Cities work when people feel safe. Councils and Police carry this responsibility across public spaces. Property owners want the same certainty for their homes, properties and businesses as incidents move faster than traditional systems keep up. CCTV camera networks are installed by councils, business associations, retail and ports, but remain siloed. CCTV footage exists but access to it is difficult and slow. AI insight is increasingly available but often arrives too late back to Police to help.
The gap is not the cameras. The gap is the connection to the cameras.
My work for more than thirty five years across physical security, CCTV, IT networking, led to the development of the vGRID SaferCity platform in 2015. Cities have many capable CCTV networks across councils, transport, retail and private operators but each system works on its own. The challenge is seeing the full picture when activity moves across locations, and making it easy.
Key learnings
Connect what already exists
Visual assets sit across many owners and vendors. A convergence platform gives authorised users a single place to view live feeds and access to Automatic Number Plate Recognition when it matters, without extra hardware or exports using USB sticks.
Improve responsiveness through secure flow
Real time access supports faster assessment and earlier intervention. Secure extraction removes slow manual steps and protects sensitive data.
Strengthen trust through compliance
Privacy Commissioner guidance requires strict control of access and retention. When compliance is built into the platform, Councils, Police and private clients protect safety and rights together.
Support collaboration
The vGRID SaferCity platform enables controlled sharing between Councils, Police, private clients and approved partners without forcing anyone to replace their current CCTV systems. Each party keeps ownership of its assets.
Plan for growth
Cities evolve. Private sites expand. A convergence platform scales with them, allowing new cameras and operators to join through secure integration.
Why this matters
Most communities and high value sites run many independent CCTV networks. Without convergence, authorised teams rely on multiple PCs and isolated connections, slowing response and limiting visibility. A unified vGRID platform brings these assets together in a secure environment so first responders and private teams get timely information where they are.
Takeaway
Safer communities rely on collaboration. When Councils, Police and private clients receive timely visual information through a secure, compliant and unified platform, they act earlier and with greater clarity. Integrated surveillance is not about more cameras. It is about smarter access and safer outcomes.
By Scott Bain
(1) https://lnkd.in/g9nBH8fS
(2) https://lnkd.in/gb8iSECx
Reducing Community Harm Through Secure Integrated Surveillance