Smart CCTV to address community concerns

Introduction

Bayside Council’s community expressed concern for illegal and antisocial behaviour. This was happening in public spaces within the Sandringham precinct. The site at Dolls Point Carpark at Depena Reserve was experiencing slow customer turnover. There was difficulty enforcing parking infringements.

Bayside Council decided to take a proactive approach. They wanted to improve public safety and reduce antisocial behaviour. With technology and automation, they are delivering safer places in partnership with the Local Area Command.

Challenge

The site at Depena Reserve had become an attraction for antisocial behaviour. Dangerous driving in Dolls Point Carpark was causing problems. The St George Local Area Command (LAC) commonly reported vandalism to public and private property.

No ‘turn-key’ solution exists in the market, requiring bespoke development and delivery. The site had specific conditions such as wind, solar, access to power and 5G. These factors all have an impact on the infrastructure requirements.

Solution

Bayside Council installed state-of-the-art CCTV technology using cutting-edge video analytics hardware. The technology monitors parking bays in the Carpark. It identifies offending vehicles, by recognising licence plates. It captures the required evidence for infringements.

Five carbon fibre poles were installed with direct buried foundations, making relocation possible. Each pole includes solar panels and wind turbines to provide power.
The units use a 5G connection from one point on the closest road. A physical unit is also incorporated onsite, housing edge computers, memory and batteries.

The current renewable power system generates more energy than is needed. Other uses of this power oversupply are being investigated. For instance, it could potentially support EV charging infrastructure.

The business case is based on a growth strategy. Half of the income generated from infringements at the site is invested back into the program. This will fund future infrastructure.

Council has considered state legislation and how the live feed is shared with the local area command. This included being purposeful about what is captured. How it is analysed, and machine learnt by the cameras. Currently, only raw feeds are ingested into the platform. No facial recognition technology is deployed. A Memorandum of Understanding was created with the St George Local Area Command (LAC) to facilitate data sharing.

“The cameras are the equivalent of having a Parking Patrol Officer stationed along our foreshore 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All whilst keeping our community safe.”Bayside Council