UK officials propose national CCTV standards
Proliferation of digital cameras has made work difficult for law enforcement authorities; proposed standards would have to conform to video analytics needs
The Brits sure are serious about CCTV. The United Kingdom is said to sport 4.2 million of the cameras, and the country is so enthusiastic about them that it recently began testing cameras fittted with loudspeakers that scold graffiti artists and litterbugs. (Note to parents: British schoolchildren are invited to compete to become the voice of CCTV.) “The new funding for Talking CCTV is aimed at the small minority who think it is acceptable to litter our streets, vandalise our communities and damage our properties,” said Home Secretary John Reid, noting that his government was providing local communities with grants to install CCTV systems.
Despite the country’s mania for public cameras, not all is well among the police and judicial officials charged with using camera evidence to convict criminals. An 18-month review carried out by the Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has found that the quality of video images captured varies widely across manufacturers.
The main problem, the review found, was that the proliferation of digital camera standards has made it difficult for cash-strapped security officials to access data. As a result, the Home Office and ACPO recommended that the government impose standardized specifications for CCTV cameras — specifications that would probably require compatibility with the needs of video analytics software. ”We want a generic technology that allows us to download images easily and quickly. All those who don’t conform would have to change,” said APCO’s Graeme Gerrard.
