Control Room Design

Quadrant’s matrix control for Mansfield

Mansfield in Nottinghamshire has invested in a fully integrated CCTV video surveillance system to combat the threat of crime and vandalism. With advice for optimum camera positioning coming from the local police constabulary, the Quadrant Video Systems installation uses 18 high-resolution colour P/T/Z cameras, to cover the town’s busy central Market Place area, as well as key entry and exit routes.

CCTV camera images are brought back to the CCTV control room, sited within the District Council’s Civic Centre, via a fibre-optic network connected to a sophisticated Synectics Tesseract SM video switching and control matrix. Two Synectics X250 matrix controller keyboards are used to allow Police trained operators; fully independent and intuitive control of the system’s array of multiplexers, VCRs, colour printer and telemetry camera functions.

Cath Bannister, Mansfield District Council’s CCTV Manager explained, “ Everyone entering or leaving the Town Centre will be seen by at least one of the CCTV cameras. However, as operators of the system, it is also important that we acknowledge civil liberties. The Synectics controller helps us do this with its award-winning ‘PRIVacy’ feature, enabling us to electronically blackout specific areas from the operators view, such as changing rooms or private living quarters”.

The success of the installation has led to an additional 11 cameras being commissioned to cover a total of seven railway stations along a sixteen mile stretch of track, known as the ‘Robin Hood’ line, between Mansfield Woodhouse and Bulwell.

Roy Slater, Mansfield Council’s Town Centre Operations Manager commented, “ Since its installation, the local criminal fraternity have become well aware of the system’s effectiveness, but it’s much more than an effective tool against crime. The quality of pictures we have allows us to be proactive about protecting the public in the Town centre streets, for instance spotting a person who has collapsed and is in need of help, or to identify and locate lost children. In the latter example, we can communicate with both Police and retail store detectives who can search their own premises, in many instances allowing us to quickly re-unite lost children with their parents. In many ways, the flexibility of the system allows us to act as an unseen custodian, providing a service to the local community ”.