BRAMPTON Report · 2014. 6. 20. · That Brampton Taxicab Owners replace their in-camera Taxicab...
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Pl-I Report .„„. BRAMPTON Taxicab Advisory Committee Committee of the Council of brampton.ca FlOWef City The Corporation of the City of Brampton Date: April 2, 2013 Taxicab Advisory Committee File: G25 APR ° 8 2013 Subject: Peel Regional Police Report - Taxicab Camera Downloads Contact: James Bisson, Manager- Licensing Enforcement, Enforcement and By-law Services, Corporate Services Department (905-458-3424 X 63222) Overview: In 2002, Council approved a new Licensing By-law that included the requirement for taxicabs to be equipped with an in-car camera security system. The specifications for those cameras have not been updated since that time. The taxis in Brampton have continued to use the same camera models over this time. The cameras in the Brampton taxis are no longer technically supported by the manufacturers due to the outdated technology. October 1, 2012, Forensic Identification Services, of the Peel Regional Police Service presented a report to the Taxicab Advisory Committee (TAC) regarding the trouble they were having with downloads from the cameras in the Brampton and Mississauga taxicabs and had a number of recommendations for consideration of the Committee to improve the quality of the images downloaded and for the length of time the images were stored in the systems memory before they are overwritten. On October 24, 2012, Council approved a TAC recommendation directing staff to review the recommendations and report back to the Taxicab Advisory Committee regarding the implementation of these recommendations. Enforcement staff support the recommendations outlined in the report from Peel Regional Police and recommend that the taxi industry replace the camera system in their taxis. The taxi industry will require some time to purchase and install the cameras and staff recommend that the taxi industry be given until November 29, 2013 to have the cameras installed.
Transcript of BRAMPTON Report · 2014. 6. 20. · That Brampton Taxicab Owners replace their in-camera Taxicab...
Pl-I
Reportbdquobdquo BRAMPTON Taxicab Advisory Committee Committee of the Council ofbramptonca FlOWef City
The Corporation of the City of Brampton
Date April 2 2013 Taxicab Advisory Committee
File G25 APR deg 8 2013
Subject Peel Regional Police Report - Taxicab Camera Downloads
Contact James Bisson Manager- Licensing Enforcement Enforcement and By-law Services Corporate Services Department (905-458-3424 X 63222)
Overview
In 2002 Council approved a new Licensing By-law that included the requirement for taxicabs to be equipped with an in-car camera security system
The specifications for those cameras have not been updated since that time
The taxis in Brampton have continued to use the same camera models over this time
The cameras in the Brampton taxis are no longer technically supported by the manufacturers due to the outdated technology
October 1 2012 Forensic Identification Services of the Peel Regional Police Service presented a report to the Taxicab Advisory Committee (TAC) regarding the trouble they were having with downloads from the cameras in the Brampton and Mississauga taxicabs and had a number of recommendations for consideration of the Committee to improve the quality of the images downloaded and for the length of time the images were stored in the systems memory before they are overwritten
On October 24 2012 Council approved a TAC recommendation directing staff to review the recommendations and report back to the Taxicab Advisory Committee regarding the implementation of these recommendations
Enforcement staff support the recommendations outlined in the report from Peel Regional Police and recommend that the taxi industry replace the camera system in their taxis
The taxi industry will require some time to purchase and install the cameras and staff recommend that the taxi industry be given until November 29 2013 to have the cameras installed
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Recommendations
1 That the report dated April 2 2013 from James Bisson Manager Licensing Enforcement Enforcement and By-law Services Corporate Services re Peel Regional Police Report- Taxicab Camera Downloads be received
2 That Brampton Taxicab Owners replace their in-camera Taxicab Camera Security System with an upgraded system that meets the new requirements by November 29 2013
Background
In 2002 Council approved a new Licensing By-law that included the requirement for taxicabs to be equipped with an in-car camera security system This requirement was adopted by Council after consideration of many security options available at the time and was prompted by a 2001 murder of a Brampton taxicab Driver
The camera specifications have remained unchanged since the implementation of the requirement to equip the taxis with the cameras and the taxis in Brampton have continued to use the same camera models over this time The cameras in Brampton taxis are no longer technically supported by the manufacturers due to the outdated technology What is more the outdated technology in the cameras requires Enforcement staff and Peel Regional Police Forensic Services staff to use older computers and operating systems to inspect and download images from the camera system
