Background

A popular town in London’s upscale
commuter belt

Sawbridgeworth Town Council provides a full range of local civic services to a historic town just north of London, England in the county of Hertfordshire. The popular and much sought-after community has an affluent, upscale population including many commuters and skilled professionals who travel daily to work by mainline train to London’s financial heart in the City.

The town council is responsible for maintaining safety and security for the people of Sawbridgeworth in all public spaces, including buildings, retail zones, public parks, public amenities and leisure facilities. Much of the historic town center is a conservation area, with many buildings dating from the Tudor, Stuart and Georgian periods. So the town council had to balance the additional challenges of stringent planning regulations with its obligation to deliver maximum value to local taxpayers.
 

Challenges

Delivering state-of-the-art security for
a historic town

With a strong commitment to quality, it was essential that any security To tackle incidents of theft, vandalism and anti-social behavior in the community, Sawbridgeworth Town Council wanted to upgrade its surveillance capability to cover shopping areas, main thoroughfares and its new town council offices. The key requirements were for a solution based on performance, affordability and innovative system design.

Commenting, Richard Bowran, Town Clerk of Sawbridgeworth Town Council, said, “Frustrated with much of the dated technology and inflexible, expensive service levels on offer we wanted an innovative approach to providing a solution for Sawbridgeworth.” As a conservation area, the solution needed to be unobtrusive while providing comprehensive cover for all the key areas of the town. It also needed to be scalable and futureproof to enable expansion at a later date.

Solutions

Plug and play installation,
easy configuration, high performance

The solution encompassed IDIS DirectIP™ full-HD cameras, IDIS video management software and a digital wireless network to minimize infrastructure and installation costs. Next generation IDIS technologies, including an intuitive software platform, would support detection of criminal activity and ensure public safety.

A digital point to multi-point wireless network was installed throughout the town with link speeds in excess of 100mbps per location. The network supports external DirectIP™ dome cameras linked back to DirectIP™ network video recorders (NVRs) at the town council offices. Vandal-proof day and night cameras feature infrared, audio input and output plus motorized varifocal lenses for easy configuration. The cameras provide town center coverage, including the key route in and out of London, plus the new town council offices.

Results and Benefits

A proven showcase for affordable
civic surveillance

The DirectIP™ solution provides a centralized monitoring capability, while giving local police remote access to full-HD footage to detect and solve crime whether in the office or on the move via tablet devices. It is providing vital criminal evidence and has become a blueprint for town councils looking to affordably upgrade to full-HD and network surveillance. Also, because it is ‘free to air’, it provides significant ongoing savings compared to leased lines.

Richard Bowran,
Town Clerk of Sawbridgeworth Town Council, added,
"  The solution fits in with our conservation area, covers with remarkable clarity the key areas of the town and is expandable for the future. Commended by Hertfordshire Police, it has already proved its worth in safeguarding the people of the town.   "