Camera and network specs

Aware Digital was awarded a multi-million dollar contract to install about 90 high-def cameras around the downtown area and a wireless network to connect the cameras. 63 of the cameras have pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ in CCTV lingo) capabilities which means that they can be remotely aimed and the zoom is an impressive 20x optical. 31 fixed point cameras have been installed, mostly to watch the Tampa Police Department and its parking garage. We have concentrated on mapping the cameras meant to watch you.

Storage

According to the city's RFP, the project includes:

Videos will be stored for four years on Blue-Ray discs. The cameras starting recording on August 5th 2012 and were required record through September 1st at minimum. There is a City Council meeting on September 20th to discuss the future of the cameras.

There is software monitoring all the cameas that can "intelligently" recognize abnormal behavior (see BRSLabs AISight for how this works). Up to 300 moving objects (AKA citizens) can be tracked in a single frame.

Usefulness

The RNC was the first major party political convention in modern history without a large protest presence. Law enforcement officers outnumbered protestors by at least 5 to 1 and at times 10 to 1. There were only two arrests made during the four day convention, significantly less than would be made in any normal four day period in Tampa. The $2,000,0000 camera installation did not aide in these arrests and helped solve zero crimes. For most of the convention the cameras were witnessing empty streets, broken only by large patrols of police.