On October 12012 the Taxicab Advisory Committee had a presentation from Inspector David Woodland Officer-in-Charge and Miriam Windmoller Video Analyst Forensic Identification Services of the Peel Regional Police Service They provided the TAC with a report (Appendix 1) regarding the trouble they were having with downloads from the cameras in the Brampton and Mississauga taxicabs and had several recommendations to improve the qualityof the images downloaded and length of time the images were stored in the systems memory Staff were directed to review the recommendations and report back to the Taxicab Advisory Committee regarding the implementation of these recommendations This report will review the recommendations and provide details of the implementation of the recommendations from Peel Regional Police
Current Situation
The report from Peel Regional Police identified several issues they had with the cameras currently installed in taxis in Brampton The concerns included that the
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cameras were outdated had worn-out hardware issues with downloading technical support issues improper installations poor image quality and storage capacity
Enforcement staff support the recommendations outlined in the report from Peel Regional Police and recommend that the taxi industry replace the camera system in their taxis
Enforcement staff have updated the camera specifications (Appendix 2) that will meet the requirements that the Peel Regional Police Forensic Identification Services have identified in their report The new specifications require 8GB industrial grade memory which is the more commonly used memory size at this time and is capable of storing images up to 15 days before being overwritten
The situation of a manufacturer no longer supporting a camera product could happen again in this changing market and staff believe that unsupported cameras need to be replaced with a new camera that is supported
The cost of replacing a camera system would be approximately $1000-$1200 The new camera systems are upgradeable and last up to 10 years There are two major companies manufacturing the taxi camera systems VerifEye Technologies Inc and 247 Security Inc Both companies are based in the Greater Toronto Area The two companies provide support to the municipalities and police services for the inspections on the systems as well as offering assistance in trouble-shooting download or inspection issues
The new camera specifications identify installation requirements that should ensure quality installation of the equipment along with a consistent location for the download cables
The taxi industry will require some time to purchase and install the cameras and staff recommend that the taxi industry be given till November 29 2013 to have the cameras installed
Conclusion
Peel Regional Police Forensic Identification Services have identified in a report to the Taxicab Advisory Committee that the cameras in the Brampton taxicabs are outdated and are failing to produce usable downloads for investigations They have identified inconsistent installations of the cameras along with a lack of technical support As a result they have made recommendations that the cameras be updated with more effective cameras and have consistent installations with technical support from the manufacturers
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Taxicab Owners will be required to replace the Taxicab Camera Security System with an upgraded system that meets the new requirements by November 29 2013
Moving forward if a manufacturer stops supporting any camera that camera will no longer meet the Camera Specifications and will need to be removed and replaced with a camera system that has support
Original signed by Original signed by
jL
Dave Wilson Peter Simmons
Director of Enforcement and By-law Services Commissioner of Corporate Services
Appendices
1 Peel Regional Police Report- Taxicab Camera Downloads
2 New Camera Specifications
Report authored by James Bisson Manager- Licensing Enforcement Enforcement and By-law Services Corporate Services Department
EI-5
APPENDIX 1
A l PEEL REGIONAL
POLICE -
TAXI CAMERA
PROGRAM
REPORT
A review of the Taxi-Cab Camera Program in the Region of Peel in relation to image extraction for police investigations with a view to improving in-car camera recording systems Amendments to the by-law governing this program will be recommended to expedite the image download process and
enhance driver safety
Forensic Identification Services - Peel Regional Police
1292013
El-fc
BACKGROUND
The Taxi Cab surveillance systems were first introduced by the City of Brampton in 2002 They have since been made mandatory across die entire Region with Mississauga coming on board in 2005 Overall the systems have proven themselves to be an invaluable investigative tool We have had a number of cases where suspects have been arrested shortly after committing cab robberies due to the excellent quality of the images extracted the timely download of images from the cab and the expertise offered by FIS personnel Officers have indicated that the images are very helpful in their investigations and images extracted have been accepted by the courts as photographic evidence The in-car camera program is very worthwhile and should continue to be supported by Peel Regional Police However the original By-Law which first introduced the camera systems into cabs has not been updated or amended since originally written The majority of cabs within the Region are still using their original surveillance systems which are beginning to fail in increasing numbers Without an amendment to the existing by-law that requires cab owners to upgrade their systemswe are likelyto see these numbers rise This posesnot only a danger to the safety and well being of the cab drivers but also raises issues of liability for Peel Regional Police and the Cities of Brampton and Mississauga
