The power to protect
The facility to power the CCTV distribution and management elements within Greater Manchester
Police’s new state-of-the-art Command and Control room was put through its paces for the first time during Operation Protector – safeguarding the annual Labour Party Conference.
With around 15,000 delegates, including the Prime
Minister, high-profile MPs, global leaders and speakers from across the world, the week saw governance
effectively moving from Whitehall to Manchester.
Assistant IT Director Colin Carey at Greater Manchester Police (GMP), said: “As they say, preparation is everything; although the event only lasted a few days, it took months of planning. The first challenge was to ensure we had the right infrastructure in place. We worked closely with BT to ensure the best possible network to deliver the high volumes of video required.
“The next step was to utilise the best software to effectively integrate the many disparate video systems already in place, including mobile video, Hele-
Tele, fixed-wing and CCTV from public spaces, train stations and airports.
“Again BT was able to assist, introducing us to CNL and their IPSecurityCenter. This software is able to manage the copious amount of visual data, enabling
us to provide the highest level of security possible by distributing data and video wherever and whenever required.”
The system is technically superior to anything GMP has ever deployed, with 40 dedicated operator workstations, a record 360 CCTV feeds and a Barco
visualisation system powering 12 NEC LCD displays and four Barco displays; all managed through one intuitive interface.
During the conference, the new control room was visited by Prime Minister Gordon Brown (pictured), Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and GMP’s Chief Constable, Peter Fahy, who were all impressed with the new facility.
Superintendent Chris Ullah said: “The new events control room will create a legacy for the people of Manchester.
“Not only did it greatly help us police this conference successfully but it has given the force a fantastic facility for future events such as football matches, multiple major incidents, operations and large-scale events.
“We will be policing political conferences for the next three to four years so the new control room is a very important addition to our resources.”
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