Security takes spotlight

The CCTV images of the London bombers, and the would-be bombers of July 21, put a shockingly human face on the perpetrators of the acts of terrorism in the capital.

The speed with which the police were able to locate footage of the criminals was acknowledged around the world, particularly after the events of July 21, when images of the four men responsible for the attempted attack were made available to news outlets within a day of the incidents.

This meant that the general public, as well as worldwide security agencies and police forces, had identifiable pictures which were then used in the rapid capture of all four suspects, just over a week after the incidents occurred.

So while CCTV may not have been able to prevent these attacks – and there are doubts that there is any way a suicide bombing can be prevented, at least at present – the use of the cameras was proved without a doubt to be of major importance in the swift capture of those believed to be responsible.

This means that public awareness of closed circuit television is at what is probably an all time high, and the role of the security industry in general is being discussed by people who may never have had an interest in it at all in the past.

What does it mean for the installation industry? The failure of the CCTV cameras in the number 30 bus near Russell Square proved that regular maintenance of systems is essential if they are to be effective in aiding police in their investigations. But does this mean that those responsible for security on public transport and other potential targets are likely to undertake a wholesale upgrade of their systems?

London mayor Ken Livingstone has already promised increased CCTV coverage in the capital. "There will hardly be a park or transport system where we haven't put it," he told the BBC.

Opinions divided

Installers and manufacturers are split as to whether the heightened awareness of security in the wake of the attacks will lead to additional work in the near future.

Peter Terry, company secretary of Total Security Installations, east London, said that although many people would be reviewing their systems and looking for an upgrade following the tragedy, the CCTV market was saturated.

"People outside the industry think, 'You must be making a fortune', but because there's so much CCTV out there, that's not true," he said.

A spokesman for Banham Alarms, a large southern regional company, said that for many installation companies the incidents would not affect business to any extent.

"It will possibly make people aware of their own security, but for companies like ours, where we install more domestic systems than commercial, it will have less effect."

However, shops and small commercial premises might reconsider their existing systems, the spokesman said.

On the other hand, Andy Rees, proprietor of Absolute Security, based in Surrey, said he was quite sure the tragedy would have a knock-on effect, with more demand for good quality CCTV images.

Operators would also be looking at increased maintenance, some of it "desperate", as some systems had not been properly maintained.

The company has contracts providing CCTV at railway stations, and when they took over, some of the maintenance was "abysmal", he said.

"This is wrong. These systems do have to work. The end result is not just day to day management. Good quality recorded images do have to be guaranteed. This tragedy is sure to pump up demand for CCTV on any transportation network."

Darren Martin, marketing manager at G4S (Group 4 Securicor), said: "Tragic as it is, these incidents force attention on to electronic security. I would anticipate an upgrading on all public transport, and there will be an increased public call for cameras on trains, as CCTV footage is crucial."

He thought that there would be an increased call for maintenance of systems, and an increased call for manned guarding.

Scott Jones of high resolution camera system manufacturers CoVi said: "These types of tragic events can galvanise change. They could focus attention on image quality and be a spur for system upgrades. There is a sense of urgency now, and the ease in making change could make things happen faster. An obvious area would be to increase the definition of cameras and the capabilities out there."

Video interest

One of the areas where there may be increased interest is in video management systems. Despite the fairly rapid detection of the suspects involved in July 21's failed bombing attempts, and of the images found of the July 7 bombers at Luton and Kings Cross, there is definitely a strong case to be made for CCTV systems in public and major commercial areas to be upgraded to digital video systems with easily searchable management systems.

Because while using figures such as “15,000 hours of video tape” for police to examine shows the scope of CCTV coverage in the UK, and London in particular, digital video management systems – of which we are seeing more every month – would help to free up police time and provide the correct images more efficiently.

Simon Nash, European product manager, network video monitoring and CCTV, Sony Europe, said: "With the ever-increasing threat of international terrorism prevalent in major towns and cities, we believe the development of intelligent video systems will help counter the risk of attacks on public transport and public areas. Sony recognises the need for high levels of security in all public areas including transport, and as such has been developing technology in line with these needs."

One company, Vision Systems, is offering its Adpro FastTrace as a video monitoring solution for rail safety. The company is exhibiting alongside TrackSafe Telecom at the Infrarail exhibition in Manchester in September.

Catherine Casey-Thomas, IT project manager at Arriva Trains, said: "In addition to monitoring aspects of high-risk security, Adpro FastTrace acts as a useful management tool allowing us to monitor our 77 train stations across south Wales 24/7 from one central location."

Israeli company Servision says its IVG 400 mobile surveillance system is widely used in Israel, South Africa and mainland Europe, and comes with a shock-proof digital video recorder which can be quickly and easily installed on buses, underground and mainline trains. Each device is fitted with a panic button, allowing drivers to contact their head office or the police directly should a situation become threatening.

Other solutions

In addition to CCTV, a number of other security solutions have been discussed as possible means of stopping terrorists before they commit any crime, particularly on London's transport network.

But, as the Financial Times reported, one of the key challenges is speed. "Between 2m and 3m people use the London Underground each day, and Transport for London insists that anything that slows down the movement of commuters is out of the question," wrote the paper's Kate Mackenzie.

One of the highest-profile firms linked with London's transport security has been QinetiQ, the offshoot company from the Ministry of Defence, and its 'see-through clothes' scanner, which uses 'millimetre wave' technology to, as its name suggests, "see-through" peoples' clothes in order to detect whether they are hiding any weapons or dangerous materials. The company claims it can screen 400 people per minute as they walk past. However, the cost of employing the system for the underground would appear to be prohibitive, at £150,000 to £2m per station.

Another firm, Cambridge Consultants, has recently previewed its second generation handheld 'through-wall' radar technology, which it says will offer features "that will enhance the efficiency and safety of military and emergency service personnel in situation such as hostage taking, search, and rescue". It could also conceivably be used in situations such as suspected bomb-making premises, or the capture of suspects such as the July 21 bombers.

US firm Sniffex has developed a pocket-sized, handheld explosives detection device.

Company CEO Paul Johnson said: "The most important issue that needs to be addressed with attacks like those which happened in London is being able to detect explosives from a distance, and this is where Sniffex becomes extremely valuable as a tool. In the case of London, those who run and manage large train systems or airports, planes and even large cargo areas would be able to sweep more effectively using a product like Sniffex, as it allows you to cover much more territory and do things we previously haven't been able to do in terms of bomb protection."

Another US company, Markland Technologies, has developed a "suicide bomber detection system". This incorporates ten different detection technologies in a single unified solution.