The following is a chart indicating the number of downloads performed by Forensic Identification Services personnel
ft Cab Downloads - bullbullgt bullbull-bullbullshy
bull Verifeye - ^rew]e^kLbull-i^i Slaquo - -bull
v-y^^ bullbull ^Unsuccessful 1-Downloads
1
2002 2 3 5 i
2003 4 8 12 2
2004 10 8 18 10
2005 10 6 16 7
2006 32 18 51 11
2007 21 7 28 6
2008 36 12 48 16
2009 26 13 39 7
2010 40 12 52 14
2011 33 8 41 13
2012 (to April12) 9 2 11 9
321 96Total
Arevised log sheet introduced in October 2010 trackscab related equipmenttechnical problems as the reason for the unsuccessful download
Since the programs inception in 2002 almost thirty percent of all cabs brought into FIS for download were unsuccessful Since January l51 of this year the number of cabs failing to download images is over eighty percent
pound1-)
The failure rate can be attributed to a combination of the following factors
bull Outdated SoftwareWorn Out Hardware bull Lack ofTechnical Support bull Improper Installation ofSystemsIrregular maintenance bull Inability of City Inspectors to check if the recording system is functioning properly bull Insufficient image storage Images are quickly overwritten bull Single Camera System Vs Dual Camera Systems
Outdated Software Worn Out Hardware
The majority of the cab surveillance systems currently operating in our Region are original systems installed when the by-law was first introduced On average these camera systems are seven to ten years old Given their age it is no surprise they are starting to fail more regularly There are two city approved systems in existence that met the original specifications - Silent WitnessFareview and Verifeye Silent Witness is no longer manufactured sold or supported The lack of vendor support for this older system has created major problems when attempting to download images Valuable evidence continues to be lost as the Silent Witness systems fail and are not repaired or replaced The other system VerifEye has released numerous software upgrades studier hardware better cameras and improved image storage capacity However cab owners are not upgradingto newer versions of Verifeye It is unlikely that owners will volunteer to incur the costs necessary to purchase the upgrade without achange in the by-law
Downloading Issues Technical Support
FIS personnel performing image downloads from cabs are increasingly encountering problems connecting with the image storage systems locating the images requested and successfully downloading them Some of the technical issues include
bull The proprietaryviewer software on the dedicated laptop cannot locate the hardware (CRU) andor Flash Card where the images are stored
bull Images are displayed as black screens bull The SilentWitness system has never allowedus to do a partial archive of images as the time
and date stamp is invariably incorrect so a full archive is always required which can take several hours depending on how many images arestored on the system
bull The images appear to be downloading but the system will not allow the export image function to be activated due to malfunctioning hardware
In the case of the VerifEye System we have received excellent support to date However Verifeye have recently announced that they will no longer support theiroriginal Mark III systemwhichmay pose problems whentrying to access images from cabs that continue to usethis outdated software
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Imnroner Installation
The installation of the taxi camerasystems is inconsistent from one vehicle to another Theway the systems are designed to work is such that when the cab doors are opened the interior dome light is activated and the camera system is triggered to begin capturing and saving images Occasionally the cab drivers disconnect the dome light and unknowingly deactivate the camera system This situation is only discovered and remedied if the cab requires an image download or during a city inspectionof the system We have alsoencountered a number of improperly installed systems that are only triggered by meter activation and not by the required door triggers Hence no images were captured in a Peelcase that involved suspects stealinga cab and driving it around the Region before abandoning the vehicle
Another issue is the increasing number of taxi cabs that appear to have second hand systems installed by non approved facilities as a cost saving measure More often than not these systems were not functioning correctly in the first place have not been repaired and give a false sense of security to the taxi driver who believes images are being recorded
Image OualitvNumber of Images
When the cabcamerasystemsare functioning as designed the downloaded images are very useful in an investigation The technology continues to Improve and the newer updated systems produce more images of a higher quality
