Chicago Transit Authority Stations Get Security Cameras

If you take advantage of rapid transit in Chicago, come Memorial Day, you'll be on camera. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is putting cameras in all 144 of its rapid transit stations by the end of May. Chicago already has what the Chicago Sun-Times has referred to as, "nation’s most extensive and integrated camera network." By the end of the year, the city's buses and rail stations alone will have over 3,000 security cameras.

The cameras will start out being placed at station entrances and eventually, each station will have 20 cameras total. The CTA will also explore whether or not they want to add cameras to older rail cars (newer cars already come with cameras).

Said CTA President, Richard Rodriguez, to the Chicago Sun-Times, "If there’s something that needs a closer look, we’re able to zoom in and get a better view. The high-definition cameras help us get a very clear picture. As more cameras are added. You’ll be able to go through a number of different camera views from any given station …Video images provided help first-responders to assess situations and act accordingly, whether it’s a service disruption, a medical or a police emergency."

The $41.6 million camera project is being funded by Homeland Security, with the CTA investing a little less than half. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley said during a press conference that the cameras will be monitored and will be used to assist in emergencies and evacuations. He also said the cameras will be used to help monitor what's going on during the hours right after school, when the bus lines see a large group of student passengers.

But the main reason for installing the cameras is to help solve crimes after they've been committed. Said Daley, "Say someone commits a robbery, runs to the CTA trying to get on the CTA. They come through here. When they have cameras, we’ll get their pictures coming in. If it’s an armed robbery, a home invasion or a burglary — whatever it is. If they’re in a car driving down, a camera will pick them up."

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Chicago Homeowner Links Cameras to Police Surveillance Center

After suffering over $3,700 in damages due to vandalism from local neighborhood kids, Charles Hill has become the first private homeowner in the city to directly connect his private surveillance cameras straight to Chicago's 911 emergency center. However, Hill is not the only one who is taking advantage of Chicago's unprecedented offer to connect privately owned cameras to the 911 emergency center which was made available two months ago.

Since the announcement nearly two dozen universities, businesses, colleges, and high-rise complexes have agreed to share their video with the Chicago Security Center. Most notably, DePaul University has elected to hook up at least 15 on-campus cameras due to its campuses being in the heart of residential and commercial districts.

DePauls director of public safetey, Bob Wachowski, had this to say about the security measures DePaul has decided to implement. "If something happens on a city street where we have a camera and the city has access to it, they can tell what they're sending first-responders into. . . they can see what the person is doing and describe it to first-responders."

This new network of public-private internet connections will transmit the fully encrypted video data that will not be compromised by any outside connections, a feat made possible by software used in Operation Virtual Shield.

Due to enthusiastic response in the first two months from residents and businesses alike in Chicago, City Hall is confident that hundreds of privately owned cameras will eventually be added to the city's network. If you are a resident or business owner and are considering installing a Chicago Camera Security System, consider contacting a Tech Travel Agent. Tech Travel Agents can help guide you in the right decisions about camera security and even install and network your cctv cameras.

IBM's New Software to Autonomously Monitor Security Cameras

Starting this summer several thousands of surveillance cameras in Chicago's Operation Virtual Shield system will begin to be watched by IBM's new monitoring software called Smart Surveillance Solution. This new software is designed to analyze video sequences in real time from security cameras and monitor events through multiple sensors such as video cameras or audio inputs. This software provides several advantages over traditional video monitoring solutions, which only record and save the data locally or need to be monitored manually by hired employees.

The Smart Surveillance Solution provides real-time alerts by identifying predetermined suspicious behaviors and can help anticipate incidents such as robberies, vandalism, and theft. This video monitoring software also incorporates license plate recognition in parking lots and face capture in lobbies to ensure everyone has been identified. Another advancement in security is that this software can index video events into categories such as people and cars, based on the actions that were previously recorded, providing easier searching and playback when the need arises.

This video monitoring technology is currently being used in the city of Chicago and is taking the first steps to provide intelligence to video monitoring security. With the ability to be re-programmed and fine tuned to address new threats, the Smart Surveillance Solution could soon become the standard for all security surveillance cameras in the United States.