Statue of Liberty upgrades surveillance system

Security surveillance at the State of Liberty and Liberty Island has been upgraded to an IP-based, digital video system to improve safety, security and operations for millions of annual visitors. According to the National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy, approximately four million people visit the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island each year.

Video-centric security technology provider Total Recall brought together nine technology vendors to deliver a solution used by the US Park Police, National Park Service (NPS) and the Department of Interior (DOI) to enhance public safety and improve operational efficiencies.

Total Recall redesigned the statue’s surveillance and security system from top to bottom, including migrating from an outdated analog CCTV to the latest in IP-based digital video technology. An intelligent and ultra-modern command centre was built to help the NPS and US Park Police do their jobs more effectively and enabling the park to cover areas with video surveillance that they could not reach before, such as the security-screening facilities.

IP-based technology and the system’s design enables it to cover the entire perimeter of Liberty Island, as well as the park’s security screening facilities and all 393 steps from the main lobby to Lady Liberty’s crown. The technology will be used for the day-to-day safety and security of the park’s visitors while also helping the US Park Police and NPS monitor traffic flow and expand people management to keep lines moving, assist ferry service operation, reconnect parents with misplaced children and effectively respond to any medical emergencies on the island or inside the statue.

The Statue of Liberty watches over New York Harbor while network video cameras watch out for visitor safety.

The current surveillance deployment marks the first time an all-digital surveillance system has been installed at the monument, which will allow the NPS to cover areas of the island that were previously unreachable with the old analog system, thanks to a mix of fibre and wireless connections. Total Recall designed and supervised the last major security system overhaul for the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island in 1999, with the latest upgrade made in 2004.

Conditions for installing the new system were not easy - the environment presented unique challenges even without the damage done by Hurricane Sandy, said Jordan Heilweil, president, Total Recall Corporation. The lack of electricity, flooding and damage caused by Sandy could not stop the team from making sure that Lady Liberty could welcome visitors - as she always has, he added.

The partners selected by Total Recall for the Statue of Liberty’s new surveillance system include:

Axis Communications to supply a mix of nearly 160 IP cameras with HDTV quality, exceptional night-time performance, powerful zoom, reliability and discreet appearance;

BriefCam to supply video-synopsis software solution that enables law enforcement and security personnel to review hours of surveillance video in minutes;

DragonWave’s multi-gigabit packet microwave radios, delivering carrier-class transport for mission-critical public safety communications;

Milestone Systems for its open platform IP video management software that integrates all components, enabling first responders to view live or recorded video, also using mobile devices;

Pivot3 for reliable digital storage and compute devices specifically designed for the IP video industry;

Proxim Wireless to deliver high-capacity, wide-area wireless broadband using WORP technology in order to connect IP cameras in areas the previous system could not reach;

RGB Spectrum for enabling multiple video feeds to be displayed on the massive video wall in the new command centre using its MediaWall 2900 display processor;

Scallop Imaging for perimeter security via its all solid-state M6-200 IP cameras with six megapixel, extreme low-light video and undistorted panoramic 200° FOV;

Winsted Corporation for ergonomically designed command centre consoles that allow operators to be as efficient and comfortable as possible in a high-stress environment.