Star Struck

Jan 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Erin Semple

The number of arrests in the Hollywood Entertainment District in Los Angeles has decreased by 31 percent since the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began using five Pelco pan/tilt/zoom dome cameras mounted on poles to monitor crime on Hollywood Boulevard. The cameras record in color during the day and in black-and-white at night. Each camera covers a one-block radius and records at all times to a Pelco 1600 DVR in an LAPD control room.

The system was designed and installed by MetroVideo, El Segundo, Calif., which has designed similar systems for rails, highways and government. The system uses Nextiva Intelligent Edge devices to wirelessly transmit digital video over license-free wireless bands. This provides high-quality images of Hollywood Boulevard in a digital format that can be easily distributed for case management and cost-efficient storage. Open architecture allows for integration with other legacy systems.

The analog signal from the camera is encoded and encrypted into a digital signal for the Nextiva Intelligent Edge system and then decoded to analog for DVR and video screen use. “The Nextiva Intelligent Edge is the backbone,” says Todd Byer, MetroVideo's project manager.

The Hollywood Entertainment District Property Owners Association, a nonprofit organization that manages business in this district, chose the system in the spring of 2004, Director Kerry Morrison says. “The association saw this investment as a way to reduce the need for private security,” she says.

Proposals for a digital, wireless surveillance system were sought, and the association hired a consultant from the FBI. They wanted the system to feature real-time transmission, high-quality equipment, the ability to link each camera to its own monitor, pan/tilt/zoom capabilities and continuous recording, Morrison says. “The benefits have been enormous,” she adds. “We have seen a visible drop in crime, and because of the impact we are investing in four more cameras. At December's meeting, the board of directors discussed purchasing five more cameras this year.”

When video control center operators witness a crime, squad cars are called in. Signs are posted on the street giving notice that the police department is watching. The system has been installed since February 2005. A master plan calls for eventual use of up to 64 cameras covering an area extending to the crossroad of Santa Monica Boulevard and also east and west of Hollywood Boulevard, and eventually throughout the city. “The video monitoring system provides an unbiased, neutral observation of events as they occur, which provides unassailable evidence to the judicial process,” says Lt. Leonard Cross of the LAPD.

According to Cross, on days when there was officer deployment and the cameras were monitored for a complete shift, there was an average of one arrest made during a shift. Once the officers became more proficient and comfortable with the video system, productivity improved markedly. During the latter period, the average increased to approximately two arrests per monitored shift.

Since the inception of the video monitoring program, it has been used by several task forces in the Hollywood area. Some of the most successful programs have been implemented by the Hollywood Area Narcotics Enforcement Detail and the Hollywood Area Z-car Detail and involve the blatant narcotics use in the Hollywood Boulevard corridor. Additional task forces have included the Hollywood Bike Detail, Gang Enforcement Detail and Major Crimes Division. These task force officers usually attempt to observe criminal behavior and call in chase vehicles in uniform that are pre-positioned in the area. These task forces have targeted narcotics, gang and theft activities, nightclub assaults and robberies.

During major events in Hollywood, the video surveillance system is used to observe public areas and to monitor group activity to ensure public safety. The camera system is used to monitor events such as the recent anti-war demonstrations held along Hollywood Boulevard. They will also be used in the future for events such as the Academy Awards, Hollywood Christmas Parade and the numerous “Walk of Fame” Star ceremonies along Hollywood Boulevard.

An officer will be assigned during major events if use of the camera system is authorized. That officer would generally monitor the activity from the Hollywood Operations Center.

“There has been a 31 percent decrease in the total number of arrests in the Hollywood Business Improvement District area as compared to last year at this time,” Cross says. “This clearly is an important goal as criminals come to learn the futility of involving themselves in criminal activity in the areas where a camera might be observing their activity.”

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