Command and control

When it comes to remote monitoring and officer deployment on the ground, there are places the cameras just can’t reach. Kieran Mackie describes how Amulet’s command and control vehicle streamlines and enhances safety procedures in large crowd scenarios

Historically in the security industry, monitoring services have been used to pull information on incidents after they have happened, so that officers and police can use them in ongoing disputes. But in recent years, technology has developed to connect live feeds with analytics software, providing feedback to officers in real time.

Amulet’s command and control vehicle is an example of how technology and officers can work together to enhance safety procedures, especially in large-crowd scenarios. The van can attend client sites and integrate with its systems, along with any of its CCTV towers within a closed network.

The vehicle can detect incidents and rapidly respond by travelling to prime locations and deploying officers on the ground. Its services combine the best of what remote monitoring and officers have to offer, making it a vital element of large crowd supervision.

INSIDE THE VEHICLE

Every command and control vehicle mobilises multiple mechanisms, providing more eyes and ears on the ground than in traditional security models. Within the van, two officers can review live feeds across its monitors. For example, one monitor can show live CCTV camera feeds (which can be integrated regardless of the clients’ make, brand or model of CCTV) either placed on-site by van operators or attuned to the CCTV towers in a nearby closed network.

Other monitors can review incoming intelligence and manage the deployment of officers. Its multi-network router can also access 12 different cellular networks – from 2G to 5G.

Simultaneously, the van receives and feeds information to remote control monitoring systems, for any offsite teams to stay informed. Other monitors can track relevant assets, like transported goods, identify people on the move or instance management – for example if a fight has broken out.

Though it can be interconnected with a client’s systems, it is not reliant on them – it does not require a power feed or network. In the scenario of network failure or remote monitoring control room failure, the van can still operate, making it indispensable in emergency scenarios.

FAST REACTIONS

Of course, the transportable nature of the van comes into play too. If an incident is near or far, it can always move to the prime location.

In large estates like depots, where transport vehicles are stored, the vehicle can act as its own line of defence, vetting coming and going vehicles or preventing their movement. It is also equipped with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), which instantly reads registration numbers to check them against a database of flagged vehicles. ANPR technology can detect travelling criminals and organised crime groups and the van can be proactively stationed in any flagged high-risk areas.

ENHANCING SAFETY

On the railways, patrolling officers and a monitoring control room are usually sufficient to proactively prevent and review any incidents. However, in large crowd scenarios, the van’s monitoring systems further improve safety measures.

For example, its thermal imaging cameras are a great solution for large crowds travelling at night. People for instance, travelling after a football game may include rowdy and uncooperative individuals who officers need to respond to, making it difficult to monitor all areas of stations. If there are trespassers attempting to cross rail tracks or hide from security, thermal cameras can detect them hiding in outside spaces like bushes. Detecting them and deploying officers as soon as possible is vital in these areas, as any contact with the electrified running lines could prove fatal.

The cameras’ clear imaging is also instrumental in bringing people to justice. When the van was stationed outside one train operating company’s (TOC) stations after a major event, the cameras detected two trespassers, and the team notified the British Transport Police (BTP). That led to two apprehensions and evidence requests, with clear images that could support the BTP’s pursuit to convict.

ANALYTICS BENEFITS

In emergency scenarios, all stakeholders need to be informed – from transport clients and event organisers to the police. The van’s real-time data is also helpful outside of threat analysis – it can be used for people-counting to understand the ebb and flow of large crowds, and fed back to clients so they can reallocate their staff and resources.

For example, after the London marathon, a TOC client needed to monitor the flow of people going underground to prevent overcrowding on the platforms. Phone services were majorly disrupted, so the van was used for officer and remote team communication.

It was stationed in a hotspot area of people on the move. Using its monitoring services to understand the volume of people entering the station, the team monitored thousands of commuters and raised concerns about any crowd-crushing possibilities. It allowed the TOC workers to stagger entry into the stations and prevent emergencies

Another example was after a festival, where the event organisers, tram lines, bus services and the BTP all needed to stay informed. The van monitored crowd movement and used its communication network, providing real-time crowd analytics including live people counting reports and hourly automated reports. This allowed the TOC to add additional transport to the line, to keep the public safe and help all stakeholders understand what transport was needed, when, and in what areas.

LEVERAGING MULTIPLE SYSTEMS

Command and control vehicles can be integrated with other crowd-monitoring technologies such as situational awareness programmes. These use tools predominately operated by public sector emergency and security agencies. Interactive geographical mapping visually represents the ‘ground truth’ to all involved stakeholders, which includes the client, security organisation, and emergency response services.

Integrating this technology with a van enhances its ability to swiftly respond to incidents, as it helps officers define the situation and enables informed, timely decision-making, ensuring incident response is more effective than ever before.

THE FUTURE

As camera-based monitoring technology becomes the norm in the security industry, tools like command and control vehicles and Project Blueprint are changing the incident response landscape.

No longer are cameras only valued in after-the-fact evidence gathering and prosecution. Now, they help officers keep people safe, and sites protected, in real-time.