Depending on the size of the compact flash card purchased (for SilentWitness) or the hard drive installed (Verifeye) both systems need to savesignificantly more images FIS personneloften find that systems have overwritten the relevant images by the time the cab attends forensic identification services for the download
Thenewer updates forVerifEye save more images and In fact have a video component in the latest versions Several cabs attended FIS recently that have the original Verifeye system installed and retain a mere 512 imagesThe incidents that are of interest to the police are often longoverwritten - one busyshift in the caboverwrites the entiredrive Alot ofthe drivers are under the impression that the cabs save images for up to three months They are frustrated and disappointed to learn that the images have been so quicklyand easilyerased
Single Camera vs Dual Head Camera OptionsBroken Cameras
The majority of cabs within the region are still using a single camera system Dual head cameras are now available and greatly improve the quality of the images obtained The wider view allows better visuals of the driver front passenger and second row seats They dont have the distortion that is often observed in single camera systems or the fishbowl effect so often observed in downloaded images Inminivan cabs dual cameras are a necessity inorder to cover thesecond and third row of passengers
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Peel recently had a case where the camera appeared to be operating but upon further inspection revealed that it was not in fact capturing any images This discovery could only be determined AFTER the download was complete which took approximately four hours This was time consuming and frustrating for the person performing the download and stressful for the driver who lost significant income as a result of trying to assist the police
Time Consuming Downloads
The now out-of-date Silent Witness System takes an inordinate amount oftime to download images The date and time display is ALWAYS out of sync with the actual date and time Many cabs will display dates that are inaccurate by years As a result when trying to search and retrieve images a full rather than partial archive must be done This means that thousands of images are downloaded over several hours This is an inefficient use of our FIS resources as well as a source of contention
with cab drivers
The VerifEye system will adjust the date and time to reflect the real date and time so it makes locating images much quicker Downloads are still time consuming on the older version of the software but are amazingly fast on the newer versions reducing download times to less than thirty minutes
RECOMMENDATIONS
1 Technical specifications in the by-law related to approved camera and recording devices should be updated Key areas for enhancement include
bull The ability to capture and store high quality images (with a minimum resolution standard) for at least 24 hours of norma) cab operation
bull Two head camera systems should be mandatory bull Triggers that activate the camera and recording system should be standardized including
opening ofany car door and the activation ofthe fare system (with or without interior dome light activation)
bull Demonstrated capacity by approved vendors to offer prompt service and support for their equipment to cab owners cab drivers and Peel Regional Police
2 The equipment installation process would benefit from being tightly regulated through the establishment ofapproved installation sites All installations should be undertaken by an approved site Such sites should be audited annually to ensure the quality of the installation is consistent with the manufacturers specifications
bull Cameras and recording devices should be located in the same area in each vehicle regardless of the manufacturer or type ofsystem
3 Annual inspectionsof recordingsystems by the city should allowCity Inspectors to determine if the camera and recording system are working as per the manufacturers specifications If a system is found to be inoperable procedure should allow for prompt repair A requirement to install all major software updates as they become available from the manufacturer should be part of the annual inspection process
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4 Sufficient penalties should be included fornon-compliance
SUMMARY
Retrieving evidence from taxi cab camera systems is becoming increasingly difficult and inconsistent Due to age poor maintenance and installation procedures videosurveillance systems are failing in increasing numbers These failures are putting cab drivers andthe general public at risk
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BASIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1 AColour CCD Dual Camera system that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the taxi so that the driver and front seat passenger are visible as well as all occupants of the rear passenger seat This request for the wide angle and narrow angle view is in direct response to incidents where the activity in the front of the taxi was critical in determining what events had transpired within the vehicle
2 High resolution camera that has sufficientilluminationto produce highquality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition Acolour CCD Camera option would prove invaluable in identifyingclothing of individuals under investigation If it can be demonstrated that the colour camera also allows for high quality images during night recording it would be the preferred option The camera must also be vendor approved for their particular product so that off the shelf cameras are not installed as an alternative
