TCA, the provider of security services for North Lanarkshire Council, has seen savings of around £50,000 a year, after installing 300 Panasonic CCTV cameras, waterproofed with a unique ClearSight coating.
Located east of Glasgow, North Lanarkshire has challenging weather conditions for any technology, which has previously hindered the provision of cost-effective security in the area. High levels of rain resulted in watermarks, dust spots and condensation, which meant heavy maintenance burdens and the potential for missing incidents.
When considering an upgrade to the system, TCA needed to combat these issues with a security system that remained affordable in an era of local authority austerity.
Implementing PTZ cameras for cost reduction
The ClearSight coating forms an invisible layer over the surface of the dome preventing water droplets from obscuring footageTCA secured the lower total cost of ownership they were seeking by implementing Panasonic PTZ cameras. The ClearSight coating forms an invisible layer over the surface of the dome preventing water droplets from obscuring footage, while also eliminating dirt and dust build-up on the dome cover.
"On many models, when the rain stops, you tend to get a coating of dust on the dome, which the camera then focuses on," says Nikola Graham, Operations Manager. "We just haven't seen that with the Panasonic cameras. In fact, we have actually halved the number of maintenance visits, which we think probably equates to a £50,000 annual saving.”
The initial installation took place over two years with the bulk of the cameras installed on 27 high rise blocks, identified as having problems with crime and antisocial behaviour.
Reduction in criminal incidents
"The result has been impressive. The council has seen a reduction in the number of criminal and anti-social incidents within the residential blocks, the cameras have contributed greatly to this. The people living in the blocks feel safer as a result,” said Graeme Good, Business Manager at TCA.
In total, 875 cameras are monitored round the clock, while a further 300 cameras are linked in and monitored out of hours if an alarm is triggered
“A camera in the Motherwell area has on several occasions been used to catch vehicles that were used in some pretty serious crime. The quality of the footage and the evidence packs that we are giving the police is exactly what they are looking for.”
Round the clock monitoring
Utilising tours and salvos, the control room in Coatbridge has eyes trained on 21 Full HD monitors. In total, 875 cameras are monitored round the clock, while a further 300 cameras are linked in and monitored out of hours if an alarm is triggered. Various triggers, such as alarms within the lifts, will show as priorities for the operators.
"It's a great credit to our integration partners that some of the cameras we monitor are 16 years old," adds Graeme Good.
"Every time we have a fault, we will appraise whether it's cost-effective to repair the unit. If not, we'll continue with the roll out of Panasonic, which have been virtually faultless thus far."
