Public safety professionals in small towns and suburbs face a daunting challenge – how to provide a strong police presence and maintain security with shrinking resources. In a recent Ceragon Connects podcast episode (link to full episode), host Jeremy Ladner spoke with Paul Grefenstette, Founder and President of Griffon Systems, a public safety and security surveillance camera integrator operating in the Chicago area. Their discussion explored the critical role that high-bandwidth wireless networks and multi-megapixel security cameras play in supporting local law enforcement.
As crime rates rise and budgets dwindle, public safety administrators, municipal officials, and law enforcement officers are turning to cost-effective "force multipliers" that allow them to maximize their resources. At the top of the list are real-time High-Bandwidth CCTV video surveillance networks, which offer law enforcement agencies the critical "eyes everywhere" capability that helps them proactively address safety concerns.
How Do Surveillance Networks Help Cut Crime?
The concept is straightforward: deploy a comprehensive network of surveillance cameras that stream live video feeds back to a command center at headquarters (HQ). This is far more cost-effective than having officers patrol every corner of a community. Video surveillance systems allow dispatchers to allocate police resources more effectively, sending officers where they are needed, when they are needed.
Video surveillance networks have been shown to have a real impact on crime reduction, with studies indicating that crime rates can drop by as much as 34% in areas where surveillance systems are in place. This effect is even more pronounced in specific locations like car parks, where crime rates fell by an impressive 37% due to the presence of CCTV systems. These results highlight the critical role of high-resolution surveillance cameras and reliable wireless networks in deterring crime and helping law enforcement take proactive steps to enhance public safety.
But there’s more at stake than just efficient policing. As Paul Grefenstette pointed out during the podcast, the video quality captured by these networks plays a crucial role in courtrooms and investigations. "When you present a judge with high-quality video evidence of a crime, it can make all the difference between conviction and acquittal," Paul explained. But if the camera’s video quality is low, or the network is unreliable, crucial evidence can be lost at the worst possible moment. A dropped signal or blurred footage during a crime can derail an investigation or even jeopardize the case entirely. This makes high-resolution cameras and reliable, high-bandwidth wireless networks indispensable for law enforcement.
How Reliable Networks Are Critical to Modern Public Safety
In areas where police forces are stretched thin, these real-time surveillance systems provide crucial support. High-bandwidth, low-latency networks allow law enforcement to be proactive rather than reactive. Surveillance cameras can help prevent crimes before they happen. As Paul explained, “When an incident does happen, or if something is starting, you can target that area, send the right resources, and dissolve it before it becomes a bigger issue.”
“…we were blown away by the bandwidth and stability of the system”
Ceragon’s 5G, microwave, and millimeter wave wireless solutions offer municipalities and law enforcement the reliable infrastructure needed to support public safety initiatives. “Once we set up the two radios, we were blown away by the bandwidth and stability of the system,” Paul described. By leveraging wireless technology, police forces can access real-time video feeds from anywhere, improving their ability to respond to incidents swiftly and effectively.
Why Choose High-Bandwidth Wireless Over Fiber for Public Safety?
Small towns and suburbs often face difficult decisions when it comes to upgrading their communication networks. Fiber optic networks, while offering high-speed connectivity, come with a steep price tag. Digging, trenching, and installing fiber across a geographically spread-out community can be cost-prohibitive for local governments with limited budgets. Moreover, fiber networks lack the flexibility to adapt to growing towns or fluctuating public safety needs.
By contrast, wireless networks, both 5G and 60 GHz millimeter wave, offer a more scalable and cost-effective solution. Wireless technology can be deployed much faster than fiber and doesn’t require extensive groundwork. Additionally, wireless microwave and millimeter wave networks offer the flexibility to expand and grow with the community’s needs. "In the summer, the parks can be nuts, but in the wintertime, it’s completely empty," Paul mentioned, underscoring the need for a flexible, future-friendly solution that adapts to seasonal and long-term changes. Wireless networks, paired with movable or adjustable cameras, offer small municipalities the adaptability to stay ahead of public safety concerns.
Solving Surveillance Challenges with 60 GHz
In a Chicago suburb, Griffon Systems faced a common challenge: outdated 5 GHz point-to-point radios were struggling to handle the bandwidth demands of the ever-growing surveillance system. To solve this, Griffon implemented Siklu by Ceragon 60 GHz radios, offering significantly improved bandwidth and reliability.
This 60 GHz solution provided law enforcement with a real-time video feed that allowed them to respond to incidents more effectively. Like 5G, Ceragon’s 60 GHz millimeter wave solutions delivers remarkably high bandwidth with latency often below 1 ms, eliminating any video delay for true ‘real-time’ video surveillance capabilities.
Building a Future-Friendly Public Safety Network
Beyond real-time crime prevention, today’s high-bandwidth surveillance systems also empower law enforcement with the ability to gather critical evidence. In both big cities and small towns, video surveillance footage is increasingly being used as evidence in court. "When you’re dealing with high-resolution security cameras, they require a lot of bandwidth on the back end," Paul explained. Ceragon’s wireless network solutions are designed to handle this demand, ensuring that the video feeds stay clear and reliable, regardless of bandwidth requirements.
This reliability is critical in supporting police investigations, where any loss in footage could hinder a case. Poorly maintained networks often lead to dropped signals at crucial moments—when crimes are in progress. Pulling up real-time footage in squad cars and reacting immediately based on live video provides officers with a game-changing tool in crime reduction.
In one case, Paul shared how a small town began their video surveillance network with just two or three cameras, but it soon expanded to 60. "That’s when we were called in," he recalled, "and they said, ‘We really need help with this. What should we do?’" The system was scaled without compromising performance thanks to the combination of advanced surveillance technology and robust Ceragon wireless backhaul. “The bandwidth has been a game-changer,” Paul noted, emphasizing how critical this technology has become for law enforcement’s day-to-day operations.
“Why didn't we have this ten years ago?”
To illustrate the true value of these systems, Paul highlighted the reaction of the local police chief after seeing the setup in action. “The Police chief—big smile on his face, and all the different detectives that came in were just like, ‘Why didn't we have this ten years ago?’” This underscores just how transformative real-time video surveillance can be for local law enforcement, improving response times and providing reliable evidence for prosecution.
Closing the Gap with High-Bandwidth Public Safety Networks
For local law enforcement, public safety administrators, and municipal officials, Ceragon’s wireless connectivity solutions offer advantages far beyond high-quality video feeds. These networks offer the reliability, flexibility, and scalability needed to create a safe, secure environment for both officers and the public.
When cities embrace advanced 5G, microwave, and millimeter wave wireless technology, they improve crime prevention efforts and strengthen the entire justice process by ensuring that critical video evidence is preserved.
In short, high-bandwidth private networks have become an invaluable component of modern public safety efforts. Ceragon’s expertise is helping towns and municipalities worldwide build future-friendly public safety and surveillance camera networks that deliver real-time protection, proactive policing, and courtroom-ready evidence.
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