3 All digitalimagesmust be stored insequence until automaticallyoverwritten Ifa panic button system is included those images must be stored in a partitioned area of the drive or flash card to prevent deletion Witha larger storage driveflash cardperhaps more images can be saved in this mode
4 Minimal compression of the saved data to increase the possibility ofobtaining fine details in the image that will assist in identifyingpersons or property
5 Memory no less than 16 GB Industrial Grade memoryflash card would mean more images can be saved by the systems for longer periods of time Images being overwritten in a short period of time (sometimes as little as 48 hours) has been an ongoing problem for investigators and valuable evidence has been lost
6 Recording unit that is sealed to protect against environmental conditions damage and shock Unit must be tamper proof to prevent unauthorized access A connection must be available in and around the glove compartment of the vehicle to allow easy access and download of images by authorized personnel from Peel RegionalPoliceand the City Inspectors office City Inspectors must be able to check the camera and recording device when performing annual inspection of the taxi cab
7 Minimum of 10 to 15 days of image storage
8 Minimal frame rate of no less than 4 frames per second
9 Information attached to each image should include an accurate date time type of trigger serial number of the recording unit and taxi plate number
10 File Format
If images are stored in a proprietary format software must be provided by the vendor to authorized personnel to extract high quality images for best original evidence
If images are not stored in a proprietary format they must be stored in a high quality format (bitmap tiff or high resolution jpeg) The Forensic Unit at PRP would like the
6 HI
opportunityto examine the images presented byvendorsas recorded by their systems to determine if the quality meets the standard required for identifying possible suspects andor property
11 Image triggers need to be consistent in every taxi
12 Reliable system indicator that alerts the cabownerdriver as wellas the city inspector and forensic police personnel if the system is functioningor not Recent cab examinations have shown that some of the indicators are faultyand on one occasion appeared to be simply a light box with no connection at ail to the in-car camera system
13 Guaranteed vendor technical support beyond regular business hours for troubleshooting any issues that mayarise during a downloadof imagesdue to hardware or software malfunctions Training materials provided by vendor to assist in educating Peel Regional Police Forensic personneland City Inspectorsin proper download techniques for their software
14 Demonstrations of technologyby vendor would be appreciated to show that their systems meet the specifications - images are easilyextracted image quality is highespeciallyfrom night recordings
15 Vendorapproved installers in eachcitywouldmeanthere is consistencyin installation of the camerasystems as wellas proper maintenance follow up and accountability There have been a number of instances of improperly installed systems that have led to the loss of valuable evidence in police investigations
Prepared Bv Miriam Windmoller
Video Analyst Forensic Identification Services
Peel Regional Police
January 29 2013
El-Ci APPENDIX 2
Specifications for Digital Taxi Cameras
Operational Specifications
The specifications outlined below are the minimum standard required to comply with the City of Brampton Policy
- The approved system must be 100 solid state design and operational between 8 and 15 volts DC and be protected against reverse voltage short circuits and high voltage transients likely to be encountered in the vehicle electrical system
- The system shall not interfere with any other systems on board the taxi and shall itself not be effected in any way by any sources of interference likely encountered on the taxi
- The system shall have a back up system to preserve images in the event of loss of power - The system shall be equipped with industrial grade flash memory - Battery back-up will not be permitted
Storage Capacity
- The camera must be capable of recording and storing a minimum of 15 days of image storage and must record images at a resolution of at least 720 x 576 pixels
- Minimum Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage of no less than 8 GB - A warranty of 5 years (or greater) on the Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage shall be
provided
Camera Head
- The camera must be a two lens design that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the vehicle The wide angle lens must provide a view of the driver and front passengers seat and the narrow angle lens a view that captures the rest of the passenger seating area
- The camera must be capable of recording in colour - The camera must be equipped with infrared lighting source and operate automatically and in
conjunction with image capture for day and night use to produce high quality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition
- The camera and all system components shall be installed in a manner that does not interfere with the drivers vision or view of mirrors or otherwise normal operation of the vehicle
