Police Observation Devices to fight crimes in Ghana
By Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, Ghanadot

Accra, July 26, Ghanadot - The police administration in conjunction with other interested security agencies has announced that plans are at foot to introduce Police Observation Devices (PODs), a modern security system to help fight crimes in the country.

The system entails remote-controlled cameras with zoom and 360-degree rotation positioned in weatherproof enclosures to view and record potential crime in the high-risk areas.

PODs, which was first unveiled in 2003 in a pilot program by the Chicago Police Department, is to be introduced into Ghana by Virtual Security Africa, dealers in security equipment.

The Chief Executive Officer of Virtual Security Africa, Mr. Emmanuel Asiedu indicated that the cameras are capable of covering a wide area depending on the needs of the security agencies.

The core role of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) which is to gather information, PODs are necessary to help do that effectively and efficiently.

The system has the capacity to zoom in on any vehicle or incident of interest in the coverage area of the facility. This enables persons monitoring the system to track suspicious movements in their vicinity.

He explained that when a criminal activity is reported, the police simply need to review the recording and find out what actually happened. Valuable information can be gathered for arrest and prosecution purposes.

The system is particularly useful to the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the police who expend precious time to direct traffic.

PODs, according to him can be programmed to capture any vehicle that crosses the red light or parks at unauthorised places. The numbers of such offending vehicle can be taken and fines imposed on the drivers.

“This will reduce the recklessness on our roads and introduce discipline to save lives and property,” he stressed.

He stressed that residents of crime-prone areas can come together and secures the facility which can help guarantee maximum security as the equipment is very useful for the police to combat crime and trail criminals.

One of the pioneering companies driving POD technology is Comdesco Group. Headquartered in Chicago, Comdesco originated the Advanced Real Time Video Information System (ARVIS) POD. Hundreds of ARVIS are now in use by police departments from New York to Los Angeles.

"Video data is used primarily as an after-the-fact forensic tool because it is largely recorded at the site," explains John Plese, Comdesco's vice president. "As a result, there is no real-time benefit to law enforcement and community safety. Our ARVIS solves this problem by providing a fully integrated live video system, which streams real-time information that can actively protect communities and vital infrastructure more efficiently and cost effectively."

Over years, Comdesco has relied upon Toshiba dome cameras for its ARVIS system, most recently the Toshiba IK-DP30A. This day-night PTZ camera brings the benefits of 92-degree tilt, 360-degree continuous pan rotation, 18x optical zoom, IR sensitivity and 480-line resolution to the ARVIS. Auto-flip 180-degree rotation allows for continuous viewing of a subject as they pass underneath the camera, an important feature for any street surveillance solution.

"The Toshiba domes tested well with our encoders and other on-board hardware within the ARVIS that permitted integration into virtually any IP-based infrastructure," said Plese. "The camera's imaging capabilities are excellent, especially at night."

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