Jacksonville port to install smart video for perimeter security

Jacksonville port to install smart video for perimeter security    The Port of Jacksonville will use an intelligent video surveillance system to help protect its water and land perimeter at three marine terminals as U.S. ports work to meet federal mandates for enhanced security.
   The Jacksonville Port Authority has selected a system from ObjectVideo, the Reston, Va.-based company said. The system allows port security personnel to create virtual perimeters by drawing a tripwire on a computer snapshot of the camera’s view. All objects in a camera’s view are compared by software against preprogrammed rules for detection, such as the direction an object is moving or whether it is a boat, vehicle or person. A small boat loitering next to a ship or a bag left unattended at a cruise ship terminal are the types of object violations that could trigger an alert. Personnel can make instant adjustments in the perimeters to respond to changes in a port’s security level or to address specific threats, according to ObjectVideo.
   The system is designed to send alerts by phone, pager or e-mail. The alerts go directly to mobile laptops in port authority police officer vehicles and visually show what caused the alerts so that police know how to respond.
   Several federal agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, are ObjectVideo customers, according to the company.