Des Moines Area Community College has around 75,000 students and 3,000 staff spread across six campuses, 48 buildings, and 1.4 million square feet.
During the first phase, the college designed the network infrastructure needed to effectively run the Avigilon Control Center network video management software with High-Definition Stream Management (HDSM) technology. The college installed 45 Avigilon HD cameras ranging from 1MP to 16MP to monitor high traffic areas and parking lots at the Ankeny, Urban, and West campuses, and plans to add another 400 cameras over the next couple of years.
In addition, 25 analogue video encoders are used for existing analogue cameras.
The college stores up to 30 days of continuous surveillance video and monitors the system around-the-clock. The security management team remotely monitors the system from their desktops, laptops, or iPads using Avigilon Control Center Mobile.
Avigilon says that using the advanced management features of its Control Center software, college users can find event details 10 times faster than before. Using the graphic-mapping interface, they can view footage in real time, enhancing the team’s ability to respond quickly and appropriately with up-to-date information.
The college also uses the surveillance system to resolve liability claims and improve campus traffic flow, especially during the first two weeks of school when student parking becomes a real challenge. It is also used to confirm the campus is being properly maintained, particularly during the winter to ensure proper snow removal and salting.
“All American colleges are required to report crime data on an annual basis and while we currently enjoy a low crime rate, we know we are not immune to the threats that have plagued other colleges across the country,” said Ned Miller, director of campus safety and emergency management at the college. “With the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system in place, we can resolve incidents quickly and provide a safe campus environment for students and staff by providing usable, high quality, and accessible surveillance video.”
