CCTV gets the MIDAS touch
A new system designed to allow officers to retrieve CCTV data regardless of the system or media it is recorded on has been piloted by Wiltshire Police.
A new system designed to allow officers to retrieve CCTV data regardless of the system or media it is recorded on has been piloted by Wiltshire Police.
The number of CCTV systems that have entered the marketplace over the last few years has increased dramatically. This has meant that it has become difficult to retrieve CCTV footage for later analysis as often there isnt simply a tape that can be taken away. Digital CCTV systems are becoming the norm, but even with these systems, copying footage to DVD for later analysis is still very inconvenient.
The MIDAS (Mobile Image and Data Acquisition System) solves these problems.
Wiltshire Police are pioneering the new system that is allowing officers easy access to any kind of CCTV footage no matter which system is in use. The portable solution can retrieve analogue or digital footage and easily cope with vast amounts of data. MIDAS was designed by Ian Jakeman, Imaging and Technical Resources Manager for Wiltshire Constabulary, in conjunction with Andrew Wallwork, Technical Director of CCTV specialists Daetech.
Being PC-based, MIDAS can be easily adapted to encompass future formats, thus making it a truly universal system. The system is provided with 500 Gigabyte of hard drive memory that can be increased to 1 Terabyte and beyond, if necessary.
The cost of the basic MIDAS system is around £9,000, although this increases
according to individual requirements, tailored to customers needs. As Wiltshire pioneered MIDAS, the force saved about £2,500. Ian Jakeman said, I am delighted to have been involved in the development of such an effective system, which will change the way in which video technicians can access CCTV data, reduce the time they spend in one place and ultimately, assist with investigations by providing images in fast time.