Modernizing an Outdated Surveillance System
HBS and Verkada: Leading the Way in Securing St. Cloud’s Citizens.
St. Cloud in Central Minnesota is a bustling city attracting visitors with a range of exciting attractions, including outdoor activities, shopping, dining, and cultural events. As the region’s largest city with over 68,000 residents, St. Cloud serves as a hub for business, education, and healthcare. While it has a low crime rate compared to other cities of similar size, managing outdated surveillance systems remains a challenge. Therefore, St. Cloud needed a state-of-the-art, scalable, and user-friendly centralized video security solution, which HBS implemented as the vendor of choice for its superior customer experience, competitive pricing, and best-in-class security. As a police commander, Adam Meierding knew that a reliable surveillance system is vital to ensuring community safety.
St. Cloud’s Challenge: Aging Technology and Disparate Surveillance Systems
St. Cloud had nine different security camera solutions, ranging from 10 to 15 years old, with outdated technology. Nine different partners maintained the camera environment with different maintenance contracts, causing downtime when software security patches were released. With 18 sites and failing cameras, the IT department had to run the videos at court. Micah Myers from St. Cloud said, “It’s like the little boy plugging the dam with his finger. We were wasting a lot of man-hours trying to get poor-quality video. We knew that we had to improve it.”
Implementing a Modern and Scalable Solution
After a thorough RFP process, HBS was selected to implement a modern, scalable, and user-friendly centralized video security solution, powered by Verkada. The solution included IP-based video surveillance with all cameras securable and centrally managed, a “Single Pane of Glass” for management, cloud-based storage with the ability to expand and controlled access by department through integration with Active Directory. The police officers access video feeds via a smart phone/CAD system, and all city departments can monitor video footage more efficiently. Revolutionizing St. Cloud’s
Video Security System
HBS proposed Verkada as the solution for St. Cloud, a hybrid cloud-based system featuring lightning-fast footage retrieval, centralized management, live link sharing, and proactive camera status notifications. The solution included 485 cameras purchased, a 10-year licensing subscription, and a 10-year warranty. The solution also included door access, mass notification-single wire/panic buttons/etc., and critical response group. St. Cloud now has a state-of-the-art command center where they can pinpoint security issues and work on them in real-time.
Improved Security and Efficiency
St. Cloud is now more secure and efficient with optimized police patrol in peak zones and times. The Verkada solution provided the ability to easily find and share desired video footage by email or link, saving thousands of hours of time. Eric Schwegel said, “The communication at the stations has been improved immensely with this system…We have been able to notice times and trends in crime/locations to help officers be where they need to be.”
The Results: Better Response Time, Crime Reduced
After installing Verkada, St. Cloud has seen a significant decrease in crime, especially in parking ramps where cameras deter wrongdoers. Verkada enables the police to optimize patrol routes and quickly locate suspects with keyword and facial recognition searches. Officers can access live video feeds via their smartphones and CAD system, heightening their situational awareness and response times.
10-Minute
video retrieval
99.7%
time savings
One
centralized solution
Scalable and Comprehensive Security Solution
HBS delivered a scalable security system that includes door access, mass notification, panic buttons, and critical response group capabilities. This all-inclusive solution gives St. Cloud a cutting-edge security system that can expand as the city grows. The user-friendly interface and advanced features enable quick and efficient response to security incidents. HBS has helped St. Cloud attain enhanced safety and security with its scalable security solution.
Why Verkada?
