August 7th, 2003

Cyberspace Police Plan to Help Cut Crime on Streets [Irish Independent]

 

Internet CCTV monitoring of city streets is being considered by Gardaí and Justice Minister Michael McDowell as a way to fight crime.  An internet monitoring system used by Netwatch Security Systems - a Carlow based company which has foiled robberies and break-ins through out the country - which would also assist Gardaí by freeing up scarce manpower resources and cutting costs.

Using advanced alarm technology and the most modern CCTV techniques, Netwatch is an intelligent security system which allows a command centre to watch a disturbance on a street or an intrusion taking place at a premises as it is happening.  The system also allows the command centre to speak directly to the criminals before they commit the crime.  When a disturbance happens on the street, live footage is quickly assessed by central command and the gardaí are notified.  The system monitors 24 hours per day.

Latest Garda figures for the Dublin West Metropolitan Area and Naas, Co. Kildare indicate that 99% of alarm calls received by gardai in the first seven months of this year were false.  The cost-effective and innovative security monitoring system is now being considered by Carlow Gardaí, Carlow Chamber of Commerce and Carlow County Council with a view to providing CCTV system for the town through a public-private partnership system.

Minister McDowell has now asked the Gardaí to evaluate the benefits of the system for public CCTV.  David Walsh of Netwatch pointed out that to keep one garda in a designated street or area for a constant period used up a lot of vital Garda manpower at considerable expense to the tax payer.  "It would require in excess of 10 Gardaí to operate their own monitoring centre, assuming two Gardaí were on monitoring duty around the clock" he said.  "A premises or an area of street can be kept under surveillance through ISDN or via satellite, so there is no limit to where the service can be provided".

Currently sites in Northern Ireland, England, France and Spain are being monitored from the Netwatch Command Centre in Carlow.  In addition to monitoring the movements of those causing the disturbance, the command centre also maintains contact with Gardaí as they approach the situation providing added personal security to those responding to the alarm.

During a break-in on a premises, Netwatch can also pinpoint to the Gardaí the on-site location of the intruders, facilitating a quicker apprehension.