The system provides real-time video surveillance and recording so that the Sheriff's Department can enhance security by better monitoring the public areas of the San Mateo County Center for the duration of the trial.
The Peterson trial is attracting worldwide media coverage, with up to 500 reporters and 50 television networks expected to set up facilities in and around the area during the trial. Attendance by the general public is strictly controlled, with daily random selections determining who has access to the limited in-court seating. According to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Department, the agency responsible for policing the San Mateo County Center, the volume of attendees, plus strict regulations regarding photography and other security requirements, have created security challenges
"The video surveillance system allows us to efficiently monitor all of the critical public areas around the County Center campus and enhances security," said San Mateo County Sheriff, Don Horsley. "Without the Wi-Fi components from Tropos, the network PTZ cameras from Sony, and the DVR software from ONSSI, we could not have implemented this system around this event."
A metro-scale Tropos wireless network has been used to connect networked Sony digital video cameras located on rooftops around the area. Video data is wirelessly transmitted to Sheriff's Department offices where the images are monitored and stored using ONSSI's NetDVR-64 digital video recording software located in the central court security area. This software additionally allows live and recorded images to be transmitted to other authorized computers on the network, allowing, for example, patrol officers to receive live video on their laptops and PDAs while en route to a potential incident. This remote controlled access is available anywhere within the wireless network coverage area, which covers the entire San Mateo County Center campus.
