The Kia Oval in south London regularly hosts international cricket matches, as well as being the home of Surrey County Cricket Club for the duration of the English domestic season.
Understandably, members of the ground’s management team are determined to maintain its reputation as being a safe and secure environment for visitors and staff alike.
“It’s essential we have a reliable and robust CCTV system operating at the Kia Oval in order to ensure that we comply with the rules and regulations specified by the Local Authority and so that a match day licence can be issued,” said James Wagg of OCS Group UK, the company contracted to provide 24/7 security at the cricket ground.
“The video surveillance system is at the heart of our security operation. It’s an invaluable tool which allows our Control Room operators and the police, who are present on match days, to proactively use live or recorded images in identifying potential problems and deal with them both quickly and efficiently.”
DVRs recording from 50-plus cameras
Four Samsung SRD-1670DC DVRs have been installed to collectively record the video captured by 54 cameras. The latter is a a mixture of PTZ and fixed dome cameras located in and around the famous stadium.
“The Kia Oval’s management has never hesitated to invest in the latest technology when necessary and, in this respect, the recently installed Samsung DVRs replaced recorders which had become outdated,” said Wagg, whose role as on-site FM means that he oversees the in-house maintenance and outsourced cleaning services (also provided by OCS Group UK).
Two of the SRD-1670DCs are installed in the cricket ground’s Control Room and the other two in the Hobbs Gate security office. Each can simultaneously record real-time 4CIF images across from up to 16 of the cameras.
They use Virtual Progressive Scan (VPS) technology which eliminates blurred edges on moving objects. With an HDMI output, they also offer the option to upscale images to 1080P. An intuitive graphical on-screen display makes it easy for operators to set up each channel to record at different frames rates or resolutions.
“Following the introduction of the Samsung DVRs, our Control Room operators are confident that we now have a highly effective video surveillance system which we and the police can use to its full potential,” added Wagg.
“Outside of match days it continues to play a major role in helping security personnel deter and detect anyone tempted to carry out any criminal activity at the cricket ground.”
