摘要: |
Previous TCRP reports, notably Electronic Surveillance Technologies on Transit Vehicles (Maier and Malone 2001) and Transit Security Update (Nakanishi 2009), have studied overall security and the use of electronic video surveillance technology in the transit environment. Improving Transit Security (Needle and Cobb 1997) and Guidelines for the Effective Use of Uniformed Transit Police and Security Personnel (Interactive Elements Inc. 1997) considered how transit agencies were using video surveillance as part of their overall security strategies, primarily in conjunction with uniformed patrol by police or security officers. Most of the examples and case studies in earlier reports combined discussions of the use of electronic video surveillance cameras in bus and rail systems and few considered nonsecurity uses of such technology. This synthesis differs from the earlier ones in several ways. It is the first synthesis to document the current use of electronic video surveillance technology solely by passenger rail agencies and to consider the totality of its use, including onboard railcars and along the right-of-way (ROW). The synthesis also describes current administrative policies on monitoring video images either in real time or for post-event analysis; policies on archiving and storing images and access to them by employees, other public agencies (primarily police), and the general public; and funding sources for installing new or upgrading existing video surveillance systems. Results of a survey emailed to passenger rail agencies throughout the United States are used to document important issues, including the following: The percentage of stations, station platforms, or shelters where surveillance is employed and how decisions are made on which locations to cover. The percentage of railcars in which onboard surveillance is employed and how decisions are made on which vehicles to cover. Whether video surveillance is employed along the ROW and, if so, where. The type of video surveillance systems in use and any special features they may utilize. Policies pertaining to monitoring, recording, and archiving images, including chain of custody policies. Purposes other than for crime/vandalism prevention for which surveillance is employed and its perceived effectiveness for those applications. Whether patrons or employees have been surveyed regarding their perceptions of security and, if so, what those perceptions are. Funding sources for installing and/or upgrading electronic video surveillance systems. Existing plans for installing video surveillance systems in new vehicles or stations. Forty-three completed surveys were received from the 58 passenger rail agencies to which questionnaires were sent, a response rate of 73%. Five agencies were selected as case study sites because they reflected a variety of modes, had different security configurations (transit police or reliance on local agencies), and were upgrading their systems to include 2. |