With our SCaaS solution (Smart Communities as a Service), community, park, and recreation facility managers can detect and intervene in real-time when a security or vandalism event occurs.
Spring has finally sprung, and after one of the longest years in recent history, people all over the country are looking to get out of the house and spend time outdoors.
Parents of small or school-age children who have been dealing with constant child care and remote learning will be sprinting out of their homes and heading to their local community parks to let their kids expel their pent-up energy.
Public parks are an intrinsic part of urban life and community living. They provide kids and adults with a place to socialize, exercise, play, and connect with the outdoors. Unfortunately, city parks tend to become a hotspot of illicit activities, especially under the cover of night.
Community managers must ensure public safety while maintaining fiscal responsibility. Crimes such as theft, trespassing, and vandalism can harm valuable community assets and prove a heavy financial burden to tight budgets. Additionally, in-person 24/7 security and monitoring can be costly and ineffective, and departments cannot afford to station police officers at city parks as a display of force.
To combat this, cities and governments nationwide have seen incredible value from our SCaaS for Safer Communities Solution.
SCaaS (Safer, Smarter, and Connected Communities) is a comprehensive AI-enabled IoT solution incorporating advanced video analytics, edge video recording and computing, LED lights, and loudspeakers. The solution is deployed through UIGs™ (Universale IoT Gateways) installed on light poles throughout the community.
Additionally, “voice-down” capabilities help stop perpetrators while proactively addressing events.
Along with park monitoring, SCaaS can also be used for several other purposes that address city needs, including:
- Smart Parking - View historical and real-time data in a centralized dashboard to predict parking demand, parking habits, and more.
- Smart Lighting - Remotely controlled smart light management, smart dimming by location-based settings and intelligent energy measurement, significantly reduces power bills and provides the exact levels of lights - where and when needed.
- Bike Trail Monitoring - Track the number of people using the trail and other key data points such as congestion levels by the time of day, etc. All data is accessed in our central DeepInsights™ dashboard.
- Soil Moisture Monitoring - Keep your community looking green! An irrigation controller is linked to the absolute moisture requirements of a site’s vegetation. The next scheduled watering cycle is allowed when the sensor detects dry conditions. The irrigation cycle is suspended if a site’s soil moisture level is above the threshold.
While “always-on” video monitoring could make some citizens uncomfortable with the perceived sacrifice of privacy, EPIC iO SCaaS video cameras enable cities to “mask out” inappropriate views of private areas, such as front yards and windows. EPIC iO also helps publicize best practices governing how surveillance cameras are used in the community and the disciplinary consequences of misuse.
Additionally, city staff is properly trained in using our systems, and a detailed audit log is maintained, reflecting the system's use by all authorized users.
Finally, each of our SCaaS solutions comes with QCode signage that communicates the specifics of the technology and use of data for the community. Permitting community, park, and recreation managers to be transparent with citizens and visitors.