- The camera head shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The camera must be able to produce clear pictures
- NOTE Vehicles equipped with a shield must be equipped with a 2 (two) camera system One camera shall be located in the approved location as set out above and the second camera shall be situated such that the lens is against the shield so to produce a clear image of the passengers in the rear seat
Page 1
APPENDIX 2pound1-14
Storage Device
(Recorder)
- All stored images must be time and date stamped including a vehicle identification number (Plate or car number)
- Each recorded image shall be automatically stamped with a unique and non-modifiable code that identifies the controller that was used to record the image each image shall also display the image number and the total number of images in that clip (eg image 3 of 256 etc)
- The image storage unit shall be concealed from view and effectively inaccessible except by authorized personnel
- The recorder shall be impact resistant sufficient to withstand a typical car accident or striking with a large heavy object such as a suitcase
- The image storage unit shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The recorder shall be equipped with a communication port for downloading by authorized personnel This port shall be located in the glove compartment of the vehicle situated so as not to be accidentally damaged during regular taxicab business
- The recorder shall be able to support secure download speeds that will allow an 8GB memory card (with 15 days of images) to be downloaded in less than 15 minutes
Public Notices
- The system shall have no microphone or audio recording capabilities - Decals must be installed on the right and left rear windows of the vehicle to advise
passengers that a digital camera system is in operation The decals must be printed with a double-sided message for interior and exterior visibility
- The decals will read This vehicle is fitted with camera security YOU WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED
Poor Meter Activation
- The recorder shall activate when any door is opened and upon meter activation with a minimum of 1 (one) image being recorded every second for the 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after the door opening (ie a total of 20 images for the wide angle camera and 20 images for the narrow angle camera) The recorder shall capture additional images recording at a rate of 1 (one) image every 10 seconds until superseded by a higher priority trigger or until the recorder enters the sleep mode The recorder shall reset if a door is opened prior to completing any cycle
Manual Activation
- The driverowner shall have no control of the imaging system except for the emergency activation button
Page 2
EMS APPENDIX 2
Emergency Activation
- An emergency activation button will lock into memory a minimum of 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens prior to the activation and 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens after the activation (for a total of 1200 images) The unit must be capable of recording storing and locking in all emergency activation images for 3 events with a minimum of 1200 images per event (600 images per camera lens) These images shall be stored for a minimum 72 hours before they can be recorded over
Downloading
- AH stored images shall be secured in a way to prevent unauthorized access - Provisions shall be made by all approved manufacturers to provide a means of downloading
images using the camera imagerecorder unit removed from the vehicle The use of a docking station and power converter must be supplied with the software
- Stored images must be protected to prevent unauthorized access or download - It shall be possible to determine if the image has been manipulated in any way This may be
done by using signature encryption
System Information
- The unit manufacturer shall have a service log shipped with the unit and will be marked with the serial number and provision for the installer to indicate the installation date The manufacturer shall also enclose detailed instructions for the driversowners with each unit shipped An installation manual shall also be furnished to authorized installers and fleet operators
- The system shall be provided with clear and concise operation instructions which are written with due consideration to varying levels of literacy
Test Centre Inspections
- The driver shall have an indicator showing when the system is operational and when there is a malfunction These indicators shall be mountedinstalled for the drivers vision only and not to be visible by a front or rear seat passenger(s) The indication system shall incorporate the following minimum features
a) normal displaysystem operational - green b) valid image capture - flashing green c) emergency activation memory full - alternating redgreen flashes d) system malfunction - red flashing continuous until fault cleared
- Where a system is fitted with an indicator to show that the system is on this indicator shall be separate to those listed above or of a different colour to avoid any possible confusion on the part of the driver using the system
- The system shall be designed and installed such that the system may be easily tested by the License Issuer or designate to ensure that all features are operating and that images are recorded as prescribed
