Government investments in video surveillance are growing

“The total global surveillance and security market generates revenues of approximately $81 billion per year,” says the summary of the 2013 report, “Surveillance and Security Equipment: Technologies and Global Markets” (Report number SAS015B).

The report, from Wellesley, Mass.-based BCC Research, notes “Individual country markets are growing in the range of 7percent to 9 percent per year, depending on the exact locale.” The government and military segment, says BCC analysts, accounts for nearly $11 billion of the total $81 billion global surveillance and security market.

Schaumburg, Ill.-based Motorola Solutions has seen increased government spending for a variety of surveillance gear. Here are the views of Tom Gross, director of command center solutions, Global Solutions and Services for Motorola Solutions on government surveillance spending trends.

GPN: Are governments investing in new surveillance technology as we start the second half of 2013? 



Tom Gross: Yes, governments are investing. Although operating budgets for emergency responders have been reduced over the past several years, police and fire chiefs understand the operational value and necessity of situations awareness.

When a field commander has the ability to view an emergency event from a variety of perspectives, a measured response can be formulated resulting in a safer more expedient resolution to the incident. Additionally, the strategic use of video monitoring systems can reduce the frequency of crime, allow for the redeployment of static officer assignments, and gather critical visual evidence for criminal investigations and prosecution of offenders.      
 


GPN: What kinds of technology?



TG: There are a variety of technologies being deployed. Fixed camera systems provide physical security to buildings, campus environments, mass transit systems, public roadways, retail establishments and public and private schools. Fixed or vehicle-mounted Automatic License Plate Recognition, with rugged infrared cameras connected to optical character recognition technology software, provides the ability to quickly read numerous vehicle license plates and check them against an installed database for rapid identity verification for criminal or civil investigations.

Mobile in-car video systems provide a historical account of citizen interactions, adherence to emergency response protocols, streaming video images from the scene and permanent records for criminal prosecution. Body-worn video is an emerging technology and an extension of the in-car video platform. Body-worn devices can extend the situational awareness and evidence gathering features into areas outside the field of view of an in-car video system.    
 


From an investigative support or predictive policing perspective, a Real-Time Crime Center concept leverages video systems, crime trends analytics, and video analytics to provide supplemental incident data to first responders. The ability to utilize broadband connectivity to push historical event information, criminal records, mug shots, building plans and other data source to the field enhances the first contact investigative effort.  


GPN: Thank you, Tom Gross, for your views.

Motorola Solutions provides communications technology for public safety (police officers, firefighters, EMS) — from two-way radios for first responders and communications equipment for police cars and public safety networks to advanced communications and analytics capabilities for crime centers and Command and Control Centers.