Pioneering solutions at Blackburn
Optimum were able to demonstrate their ability to produce effective solutions to meet customer requirements when they were appointed as consultants for the Blackburn with Darwen Community Safety Partnership.

Given the need for greater ownership and responsibility for their CCTV images, the Partnership embarked on a project to derive funding to procure their own CCTV operation for public space. At the core of the scheme was the provision of a new CCTV Control Facility within the Eastern Divisional HQ of the Lancashire Constabulary at Greenbank, Blackburn. This was to include pioneering technology and full digital recording of all images.

The new control room would become the collection point for image inputs from a variety of sources. Fifteen PTZ cameras had been sited throughout Blackburn Town Centre, four PTZ cameras in the nearby town of Darwen and eight PTZ cameras sited in Blackburn Shopping Centre car parks.  These were monitored in the Blackburn Shopping Centre Security Facility. In addition, the collection of signals from some cameras being installed by other companies; 10 new car park cameras by Capita and 5 static cameras surrounding Eastern Division HQ at Greenbank was required. In all, 42 cameras from three separate fibre-optic links are received and monitored from the new control room.

Space for the new control room was limited and therefore a more innovative solution was required. Stylish lightweight furniture was used to mount 30 x 19" TFT colour monitors on an aluminium frame as a video-wall. Seven 15" TFT colour monitors are placed on a large curved operations desk with provision for two operator positions. This desk also houses telephony, police radio and a "Shopwatch" Radio base-station. Display of individual cameras on any wall or desk monitor are completely flexible using colour quad display units. The outputs of these quads also connect back into the Matrix so that full or quadded images may be displayed on each of the rear wall monitors.

A separate PC Viewstation - 'Image Review Suite' is located in a dedicated area of the CCTV Monitoring Room and fitted with appropriate equipment to enable on site review and copying of digital images which have been recorded. Extracts can be archived onto DVD-R, CD-R or standard VHS tape when required. An associated video editor is also installed to give the ability to mask out unwanted information where necessary. Operators can produce hard copies of video images onto paper using an inkjet printer.

Optimum were also able to provide expertise to assist the client in tender, selection and recruitment of outsourced operating staff, recruitment of a dedicated CCTV Manager and a comprehensive Code of Practice and Operational Procedures Manual.