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QUADRANT PUTS COUNCIL IN CONTROL

Consolidated CCTV control centre boost for Cheshire West & Chester

Security systems specialist Quadrant Security Group (QSG) has helped unitary authority Cheshire West & Chester streamline security operations by upgrading and integrating CCTV provision in three town centre locations, and consolidating control to one main management base in Chester.

Prior to 2009, Ellesmere Port & Neston, Northwich and Chester (approximately 326,000 individuals) fell under three separate authorities. When structural changes to the local government system were introduced, the three boroughs were replaced by one unitary authority - Cheshire West & Chester. 

The merger presented a need and opportunity to upgrade CCTV provision in the three town/city centres, integrate the systems and maximise efficiencies by converging the three separate control rooms into one. As the largest of the three existing control rooms, Chester was chosen as the base for the new converged CCTV control centre. 

Following a competitive tender, and having worked with the authority in the past to rectify system legacy faults, as well as upgrade and integrate new cameras, QSG was selected to meet the brief.

Key considerations for QSG were enabling the new control centre to fully integrate with historical analogue and more modern digital systems, making use of Private/Leased fibre optics and existing ICT networks.  Providing secure footage access and sharing capabilities, as well as facilitating the audit trails necessary for such a system.

The solution developed and implemented by QSG meets these objectives and, over the five year terms of service, will result in an estimated saving of £70,000 on line charges alone.

The new Chester control centre consists of three operator positions, two supervisor GUI, one review and three remote viewing stations, all operating on a single integrated system delivering quicker and more robust management access and processes.

A key feature of the centre is a Master Matrix Wall consisting of 17 x 46inch Flatvision screens capable of displaying footage from 256 camera locations across Chester, Northwich and Ellesmere Port & Neston. Using 16 x Synectics wall controllers, authorised users can tailor their own specific settings, access and remotely control cameras, and generate reports using a wide range of selection criteria.

Peter Johnson, CCTV Manager for Cheshire West & Chester, said: “When deciding on the best way forward for CCTV across the authority, we conducted a detailed evaluation and risk assessment that revealed the benefits and potential pitfalls of integrating three different legacy systems into one configured network.

What we needed was a team that would listen to our findings and use their own knowledge and experience to develop, implement and maintain a bespoke solution, in partnership with us. Effectively we wanted a provider that would become an extension of our own team. Quadrant Security Group met those requirements and has devised a solution that is already producing cost and time saving benefits for us.”

Another key feature of the newly installed control room is the groundbreaking Remote Evidence Software specified and integrated by QSG. This facilitates secure 24 hour access by key third party organisations, such as the Police and HMRC, in line with data protection principles - the first system of its kind in the UK.

For Graeme Gerrard, Deputy Chief Constable of Cheshire Constabulary and ACPO lead on CCTV, the Remote Evidence feature is a significant development. He said: “Being able to access high quality CCTV footage of suspected criminal activity quickly and securely is so important for modern day policing. Through the new Chester control centre we are able to do this without requiring system or personnel downtime.”

The new control centre is part of a wider body of work QSG is undertaking for the council, with future initiatives including the full integration of a Co-Sign radio system and the development of an urban traffic control system.

About Quadrant
Quadrant Security Group (QSG) is a wholly owned subsidiary of UK-based Quadnetics Group Plc.  QSG is one of the UK’s largest independent integrated security systems integrators, delivering end-to-end security and surveillance solutions from consultancy to systems design, installation and support. Working in conjunction with all the major security product manufacturers and in partnership with its clients, QSG delivers integrated security solutions for a wide range of sectors including public space, financial services, high security, commercial, oil and gas, transport and gaming. For further information, visit www.qsg.co.uk