National Digital Policing – CCTV Hub Design
British Transport Police CCTV Hub Design
Customer: Network Rail
CLIENT BRIEF
Having obtained funding from Network Rail, Sarax was commissioned to supply a solution to satisfy the present and future demands of integrated CCTV systems for British Transport Police (BTP).
WHAT WE DID
Sarax developed solutions to:
- Integrate multiple and diverse systems to a common user interface for both live and recorded CCTV systems
- Make the handling of CCTV images and stills into a forensic standard by designing common processes and standards based on existing best practice where that existed
- Provide redundancy through contingency and fallback systems
- Repurpose an existing building through refurbishment
- Future proof the facility and systems.
HOW WE DID IT
We used the RIBA stage model to work through the various stages of design from feasibility to procurement, checking at each stage that the project remained financially viable and achievable at the necessary quality and usability standards.
THE WORKS
Using the knowledge from our feasibility study we created a scheme design for the forensic desks, internal network assets, external networks and the building refurbishment. These designs were fed back to key BTP stakeholders, ensuring alignment with the operational requirements. We provided a cost estimate for the entire schema to ensure that budget and timescales could be met.
Once the scheme design was finalised, we provided procurement documentation for two key pieces of work:
- The building design including refurbishment, room set outs, network cabling equipment room design, lighting, air conditioning and power including generator and UPS back-up systems and the provision of a new electricity substation
- A turnkey systems package for forensic workstations and equipment, network assets, subsystem integration schemes and operational control rooms. This included user and maintainer training packages and maintenance documentation.
Sarax then ran the procurement and selection process on behalf of BTP.
As the procurement work progressed, we worked alongside our BTP colleagues to deliver the processes and management structure required to successfully operate the Hub, and alongside our rail colleagues to ensure that the correct data sharing agreements and management communication processes were in place.
We procured a full package of services for a complete solution. The designs were practical and a ‘best match’ to the combined operator requirements, delivering fundamental changes in technology and the workplace. The importance of our procurement packages became clearer as we moved into implementation and realisation of the scheme.
TOP 5 BENEFITS
- Providing monetary and reputational benefits for Network Rail and the Train Operating Companies by releasing rail network capacity when it was detected that no crime had been committed
- Providing a better and safer service to the travelling public
- Improving the service to policing in relation to live and planned operations through common access to a greater pool of CCTV assets through a common system
- Standardising the products provided for investigations and court
- Delivering the system on time and to budget at the highest quality attainable within those boundaries.
VALUE ADD
- A thorough works review and holistic systems approach guaranteed that solutions remained valid and achievable
- Continual checking against user experience ensured that the solutions developed were practical and usable.