A Mobile Surveillance System can take on several form factors. There are pole mount systems, pod style systems, skid systems, and trailers. Each of the above systems can be powered from grid power, solar, generator or a combination of 2 or more power sources.
The most common in the United States is the trailer version. These units are gaining in popularity because they are easy to deploy and can be engineered with sufficient battery capacity to ensure reliable performance.
The systems have 5 main components:
- Power supply or power generation components
- Network
- Cameras and Sensors
- Deterrent Devices
- Live Monitoring
How the system gets powered is probably the most important factor in the system design. A system that is not powered up has little value. You could have the most technologically advanced system with the highest quality customer service and best monitoring and if the power sources fail, then the entire system fails to perform its purpose.
A mobile surveillance system will typically have 1-2 PoE network switches and an internet gateway device. LTE/4G/5G is the most common but other options include satellite internet and WIFI (microwave, and point to point, mesh)
Cameras and sensors are the most visible part of the system. These devices are usually raised up on a pole or mast 20-30 ft in the air. This helps the system see over the height of most obstacles and also serves to keep these devices at a height that is difficult to tamper with.
Devices such as strobe lights, flood lights, sirens, and 2 way audio loudspeakers are an important part of any mobile surveillance system. These devices are used to let trespassers know that they have been detected. Strobe lights and audio alarms draw unwanted attention to the area. 2 way audio reinforces that action is being taken and a live agent is dispatching police.
Live Monitoring is critical to the success of the system. Criminals will test the system and when they determine that the system is just automated and no action is being taken, they may eventually ignore the lights and audio warning. In rare cases we have clients that choose to self monitor their own system. This is rarely effective for high crime areas unless the client employs people for that specific purpose. The most effective solution is to use GoView Live Monitoring. Trained agents will connect to the system for every event and determine when additional action needs to be taken. This ensures that no critical event slips by without an appropriate response. If the goal is to stop crime in progress, live agent video monitoring is key to the successful security plan.