Photo by Mark Probst, Flickr, Creative commons
After installing Milestone XProtect® video management software, Malmö city has reduced costs by more than 300,000 Euros every year due to less vandalism at the schools. That leaves more funds to be spent on improving school facilities and students’ learning.
The Challenge: Vandalism and the number of arson attacks at schools in Malmö municipality had increased markedly over several years. Especially the arson attacks were a cause of great concern, and fewer teachers and students felt safe at the schools. In total, the municipality had spent 6.5 million euros on repairs after vandalism activities over six years.
The Benefits: After implementing Milestone video management software, the municipality has 300,000 Euros more every year they can spend on meaningful improvements of the schools’ educational needs such as school outings, new computers or other equipment that will help the students’ learning process.
The Solution: Milestone Partner Schneider Electric Buildings designed and implemented an effective solution with Milestone XProtect® Corporate to manage cameras from Axis, Bosch, Pelco and Panasonic. The camera system is managed through the XProtect® Smart Client interface and monitored at a central monitoring station in Malmö for optimal security round the clock.
Schools on fire
Vandalism and the number of arson attacks at schools in Malmö had increased notably over several years. Another problem was shattered glass panes, which left the school open to thieves and left the class rooms cold in the winter time. Breaking glass seemed to have become a sport among some young people.
Due to the increasing number of arson attacks at the schools, students and teachers felt unsafe. Moreover, the many disturbing incidents affected the students’ ability to concentrate leading to a worsened learning environment. The schools found protection difficult and were lacking the tools to identify the perpetrators. Being able to secure the children’s safety at the schools is a key priority for Malmö authorities. They realized that to be able to restore a safe learning environment and bring down cost, something had to be done.
Milestone software keeps students safe
Malmö decided to consult with Schneider Electric Buildings who recommended them to go with a Milestone solution. After installing Milestone video management software, the municipality has been able to increase safety at the local schools and bring down costs due to vandalism, leaving more funds to be spent elsewhere.
Cameras have been installed at schools all over Malmö city. The cameras are monitored at a central monitoring station by experienced personnel which ensures that police, security guards, fire corps or medical aid can be sent to a school at the slightest sign of unusual behavior on the premises.
An important part of countering the widespread vandalism is to be able to arrest the perpetrators immediately when the offense is committed. The clear resolution and sharpness of Milestone’s video display combined with good cameras has made that possible. The Milestone video management system consists of the latest solutions for security and surveillance and the software is specifically designed for the central monitoring station. A special interface allows an operator to get a simple overview of all the cameras in the system. The system can be managed from a single location, and each camera image can easily be enlarged for more precise identification of perpetrators.
To avoid spending resources on false alarms, Schneider Electric have equipped several schools with intelligent systems such as smart analysis of the video image to minimize the number of unwanted false alarms. Milestone video management software is built on an open platform technology which allows integration into other existing systems. That made these key integration possible and has allowed Schneider Electric to design a solution that is perfectly aligned with the needs of Malmo Municipality.
As a result, the security has been heightened at the schools in Malmö municipality and vandalism has diminished significantly. Because of the safer situation, several teachers have noticed an improvement in the school environment and it has become easier for the students to concentrate.
Thanks to the cooperation between Malmö and Schneider Electric, the schools are safer and costs have been reduced. The Milestone technology has proven its worth in a very short time. The schools’ financial results have improved leaving them with more funds to spend on further initiatives for a better school environment and more learning facilities.