- The camera vendors shall provide free of charge Inspection Software that will allow the License Issuer to confirm that all triggers are working and that the camera is correctly aimed
Page3
ei-i(o APPENDIX 2
The unit shall have a test port located in the vehicle glove compartment that will allow the License Issuer to connect a laptop with Inspection Software
General
- The system shall provide reliable and full functionality in all operational and environmental conditions encountered in the operation of taxis
- It shall be possible to change timing and parameters without the requirement to change components
- The recording system shall be configured such that recording of images will automatically commence re-recordings once the image capacity has been reached The oldest images shall be overwritten first
Revised Feb 27 2013
Page4
e-r
Recommendations
1 That the report dated April 2 2013 from James Bisson Manager Licensing Enforcement Enforcement and By-law Services Corporate Services re Peel Regional Police Report- Taxicab Camera Downloads be received
2 That Brampton Taxicab Owners replace their in-camera Taxicab Camera Security System with an upgraded system that meets the new requirements by November 29 2013
Background
In 2002 Council approved a new Licensing By-law that included the requirement for taxicabs to be equipped with an in-car camera security system This requirement was adopted by Council after consideration of many security options available at the time and was prompted by a 2001 murder of a Brampton taxicab Driver
The camera specifications have remained unchanged since the implementation of the requirement to equip the taxis with the cameras and the taxis in Brampton have continued to use the same camera models over this time The cameras in Brampton taxis are no longer technically supported by the manufacturers due to the outdated technology What is more the outdated technology in the cameras requires Enforcement staff and Peel Regional Police Forensic Services staff to use older computers and operating systems to inspect and download images from the camera system
On October 12012 the Taxicab Advisory Committee had a presentation from Inspector David Woodland Officer-in-Charge and Miriam Windmoller Video Analyst Forensic Identification Services of the Peel Regional Police Service They provided the TAC with a report (Appendix 1) regarding the trouble they were having with downloads from the cameras in the Brampton and Mississauga taxicabs and had several recommendations to improve the qualityof the images downloaded and length of time the images were stored in the systems memory Staff were directed to review the recommendations and report back to the Taxicab Advisory Committee regarding the implementation of these recommendations This report will review the recommendations and provide details of the implementation of the recommendations from Peel Regional Police
Current Situation
The report from Peel Regional Police identified several issues they had with the cameras currently installed in taxis in Brampton The concerns included that the
ei-l
cameras were outdated had worn-out hardware issues with downloading technical support issues improper installations poor image quality and storage capacity
Enforcement staff support the recommendations outlined in the report from Peel Regional Police and recommend that the taxi industry replace the camera system in their taxis
Enforcement staff have updated the camera specifications (Appendix 2) that will meet the requirements that the Peel Regional Police Forensic Identification Services have identified in their report The new specifications require 8GB industrial grade memory which is the more commonly used memory size at this time and is capable of storing images up to 15 days before being overwritten
The situation of a manufacturer no longer supporting a camera product could happen again in this changing market and staff believe that unsupported cameras need to be replaced with a new camera that is supported
The cost of replacing a camera system would be approximately $1000-$1200 The new camera systems are upgradeable and last up to 10 years There are two major companies manufacturing the taxi camera systems VerifEye Technologies Inc and 247 Security Inc Both companies are based in the Greater Toronto Area The two companies provide support to the municipalities and police services for the inspections on the systems as well as offering assistance in trouble-shooting download or inspection issues
The new camera specifications identify installation requirements that should ensure quality installation of the equipment along with a consistent location for the download cables
The taxi industry will require some time to purchase and install the cameras and staff recommend that the taxi industry be given till November 29 2013 to have the cameras installed
Conclusion
Peel Regional Police Forensic Identification Services have identified in a report to the Taxicab Advisory Committee that the cameras in the Brampton taxicabs are outdated and are failing to produce usable downloads for investigations They have identified inconsistent installations of the cameras along with a lack of technical support As a result they have made recommendations that the cameras be updated with more effective cameras and have consistent installations with technical support from the manufacturers
