On Intelligent Surveillance Systems and Face Recognition for Mass Transport Security

We describe a project to trial and develop enhanced surveillance technologies for public safety. A key technology is robust recognition of faces from low-resolution CCTV footage where there may be as few as 12 pixels between the eyes. Current commercial face recognition systems require 60-90 pixels between the eyes as well as tightly controlled image capture conditions. Our group has thus concentrated on fundamental face recognition issues such as robustness to low resolution and image capture conditions as required for uncontrolled CCTV surveillance. In this paper, we propose a fast multi-class pattern classification approach to enhance PCA and FLD methods for 2D face recognition under changes in pose, illumination, and expression. The method first finds the optimal weights of features pairwise and constructs a feature chain in order to determine the weights for all features. Computational load of the proposed approach is extremely low by design, in order to facilitate usage in automated surveillance. The method is evaluated on PIE, FERET, and Asian Face databases, with the results showing that the method performs remarkably well compared to several benchmark appearance-based methods. Moreover, the method can reliably recognise faces with large pose angles from just one gallery image

Vision Processing in Intelligent CCTV for Mass Transport Security

Intelligent Surveillance Systems is attracting unprecedented attention from research and industry. In this paper, we describe a real-life trial system where various video analytic systems are used to detect events and objects of interests in a mass transport environment. The system configuration and architecture of this system is presented. In addition to implementation and scalability challenges, we discuss issues related to on-going trials in public spaces incorporating existing surveillance hardware

Security and the smart city: A systematic review

The implementation of smart technology in cities is often hailed as the solution to many urban challenges such as transportation, waste management, and environmental protection. Issues of security and crime prevention, however, are in many cases neglected. Moreover, when researchers do introduce new smart security technologies, they rarely discuss their implementation or question how new smart city security might affect traditional policing and urban planning processes. This systematic review explores the recent literature concerned with new ‘smart city’ security technologies and aims to investigate to what extent these new interventions correspond with traditional functions of security interventions. Through an extensive literature search we compiled a list of security interventions for smart cities and suggest several changes to the conceptual status quo in the field. Ultimately, we propose three clear categories to categorise security interventions in smart cities: Those interventions that use new sensors but traditional actuators, those that seek to make old systems smart, and those that introduce entirely new functions. These themes are then discussed in detail and the importance of each group of interventions for the overall field of urban security and governance is assessed

Camera Surveillance as a Measure of Counterterrorism?

Camera surveillance has recently gained prominence in policy proposals on combating terrorism. We evaluate this instrument of counterterrorism as resting on the premise of a deterrence effect. Based on comparative arguments and previous evidence on crime, we expect camera surveillance to have a relatively smaller deterrent effect on terrorism than on other forms of crime. In particular, we emphasize opportunities for substitution (i.e., displacement effects), the interaction with media attention aspired to by terrorists, the limits of real-time interventions, the crowding-out of social surveillance, the risk of misguided profiling, and politico-economic concerns regarding the misuse of the technology.Camera surveillance, closed-circuit television (CCTV), public security, deterrence, terrorism

Roads policing: Current context and imminent dangers

© The Authors 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of CSF Associates: Publius, Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions please e-mail: [email protected]. The final version of this paper can be accessed at the link below.This paper will argue that roads policing is the public face of the police for many citizens and thus enjoys an elevated profile. Yet the delivery of roads policing services requires urgent care and attention. As was the situation a century ago, potential and actual conflict with the driving public could be close at hand as more reliance is placed on enforcement technology and more drivers become criminalised and their vehicle movements logged. Indeed, it will be contended that unless great care is taken, such could be the public disaffection with traffic law enforcement and monitoring policies that the legitimacy of the police itself could be challenged. After a brief update of recent developments concerning roads policing nationally and internationally, the second section will underline the ways in which roads policing provides a crucial service. Details follow of dangers lying in wait for the service if the pressing enforcement issues around roads policing are allowed to drift. Finally, some suggestions are outlined to help inform discussion of these matters that could simultaneously facilitate achievement of other key roads policing objectives

CCTV Surveillance System, Attacks and Design Goals

Closed Circuit Tele-Vision surveillance systems are frequently the subject of debate. Some parties seek to promote their benefits such as their use in criminal investigations and providing a feeling of safety to the public. They have also been on the receiving end of bad press when some consider intrusiveness has outweighed the benefits. The correct design and use of such systems is paramount to ensure a CCTV surveillance system meets the needs of the user, provides a tangible benefit and provides safety and security for the wider law-abiding public. In focusing on the normative aspects of CCTV, the paper raises questions concerning the efficiency of understanding contemporary forms of ‘social ordering practices’ primarily in terms of technical rationalities while neglecting other, more material and ideological processes involved in the construction of social order. In this paper, a 360-degree view presented on the assessment of the diverse CCTV video surveillance systems (VSS) of recent past and present in accordance with technology. Further, an attempt been made to compare different VSS with their operational strengths and their attacks. Finally, the paper concludes with a number of future research directions in the design and implementation of VSS

Camera Surveillance as a Measure of Counterterrorism?

Camera surveillance has recently gained prominence in policy proposals on combating terrorism. We evaluate this instrument of counterterrorism as resting on the premise of a deterrence effect. Based on comparative arguments and previous evidence on crime, we expect camera surveillance to have a relatively smaller deterrent effect on terrorism than on other forms of crime. In particular, we emphasize opportunities for substitution (i.e., displacement effects), the interaction with media attention aspired to by terrorists, the limits of real-time interventions, the crowding-out of social surveillance, the risk of misguided profiling, and politico-economic concerns regarding the misuse of the technology.Camera surveillance, closed-circuit television (CCTV), public security, deterrence, terrorism.