Axxon PSIM makes Turin a safer city

Client

Turin is an important business and cultural center in northern Italy, with a population of around 880,000.

Challenges

Like most Italian cities popular among tourists, Turin is quite safe. However, on its over 130 square kilometers territory, there are areas of higher risk where illegal drug trade and criminal conflicts occur. According to LAB24’s annual criminal index report on Italian provinces, Turin occupies 5th place from the top, with 5,600 registered crimes per 100,000 residents annually.

To address these challenges, the municipality of Turin initiated the Safe City project, aiming to enhance city security infrastructure through a video surveillance system. Axxon PSIM, a versatile software platform, was chosen for its flexibility and configurability to meet the specific needs of the customer.

Solution

The Safe City project is being commissioned by the municipality of Turin to create a system of remote centralized monitoring of the situation on the streets of the city and prompt response to undesirable events. To meet the customer needs, system integrator Techno Center SpA proposed a project based on Axxon PSIM, an ultimately flexible software platform that may be configured to include only the necessary functionalities.

Deployment

The project was divided into two stages. The first stage included implementing video surveillance software in critical areas, as specified by the customer.

The second stage involved a business and government partnership where private video surveillance systems (of retail outlets, production facilities, various institutions, and private persons) could be connected to a publicly owned security system.

How the system operates

The Axxon PSIM facilitates comprehensive surveillance and security functions, including:

• Video surveillance software employing visible light and thermal cameras for enhanced monitoring.
• Advanced video analytics for precise object tracking and motion heat mapping.
• Utilization of Face PSIM for robust facial recognition capabilities.
• Integration of Auto PSIM to ensure efficient traffic safety measures.

Servers and storage are located in Milan on a server farm of a telecom services provider. 1,000 cameras and 50 remote workstations are deployed across Turin, with a command center set up at city police headquarters.

To facilitate night-time monitoring, an automatic alarm notification system was introduced including thermal imaging cameras, lighting fixtures and loudspeakers. The system response was configured as follows: if people in the scene are detected by at least two cameras, lights go on, and a voice message is sent out through loudspeakers. Police officers receive a notification via email and in a dedicated mobile app.

Thermal imagers as well help detect areas where potential perpetrators may gather at night. To do this, a motion heat mapping tool is used. Leveraging motion heat mapping technology, akin to its application in retail analytics, these thermal imagers generate heat maps to visualize activity patterns. Predominantly deployed in public parks notorious for drug-related activities, this feature enhances surveillance effectiveness and ensures public safety.

The integrated security solution also includes a facial recognition system with a 1,000 wanted persons database, as well as automatic number plate recognition and automated traffic enforcement systems. ANPR is performed on servers and locally on cameras having such a function.

Results and Benefits

The Axxon PSIM–powered solution not only meets but exceeds the expectations, delivering beyond mere surveillance capabilities. Its implementation has introduced a timely and precise response mechanism, automatically notifying law enforcement agencies of any suspicious or unlawful activities transpiring within the monitored vicinity.

Our partner

Techno Center SpА was founded in 2007 by a group of industry experts with many years of extensive experience in telecommunications. Now the company is an established leader of the Italian information and communications systems market. The company sells custom IT solutions, offering innovative technology to match a customer's needs, consulting and supporting each customer on every stage of a project, from feasibility study to implementation and maintenance.