Electronic surveillance boosts Sanur's security
Features - February 17, 2006
I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Sanur, Bali
Sudira pushed several buttons on the computer keyboard and the screen flickered for a moment before a grid of nine rectangular images appeared on it. One of the images showed the busiest intersection in the resort village of Sanur. The other four displayed different corners of Sanur beach, a popular tourist spot since the 1930s, while the rest showed the situation in other public places.
"Another grid with nine other images is supposed to appear on that screen," he pointed at another computer terminal that stood in the corner of the tiny room.
"The two screens show real-time images taken by 18 security cameras in various parts of this village," he said.
The tough-looking Sudira is a member of Sanur's Bankamdes (an acronym for the village security support), a community organization tasked with assisting the police in providing security in the resort area. Popularly known as Timsus or special team, it has 35 members, who spend most of their time patrolling -- on foot or by car -- the resort's main roads and back alleys.
With the launch of the Sanur Surveillance System (SSS), Sudira and his colleagues have been trained to be the primary operators of the system's high-tech electronic surveillance network. The tiny rest room at Bankamdes's headquarters has been transformed into a modern control room for the network that for weeks had amazed Sudira. "It is an amazing technology," he said before pushing a button.
The grid disappeared from the screen. Only one image remained. Sudira tipped the mouse and the image gradually got bigger.
"We have four cameras with the ability to zoom and to rotate 360 degrees. All cameras provide clear color images and have powerful night vision capability," he stated.
"The system significantly increases our ability to detect possible security threats and to provide accurate intelligence to our counterparts in the police and other security agencies," Sudira added.
The images from the security camera could also be monitored from a special screen placed at the Sanur Police station. Once a threat is detected, Bankamdes and the local police would coordinate the swiftest and most appropriate response. It is the first of its kind on the island.
The SSS was initiated by Yayasan Pembangunan Sanur (YPS), arguably the most powerful community organization in Sanur. Established in 1965, the foundation is fully supported by the 27 banjar (traditional neighborhood associations) and three customary villages in the area. It acts as the umbrella organization for various community bodies, including Bankamdes and the village bank.
"The terrorist attacks have taught us three important lessons. First, nowadays security is the most important element of the tourism industry. Second, surveillance and detection are vital in preventing future terrorist attacks. Third, security agencies need broader and stronger community participation," the chairman of YPS, IB Sidharta Putra said.
With the assistance provided by Bali Medianet, a local information technology specialist, the YPS designed a comprehensive security system, which would integrate Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) with various security sensors -- from a motion sensor and smoke detector to an explosives detector -- and local security agencies.
"The first phase will cover 18 public spots in Sanur. In the near future, hotels and private establishments and individual homes will be integrated into the SSS," Sidharta said.
The backbone of the system is an expensive network of fiber optic cables provided by Bali Medianet. Some 12 kilometers of fiber optic cables were used in constructing the SSS.
"The construction cost was around Rp 1.5 billion. Bali Medianet generously shouldered a significant portion of the cost," he disclosed.
In return, the YPS granted the company the sole concession rights to operate, maintain and expand a fiber optic-based multimedia service in Sanur.
"The CCTV system uses only a fraction of the cable capacity. Each core of the cable could transmit data up to 20 gigabytes per second. In the future, we could use the same fiber optic network to host a cable television and broadband Internet service," Sumaryo of Bali Medianet said.
The SSS is also supported by the Denpasar municipal administration, which provided a grant of Rp 500 million for the project. The mayor of Denpasar, AA Puspayoga, praised the SSS as a courageous community initiative. "It will serve as a pilot project of community-based security projects. We are looking into ways to establish a similar system in other villages in Denpasar," he said.
"But our priority now is locating a source of funding for purchasing more security cameras for Sanur," he added.
Bali Police chief Inps. Gen. Sunarko DA, who was present at the launch of SSS last week, disclosed that the system would give the local security agencies a critical edge in combating crime and terrorism.
"Lets hope that the island's other tourist resorts will learn from Sanur and duplicate its comprehensive surveillance system." he said.
Sumber berita :
http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20060217.R01
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