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POD Camera System Innovator Relies on Toshiba Dome Cameras
IRVINE, CA, May 5, 2009 -- Police Observation Devices, better known simply as PODs, were first unveiled in 2003 in a pilot program by the Chicago Police Department. Remote-controlled cameras with zoom and 360° rotation were positioned in weatherproof enclosures to view and record potential crime in the city's high-risk areas. Captured analog video was transmitted via coax cabling back to police headquarters where it was monitored and recorded.
Equipped with flashing blue lights on top and a large police logo, Chicago's PODs provided a highly visible presence that disrupted drug and gang activity. Crime rates in the test areas immediately declined by up to 76 percent, marking a major breakthrough in public safety. Since then, police departments across the country have installed PODs to capture criminal activity or more importantly, to deter it from happening in the first place.
One of the pioneering companies driving POD technology is Comdesco Group. Headquartered in Chicago, Comdesco originated the ARVIS (Advanced Real Time Video Information System) POD. Hundreds of ARVIS are now in use by police departments from New York to Los Angeles.
John Plese, Vice President of Comdesco explains: "Video data is used primarily as an after-the-fact forensic tool because it is largely recorded at the site. As a result, there is no real-time benefit to law enforcement and community safety. Our ARVIS solves this problem by providing a fully integrated live video system, which streams real-time information that can actively protect communities and vital infrastructure more efficiently and cost effectively."
For the past three years, Comdesco has relied upon Toshiba dome cameras for its ARVIS system, most recently the Toshiba IK-DP30A. This day-night PTZ camera brings the benefits of 92-degree tilt, 360-degree continuous pan rotation, 18x optical zoom, IR sensitivity and 480-line resolution to the ARVIS. Auto-flip 180-degree rotation allows for continuous viewing of a subject as they pass underneath the camera, an important feature for any street surveillance solution.
