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Chicago Mayor Announces Plans for Unified Camera Network

New system will allow dispatchers to more accurately direct first responders

Mayor Richard M. Daley and city department heads today announced plans to expand the city's camera network and surveillance capacity with 250 additional specialized cameras.

This expansion is an integral part of the city's ongoing homeland security strategy that will augment existing security plans. By saturating critical infrastructure and high-risk areas with surveillance technology, the city can deter criminal activity and immediately identify and respond to emergencies.

"The overall objective of this program is to make the city a safer place for its citizens, communities and assets by continuing to find ways to protect our critical infrastructure while providing a managed environment," Daley said at a news conference at the city's Emergency Management Communications Center.

Mayor Daley was joined at the announcement by Ron Huberman, executive director of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC); Police Superintendent Philip J. Cline; and Fire Commissioner Cortez Trotter.

Chicago is continuing to pioneer the field of 911 emergency communications by being the first 911 center to fully integrate a large surveillance capacity into its call taking and dispatch operations. For example, once the camera network is operational, if a call is received reporting a robbery within the camera matrix, the OEMC call taker will instantly be able to view and control the images, directing first responders to the scene with a more visual and accurate description.

"By moving to a multimedia operation, OEMC call takers will have new tools through which to assist callers during a crisis or emergency," said Huberman. "Location-based information through surveillance technology will benefit managers at all levels of government and private industry in continuing to fight the war on terror," he added.

City officials benchmarked several models and studied the way surveillance is being used in Europe, with specific attention focused on London's camera strategy, as well as applications currently being used in military operations.

The project is the first stage of a planned citywide video surveillance strategy that will link city departments into a single network.

Recently, the Mayor unveiled plans for a new Operations Center that will be housed at OEMC and serve as the main information hub for agency coordination and information sharing. This Center will be able to access surveillance cameras across the city by eventually linking thousands of cameras into OEMC, tying in private sector and city departments.

This initiative is part of the comprehensive plan for the Operations Center that not only improves the delivery of city services but also significantly expands the city's homeland security efforts on a local and national level.

The Operations Center will use state-of-the-art technology to monitor the camera matrix. Through video analysis, these technologies will enable Operations Center staff to simultaneously identify suspicious and unusual behavior in order to potentially prevent criminal incidents before they occur.

Specialized software will be applied to high-definition motorized cameras capable of rotating 360 degrees. Using fiber optic cable in strategically positioned locations throughout the city, the additional 250 cameras can be actively monitored by a team of specially trained personnel.

To enable the simultaneous and instant viewing of the camera matrix, OEMC is developing a specialized network that uses land-based fiber and high-speed wireless infrastructure. This will provide broadcast quality images to both the Operations Center and 911 operations floor with the capacity to access thousands of cameras.

Additionally, this network will allow the Operations Center to access other department and sister agency cameras such as the Chicago Police and Fire Departments, CDOT, CTA, CHA, Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Schools and IDOT.

Officials estimate the first phase of the project will be completed by spring 2006.The $5.1 million project will be funded through a federal homeland security grant and will be the city's first initiative to integrate intelligent video surveillance under one roof.