Surrey police use 'Cloud CCTV' to keep tabs on anti-social activity

Surrey Police has been trialling a Cloud-based, online video surveillance system that allows people to network IP cameras together and share video footage.

 

Officers have been monitoring images from a single camera in real time and sifting through recordings downloaded to their desktop computers. The camera, part of a system called called Jabbakam, was placed in a street in Camberley suffering from a particularly high level of anti-social behaviour.

 

The force, which plans to install Internet cameras in two more roads, says that the IP system is no different from ordinary mobile CCTV - except that officers do not need to visit cameras to retrieve film. 

 

"The benefits of this kind of technology for the Police and the wider community are endless," claimed Surrey Heath Crime Reduction Advisor John Eldridge, who has been leading the project.

 

"Instead of taking hours to download footage and monitor it, which was expensive and time consuming, we can simply log onto the Jabbakam website and gain instant access to the footage and evidence we need. 

 

"Results have been impressive so far, with footage already being used for evidence to aid police investigations and resolve crimes.

 

"This opens up some exciting possibilities for the wider policing family."

 

Alerts can be setup to notify users by email, SMS or MMS whenever footage is recorded by a camera. The system also gives Surrey police the opportunity to share images with other organisations such as community groups via social media.

 

"We are not a social network in the Facebook sense," said Rob Searle, the system's lead developer. "We are more of an extension to existing real life social networks, such as neighbourhood watch groups.

 

"We provide a tool to enhance these sorts of groups and to aid communities who want to keep a watchful eye on things important to them."