Like many large urban centers, Philadelphia was looking for strategies to combat violent crime in its toughest districts. Impressed by the crime reduction results experienced in Chicago and Baltimore, the Philadelphia Police Department took a hard look at the Portable Overt Digital Surveillance System (PODSS).
Despite the highly successful implementation of the PODSS cameras in several large cities, winning a contract with Philadelphia wasn’t a slam dunk. Rick Rubenstein, President of RMS Technology Solutions explains: “From the point of view of a city police chief, they don’t just want great technology, they want to do business with a local company who they can partner with over the long run.”
Understanding that having a vendor with a local presence is vital to doing business, Rubenstein has a model for engaging with municipalities outside of Chicago. The RMS model includes working with local integrators by providing training and support before they deploy and support standalone cameras or build out wireless networks.
RMS developed a strategic partnership with Anixter. Headquartered in Chicago, Anixter has an international presence with locations in 239 cities in 46 countries, providing support for deployment and integration of high-tech surveillance systems.
Anixter introduced RMS to its technology affiliate SST of Philadelphia. RMS partnered with SST to submit a formal response to Philadelphia’s RFP. The Philadelphia Police Department awarded the surveillance system project to SST and RMS.
SST deployed eight of RMS’ overt PODSS standalone cameras within Philadelphia. The results were stunning. Philly police reported a 40% decrease in crime within the first two weeks of deployment. Future projects look promising as Philadelphia is considering developing a wireless network to link to a central location.
“The benefit of our model is that RMS provides a total solution with the benefit of having a ‘feet-on-the-street’ local presence, like SST,” remarks Rubenstein. He continues, “We don’t just build cameras and send them out. RMS is a complete video surveillance system integrator: we engineer and build the cameras, design the wireless networks that integrate them and provide complete video management. Our partnership with Anixter has truly extended our reach nationally.”
The Chicago Police Department is partnering with RMS Technology Solutions in a pilot program to test Gunshot Detection systems (GSD) in combination with the already deployed Portable Overt Surveillance System (PODSS). The pilot is scheduled to be completed by early summer 2007.
RMS is the first company to conduct a comprehensive comparative analysis of GSD devices by leading manufacturers. The providers include Planning Systems, Inc., Safety Dynamics, and ShotSpotter.
When a gunshot is detected and recognized, the system points a video camera (PODSS) in the direction of the gunshot and sends an alert to a police command center or to police mobile units.
Municipalities nationwide will be looking closely at the RMS and Chicago findings on GSD. The pilot is a necessary step prior to roll-out of the sensors because false positives can hamper their effectiveness and ultimately adversely affect the resources and reputation of a police force. “GSD must have very, very limited false alarms,” says Rick Rubenstein, President of RMS. “The worst things that can happen are everyday, ambient street noises setting off the detectors: things like a firecracker, backfiring of a car, or auto crash,” Rubenstein adds.
The goal of the pilot is to make a determination as to the most effective GSD devices and deploy them on a larger scale in Chicago’s violent crime neighborhoods. Currently, Chicago is testing GSD in three police districts.
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