Workplace violence is rising, and with that comes higher demands on security personnel and employees to ensure safety. From corporate offices and retail outlets to enforcement officers and transportation workers, video technology is engaged to deter issues such as trespassing, theft, or harmful behaviour against people and physical assets, providing accountability and enabling transparency.
While body-worn cameras are best known as an essential piece of technology that supports law enforcement, they are also becoming commonplace within enterprise markets, creating safer businesses and helping to increase efficiency. Recent studies have shown that staff utilising body-worn cameras felt that acts of violence and aggression towards them were reduced due to the presence of the camera. 2 With lighter, smaller form-factor devices that are designed to be simple to use and easy to wear, the availability and affordability of body-worn cameras for staff is increasing.
Connected Devices – VMS & Radio Integration
Motorola Solutions is committed to enhancing community safety and transparency through its innovative technology, and offers a range of body-worn cameras for enterprise markets, consisting of the VB400 and VT100 cameras with back-end VideoManager software. Between them, a selection of connectivity features are available to support real-time recording, streaming, camera activation and alarm generation to support the security landscape for businesses.
Not only do these devices offer a visual deterrent against acts of aggression while gathering vital evidence, but when they are paired with other security technologies, such as security cameras or radios, the body-worn camera can seamlessly act as a hands-free, real-time alerting device for any colleague in a volatile situation; enabling timely support and action.
When paired with a Video Management System (VMS) such as Avigilon’s ACC, the footage captured on a VT100 or VB400 body-worn camera can be live streamed to the VMS, where real-time video and audio from the wearers perspective is available to complement any CCTV footage capturing the same incident. This not only provides valuable context to a situation, but enables swift response to any escalated incident that might occur.
Similarly, as is used by leading supermarkets and convenience stores throughout the UK, the body-worn cameras can connect with an externally supported Security Operations Centre (SOC), streaming live footage to the Centre as soon as the record button is activated. This allows trained professionals to engage appropriate support, leading to a more streamlined security response, and provides reassurance to camera operators that the situation is being actively monitored.
Bluetooth functionality made available in the VB400 enables configurable hands-free recording, triggered by a multitude of actions. When paired with select Motorola Solutions Radios, a VB400 body-worn camera can enter a state of recording if the user’s radio emergency button is pressed, or the man down sensor is activated, ensuring that footage is still recorded in an emergency situation, regardless of whether the camera wearer is able to press record. Likewise, when Peer-Assisted Recording is engaged, all paired VB400 body-worn cameras will automatically begin recording when in range of an activated camera, capturing multiple viewpoints of the same incident, providing valuable situational awareness.
Through these integrations, body-worn cameras are providing added visibility and reassurance to those wearing them. Such streamlined solutions enable efficient and effective workflows within organisations, with minimal impact to staff and daily routine.
A Camera for Everyone
Where trained security professionals or prison officers might utilise the shift-long battery capacity of the VB400 with its advanced functionality and military-grade robustness, the VT100 with its lightweight form-factor, brandable ID badge and six month standby battery life is ideal for those in customer-facing roles in retail and hospitality.
Key to many body-worn camera deployments is the flexibility of the system, something that Motorola Solutions understands and acts upon. Our body-worn camera solutions can be managed on-premises, in the cloud, or utilising a hybrid approach, maintaining the adaptability required to meet the needs of individual customers.
With RFID touch-assign, body-worn cameras can be allocated and managed in the VideoManager software without the need for camera wearers to manually log into the system, again supporting workflow and efficiency. Simply utilising a staff ID badge, one swipe of the card will allocate a user an appropriately charged and configured body-worn camera for their role, with all footage captured associated with that user for traceability. It’s all auditable and traceable within the system, adhering to stringent security practices, and with encryption keys in place, footage captured on body-worn cameras is accessible only to those with appropriate approvals.