higher than initially anticipated to prevent trucks from hitting them as they drive down the narrow streets,” noted Gregory. The Council also had to consider the area’s climate, which could be potentially damaging to the hardware. “We needed a solution that offered unobtrusive camera enclosures that can withstand the salty sea air and are easy to clean – Avigilon delivered.”

Finding a wireless surveillance system that would actually work in the town center – known as a black spot because of the narrow streets and tall buildings – and be inconspicuous was an important selection criterion for the Council. With the town’s previous system, each camera was connected to its own hard drive and broadband line, a set up that made it difficult to review footage and was quite costly because the Council had to pay for each separate broadband connection. “As an IP-based system, we knew that the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system would work well as a wireless solution to meet our performance – and aesthetic – needs,” claimed Councillor Gregory.

Avigilon Control Center Performance

According to Councillor Gregory, the Avigilon Control Center software plays a key role in saving the Council, as well as local police, a substantial amount of time in searching for important footage of incidents and events. With their old system, users had to slowly sift through hours of video to find the incident in question. “Avigilon Control Center provides a lot of added functionality to help us zoom in on specific details quickly and easily – just a couple of minutes compared to a half an hour or more with our old system,” noted Councillor Gregory. Furthermore, Councillor Gregory regards the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system as a robust, reliable, and durable solution that can easily integrate with other security systems if necessary.

Evidence That Holds Up in Court

Council members have claimed that it is impossible to compare the superior image quality of the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system with the grainy, poor quality video of the previous system. “The feedback to date has been very positive,” confirmed Councillor Gregory. In fact, local law enforcement officials ask to view footage on a regular basis and can now quickly and easily obtain useable footage that stands up in court – a huge benefit to the town. “Before, the footage quality was so bad that the police were unable to use it as a valuable part of their investigations. Council members are also very impressed with the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system, commenting that to compare it to the previous system is “like comparing chalk and cheese.”

The Council has also been impressed with Avigilon’s performance in low-light conditions, even without the automatic infrared (IR) filter technology. “The Avigilon HD cameras operate well in low-light conditions, critical for us because we experience varying and contrasting lighting conditions across the town center,” noted Councillor Gregory.

Delivering on its Promise

The Avigilon high-definition surveillance system has helped the Looe Town Council deter disorderly conduct in the town center and deliver peace of mind to residents and tourists alike. With plans to expand the system across the area and monitor the system live during special events, such as the town’s popular New Year’s Eve celebration when the streets are full of revellers, Looe Town Council has been very impressed with Avigilon’s performance and reliability. “Avigilon has delivered all it promised it would and has greatly enhanced our ability to ensure the safety and security of those who live and visit the beautiful town of Looe,” concluded Councillor Gregory.