SSI serves security installing contractors providing systems and services; surveillance, access control, biometrics, fire alarm and home control/automation. Coverage in commercial and residential product applications, designs, techniques, operations.
Issue link: https://securitysales.epubxp.com/i/166764
IP Video Improves Housing Authority Residents' Quality of Life Milford Redevelopment and Housing Partnership's video installation has also reduced maintenance costs, increased revenue and encouraged residents to report incidents. In 2007, the State of Connecticut initiated an effort to improve security at the state's subsidized housing developments. One of those developments was the Milford Redevelopment and Housing Partnership, which is a combination of both state and federally-supported housing. With a total of 465 housing units spread over six federal projects and four state projects, the housing is a mix of mid-rise apartment buildings and single-family dwellings located throughout the city. "We set out to install and expand video surveillance so that our residents would feel safer," explains Anthony J. Vasiliou, executive director for the partnership, who offered to do a video surveillance pilot project for the state. "When people feel safe, they want to move into our developments and then they want to stay in place. That's good for them, and it's good for the housing authority." Upon completion of the successful pilot, the City of Milford expanded the number of cameras and the project's goals to include more effectively enforcing lease agreements and reducing overall maintenance costs. IQinVision HD megapixel cameras were deployed in building entrances, hallways and stairwells, laundry rooms, common areas, elevators, and outdoors to monitor parking lots and public spaces. "We can monitor all areas of interest, and we can follow someone from where they park their car all the way to the unit they are visiting or living in," says Vasiliou. "This provides us with crucial information to monitor and enforce our lease agreements." Today, 300 cameras are installed at nine of the partnership's developments. In addition to enforcing lease agreements by determining the number of persons in a unit, video surveillance helps administrators combat illegal dumping; monitor vagrants in corridors; prevent unauthorized use of community rooms; catch smoking in elevators and other restricted areas; and keep laundry facilities clean. As Vasiliou explains, addressing these issues helps improve living conditions for the residents while increasing the partnership's revenue through improved collection of rent and fees, and substantially cutting maintenance costs. "We use our cameras heavily to modify and improve behavior, but we're also cutting costs and getting compensated for actions taken," he says. "Our entire operation is centralized. Brought to you by We monitor everything from one location, so we don't need a highpriced manager on site at each development — our cameras do that, and they never sleep! We've achieved greater effciencies, and we've become a lower-cost provider of public housing." Among the many benefits Vasiliou has seen from video surveillance, one was quite unexpected: a major change in tenant involvement. "Tenants have a real tendency to not want to be involved, but now that we have cameras, they are much more willing to report incidents because we don't need them as witnesses," says Vasiliou. The housing authority has also seen a signifcant reduction in their legal fees. "We have been able to avoid legal costs because when we have the evidence, we can administratively take care of many incidents ourselves. This is a major savings and it's growing," Vasiliou claims. "Video surveillance is making a big difference — when people feel secure, that adds to their quality of life," he adds. "Our cameras have assisted in solving so many incidents, ranging from altercations between residents to getting bad behavior and vagrancy out of our common areas to retrieving a lost key fob. We also use our cameras to monitor for maintenance needs during routine situations and during emergencies like hurricanes Irene and Sandy, and the super storm blizzard in which Milford was hit with 38 inches of snow in 24 hours. I was stuck at home during the snowstorm and I used our video surveillance system to direct maintenance and snow removal crews. The list of benefts goes on and on." System Overview • 300 IQinVision HD megapixel cameras • Video managed by Exacq video management software • All recording triggered by motion detection • System has 58 terabytes of storage and retains video for at least 30 days • Video can be viewed on monitors, offce smart boards, designated individual computers and mobile devices • Who can view video: public housing manager, compliance and operations manager, the executive director and those meeting in the central conference room