Chelsea’s police department is able to continuously monitor the city’s entire 1.8 square mile area through 34 round-the-clock surveillance cameras.

Rationale
City Manager Jay Ash said that the digital cameras are used as a routine part of daily police work. Officers watching in real time are able to see crimes as they unfold, zooming in on suspects, panning out for a wider view, and reviewing the situation frame by frame.

The cameras can store images for more than a month, allowing investigators to review footage for leads and evidence, Ash said. Many of the 34 cameras, he said, can be moved from one problem area to another, and a number of them also have 360-degree filming capabilities.

In addition to a complete Wireless IP Network and CCTV protection, the system also included Wireless CCTV for the critical waterfront areas, including the Tobin and McArdle Bridges, MWRA Tower, Gulf Oil Tanks and Marina Area.

As part of the wireless surveillance system, BCM designed and installed a battery back up system for the video at both the camera and video recording locations.

BCM Delivers
Through extensive research and engineering, BCM selected Pelco as the manufacturer for the Inner City Cameras, Waterfront Cameras, Video Management System and Digital Recording. For the City of Chelsea’s security and connectivity demands, BCM selected Motorola’s “Canopy” for the Wireless IP Network. The “Canopy” network is a managed wireless solution that relays video images, data and/or voice to a central or multiple locations, providing an efficient, cost effective and flexible alternative to a hardwired system.

Project Summary
The base project included 27 fixed & Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) low-light cameras mounted on poles and 27 individual back up systems providing 2 hours of power and video storage for each camera.

The Waterfront Project included 7 Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) low-light cameras with high power lenses that are housed in marine grade environmentally safe housings with heaters, blowers and lens wipers. There are 7 individual back up systems that provide 2 hours of power and video storage for each camera.