2014 Digital Yearbook of Homeland Security Awards

GSN 2014 Digital Yearbook of Homeland Security Awards Recipients
Government Agency Awards
Cit y of Philadelphia, PA –
2014 Gold Winner
Awards Category:
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Most Notable Municipal/County Security Program,
Project or Initiative
Name of Nominated Product, Service,
or Program:
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Department of Parks and Recreation Video Surveillance
Initiative
Reason this entry deserves to win:
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Committed to its young people, the City of Philadelphia
operates recreation centers all over the city that serve
as gathering places for the community and venues for
after-school activities including sports and the arts. To
ensure the safety of those using the recreation centers,
the City has installed hundreds of Hikvision cameras.
Pedro Pinto, the city’s Chief Engineer, and Susan
Slawson, Deputy Commissioner of Parks and Recreation,
worked closely with Fidelity Alarm and Arora Engineers,
Inc. to design a total security solution including IP cam-
eras, NVRs, and VMS software by Hikvision.
The highly scalable system allows for a link into a central
management system, and can remain intact as existing
infrastructure is gradually upgraded. This flexibility
ensures longevity of the video surveillance solution and
ensures that the Department of Parks and Recreation is
prepared for future upgrades as circumstances require.
Since the cameras have been installed, incidents of
vandalism, loitering, and burglaries have decreased, and
the range of the cameras is so broad they can even cover
the surrounding streets, offering support to the Philadelphia
Police Department.
“Fun Safe Philly Summer,” the slogan for Philadelphia’s
Summer 2014 initiative that offered free and low-cost
summer activities to Philadelphia residents, may well be
shortened to “Fun Safe Philly,” as the City has pledged
to include video surveillance systems across all 140 rec
centers by 2016.
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