Dubbed the Van Cam, the mobile surveillance system has been deployed to secure parcels in transit, and is about to be rolled out for a fleet of 2,500 vehicles across the UK.
The system, which comprises cameras and a recording system, was intergrated by Unique Integrated Security so that it was capable of verifying and confirming the shipments placed upon and removed from a vehicle, along with a corresponding time and date, and GPS location.
Russell Mannix, head of security and compliance at City Link, said: “We required a solution that would provide protection for delivery drivers through deterrent means. We reasoned that obtaining good quality CCTV images of any offenders in the event of a vehicle being attacked, stolen, or stolen from, would provide us with a very effective solution.”
The Vista solution
The Van Cam comprises IP66 rated, 540TVL colour/mono resolution Vista VLS-CAM cameras on each van’s exterior, and a single Vista VLS-CAM camera covering the internal parcel and cab areas. Recording is via a four-channel VistaSmart Mobile DVR and Transmission System, which permits images to be transmitted via a 3G router for monitoring at City Link’s central control room.
The footage has been used to solve loss and claim issues, as well as theft.
Mannix said: “The systems help us to quickly investigate and resolve any loss or claim issues. In addition to security and theft-deterrent benefits, from a health and safety point of view the ability to retrieve CCTV footage of any road traffic accident, vehicle damage, or employee accident, is invaluable for evidential purposes.
“So far, we have seen losses from vehicles fitted with the new CCTV systems drastically reduced.”