Malmo Schools

2 Jul 2013

Prevent arson and vandalism that resulted in $6.5 million in damage in five years

Objective

Proactively deter vandalism and arson attacks that had resulted in over $6.5 million in damage over five years at area schools

Challenges

• Proactively respond to recent incidents of school violence
• No existing security system or guards on site at schools
• Solution must work using a variety of cameras
• Reduce rising annual costs of repair and replacement

Malmö, in the southernmost province of Scania, is Sweden’s third largest city by population after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and is one of the largest cities in Scandinavia. The city is responsible for providing compulsory education to its residents. A current focus of the city council is to ensure a safe and secure environment for their students, whether in grade school or higher education.

Vandalism and arson attacks targeting five Malmö schools had been on the rise for five straight years. In one incident alone, over 600 glass panes were smashed. Parents didn’t feel safe about sending their kids to school. Some kids contributed to the chaotic atmosphere by triggering false fire alarms. Academic performance dropped, as students found it increasingly difficult to concentrate with so much disruption.

Malmö city officials believed the money spent on repairing damage could be spent on better things for the schools, so they contacted security integrators in search of a solution that would help them prevent crime and save costs on an annual basis. It was critical that the cameras used wouldn’t merely record events while acts of crime went undetected. Officials wanted to find a way to protect staff and students by preventing acts of violence before they occurred, as well as identifying would-be vandals.

“While recording events could help provide forensic evidence after an incident had taken place, Malmö wanted to be proactive and address potential security issues before they happened,” says school representative Johan Eklund. “We looked for an intelligent analytics system that would serve as the ‘front line’ for the schools since they did not have any security guards on-site.”

The Solution

Malmö ultimately decided on a video surveillance solution utilizing VideoIQ’s advanced analytic capabilities. A number of cameras mounted at strategic, high-traffic school locations now act as “digital guards” – accurately detecting unwanted activity as defined by school officials and sending instant alerts to officials. “The VideoIQ HD system continuously watches for security threats across all of the cameras at all of the schools,” says Daniel Venhammar of CCTV Systems, Scandinavia. “When an intruder comes onto the property, the system instantly alerts the staff which then can contact police, firefighters or other emergency responders.”

Cameras from several manufacturers were utilized, including VideoIQ’s own ICVR cameras and other thermal and infrared models. VideoIQ’s encoders worked seamlessly with all of them, bringing advanced analytics to a heterogeneous camera environment.

Results

Solution utilizing VideoIQ analytics bring the Power to Prevent to various installed cameras – Real-time proactive school monitoring is now a reality – Instant response and identification of suspicious persons on or near campus – 90% reduction in school repair costs in first year alone

The VideoIQ Choice

A key reason officials chose VideoIQ was for its self-learning capabilities, which enable it to learn and get smarter with each incident detected. The analytics learn about the environment – including the movement patterns of all motion – so that it can immediately distinguish between a persons, vehicles, animals, trees, or any other objects. “VideoIQ’s self-learning technology is a great asset because the system recognizes viable threats immediately and accurately, which reduces the number of false alarms generated. This allows security personnel to respond only when needed, saving the city of Malmö time, energy and money,” says Venhammar.

After just one year of having the security system in place, the municipality of Malmö reduced costs by an astounding 90 percent. “The city saved $300,000 USD on a reduction in the number of smashed panes and broken glass alone,” Venhammar said. “Malmö’s expenses were improved within a very short space of time. They now have more money which can be used to make other needed improvements at the schools. This security system is seen as an investment and one that will help reduce crime for years to come.”

Malmo Schools | VideoIQ