Pasadena City College in California has signed a $165,516 contract to improve and replace parts of its campus security system.
The school closed its bidding process on Feb. 24 when its Board of Trustees decided on the security company Sierra Group to head the project, according to pcccourier.com. The installation will begin this month and is expected to be completed by June 30.
The upgrades will bring improvements to the school’s 140-camera surveillance system, which includes some outdated and poorly positioned cameras that don’t provide full coverage of the campus. Thirty eight new surveillance cameras will be added to that system. PCC Safety Supervisor Sgt. Bill Abernathie said the quad and parking structures on campus are areas that need better surveillance.
The college’s command dispatch center, where officers monitor surveillance feeds across campus, will also be improved. Monitors will be added to the center and the monitoring programs in place will receive software updates.
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Because the school wants to retain footage for a minimum of 60 days, they’re also going to change their server that stores data in the Enterprise Video Management System on campus.
Currently PCC’s command center has two large wall monitors with multi-image displays as well as two desks that can monitor additional areas on campus.
The 38 cameras being added include 23 Pelco Spectra Pro 20X zoom cameras and 15 Pelco Sarix IME 23X optical zoom cameras. “With 20X zoom, you can see 1,000 feet, and you can read a license plate,” Sierra Group’s Director of Electronic Security and Data Services John Stenmo said. “They are putting in some pretty impressive technology.”
Sierra Group was one of 11 bidders, and was chosen “as the lowest responsive, responsible bidder meeting all requirements of the bid,” according to the board.
