i3’s Smart Video Surveillance Solutions Offer Greenburgh Township Maximum Protection and Peace of Mind

The Greenburgh Parks & Recreation Department oversees a 19 square mile area. The existing camera security system was unable to survey the congested or remote areas and process security incidents. Working together with their integration partner ESS and utilizing i3's AI-based technology, allowed for increased visitor safety and improved operational efficiencies.

Greenburgh Parks & Rec Seeks Robust Rural Security Solution

The Greenburgh Parks & Recreation Department oversees a 19 square mile area outside the unincorporated town of Greenburgh and its 6 surrounding villages. As with most rural properties, the lack of buildings and other structures, as well as the limited number of people dispersed over acres of parkland, made it difficult to keep an eye on the entire property round-the-clock.

When Joe Lucasey, Deputy Commissioner of Parks & Recreation, first discussed his concerns with i3, he emphasized the crucial role the department played in not just ensuring the safety of park visitors, but in connecting the entire community to the outdoors and helping them safely explore and enjoy the natural areas around them.

Describing his requirements for a new system, Joe detailed the importance of implementing an all-encompassing solution, one that tracked an incident all the way from discovery to resolution. Not only would this solution need to provide optimal security, but it would also have to enable his department to effectively monitor crowd sizes, keep employees productive and engaged, and deter vandalism.

Challenge

Greenburgh Parks & Recreation manages 30 local parks, including several tennis courts and baseball fields. Anthony F. Veteran Park, the largest park under their supervision, sees up to 2000 visitors a day, and includes seven swimming pools and a large multipurpose center. Because it receives such a high volume of visitors, it requires oversize parking lots, making it crucial to monitor for dangerous driving.

While the department did have a security system in place, since the outdated software did not incorporate WYSIWYG technology, it was extremely difficult to install and program. Given that large outdoor spaces can be hard to protect, the challenge was to provide a new, integrated solution that would make it easy for Joe’s department to:

• Install an integrated surveillance system throughout the park system that could survey both congested and remote areas
• Capture and process security incidents accurately, particularly in high traffic areas, where people tend to congregate
• Improve operational efficiencies and ensure that staff members were following all regulations and protocols

“Originally, when we wanted to install cameras, many neighborhoods did not want them. They felt it would be an invasion of privacy and took issue with having them installed. Five or six years later, there was an incident in one of our parks and, the next thing you know, everyone wanted cameras. I think this change in attitude was due, in large part, to the sudden proliferation of cameras everywhere.” - Joe Lucasey, Director of Parks & Rec, Municipality of Greenburgh

Working closely with i3 through the design and consultation process, Greenburgh Parks & Rec was able to successfully address these key challenges. i3’s turn-key CCTV security systems with AI-based technology provided timely, accurate information to park employees, allowing for increased safety and improved operational efficiencies.

Solution

Analyzing Operational Data

Thanks to the enhanced video surveillance and analytic capabilities of the new solution, the Parks & Recreation Department was not only able to keep an eye on their premises in real time, but also derive greater insights from the data captured by the system. Detailed analysis of video data resulted in a greater understanding of security risks and improved mitigation of losses and damage.

Reporting Incidents

The powerful incident reporting feature integrated into i3’s web-based CMS application allowed on-site incidents to be documented in real time. This meant the most current incident reporting information was instantly accessible not only to the Parks Department, but to the Commissioner, the MIS department, and the Police Department.

Streamlining Operations

The new system’s analytics provided an effective option for gaining real time insights into employee activities and optimizing productivity. Additionally, cameras were used to verify various incidents being reported to the Deputy Commissioner about staff behaviour. According to Joe, “In many cases, employees thought the cameras were being installed to watch them. Instead, the cameras would often serve to vindicate employees who were subjected to unruly patrons losing their tempers”.

ESS is a Full-Service solution provider specializing in Systems Integration with expertise in Public Safety Networks, Fiber, CCTV, Access Control, Electronic Security & Wireless Transmission Systems. ESS has an ongoing relationship with the Township of Greenburgh, NY for the past twenty years of selling & installing 2-way Radio Communication Equipment and various Wireless Transmission Systems. More recently the relationship expanded and over the past 7 years, ESS has become Greenburgh’s sole Electronic Security provider including CCTV & Access Control. To date, ESS has installed (11) i3 International CCTV systems throughout the township including at their Outdoor Parks, Water Pump Stations, Police Department, DPW garage, Community Center, and Town Hall Buildings. Relationship-based selling, same-day service, remote support, manufacturer support, and a quality product at an affordable price have proven to be the recipe for success amongst ESS, Township of Greenburgh, and i3 International.

Conclusion

Deputy Commissioner Joe Lucasey commends i3 for its easy-to-use cameras and smart video solutions. Beyond security, there are several advanced features that Joe believes bring exceptional business value.

The Health Monitoring feature, for example, allows his teams to quickly determine when any of the hundreds of cameras deployed are no longer working. And with the live feed feature, staffers can effectively monitor day-to-day activities within the entire park system from a central building. The data they gather helps them analyze crowd sizes and handle any potential security issues by adjusting staffing requirements appropriately in real time.

Thanks to i3’s artificial intelligence-driven technology, the Greenburgh Parks and Recreation Department can create a safe and enjoyable experience for community residents and park visitors alike.