ei-M-
Taxicab Owners will be required to replace the Taxicab Camera Security System with an upgraded system that meets the new requirements by November 29 2013
Moving forward if a manufacturer stops supporting any camera that camera will no longer meet the Camera Specifications and will need to be removed and replaced with a camera system that has support
Original signed by Original signed by
jL
Dave Wilson Peter Simmons
Director of Enforcement and By-law Services Commissioner of Corporate Services
Appendices
1 Peel Regional Police Report- Taxicab Camera Downloads
2 New Camera Specifications
Report authored by James Bisson Manager- Licensing Enforcement Enforcement and By-law Services Corporate Services Department
EI-5
APPENDIX 1
A l PEEL REGIONAL
POLICE -
TAXI CAMERA
PROGRAM
REPORT
A review of the Taxi-Cab Camera Program in the Region of Peel in relation to image extraction for police investigations with a view to improving in-car camera recording systems Amendments to the by-law governing this program will be recommended to expedite the image download process and
enhance driver safety
Forensic Identification Services - Peel Regional Police
1292013
El-fc
BACKGROUND
The Taxi Cab surveillance systems were first introduced by the City of Brampton in 2002 They have since been made mandatory across die entire Region with Mississauga coming on board in 2005 Overall the systems have proven themselves to be an invaluable investigative tool We have had a number of cases where suspects have been arrested shortly after committing cab robberies due to the excellent quality of the images extracted the timely download of images from the cab and the expertise offered by FIS personnel Officers have indicated that the images are very helpful in their investigations and images extracted have been accepted by the courts as photographic evidence The in-car camera program is very worthwhile and should continue to be supported by Peel Regional Police However the original By-Law which first introduced the camera systems into cabs has not been updated or amended since originally written The majority of cabs within the Region are still using their original surveillance systems which are beginning to fail in increasing numbers Without an amendment to the existing by-law that requires cab owners to upgrade their systemswe are likelyto see these numbers rise This posesnot only a danger to the safety and well being of the cab drivers but also raises issues of liability for Peel Regional Police and the Cities of Brampton and Mississauga
The following is a chart indicating the number of downloads performed by Forensic Identification Services personnel
ft Cab Downloads - bullbullgt bullbull-bullbullshy
bull Verifeye - ^rew]e^kLbull-i^i Slaquo - -bull
v-y^^ bullbull ^Unsuccessful 1-Downloads
1
2002 2 3 5 i
2003 4 8 12 2
2004 10 8 18 10
2005 10 6 16 7
2006 32 18 51 11
2007 21 7 28 6
2008 36 12 48 16
2009 26 13 39 7
2010 40 12 52 14
2011 33 8 41 13
2012 (to April12) 9 2 11 9
321 96Total
Arevised log sheet introduced in October 2010 trackscab related equipmenttechnical problems as the reason for the unsuccessful download
Since the programs inception in 2002 almost thirty percent of all cabs brought into FIS for download were unsuccessful Since January l51 of this year the number of cabs failing to download images is over eighty percent
pound1-)
The failure rate can be attributed to a combination of the following factors
bull Outdated SoftwareWorn Out Hardware bull Lack ofTechnical Support bull Improper Installation ofSystemsIrregular maintenance bull Inability of City Inspectors to check if the recording system is functioning properly bull Insufficient image storage Images are quickly overwritten bull Single Camera System Vs Dual Camera Systems
Outdated Software Worn Out Hardware
The majority of the cab surveillance systems currently operating in our Region are original systems installed when the by-law was first introduced On average these camera systems are seven to ten years old Given their age it is no surprise they are starting to fail more regularly There are two city approved systems in existence that met the original specifications - Silent WitnessFareview and Verifeye Silent Witness is no longer manufactured sold or supported The lack of vendor support for this older system has created major problems when attempting to download images Valuable evidence continues to be lost as the Silent Witness systems fail and are not repaired or replaced The other system VerifEye has released numerous software upgrades studier hardware better cameras and improved image storage capacity However cab owners are not upgradingto newer versions of Verifeye It is unlikely that owners will volunteer to incur the costs necessary to purchase the upgrade without achange in the by-law
Downloading Issues Technical Support
FIS personnel performing image downloads from cabs are increasingly encountering problems connecting with the image storage systems locating the images requested and successfully downloading them Some of the technical issues include
bull The proprietaryviewer software on the dedicated laptop cannot locate the hardware (CRU) andor Flash Card where the images are stored
bull Images are displayed as black screens bull The SilentWitness system has never allowedus to do a partial archive of images as the time
and date stamp is invariably incorrect so a full archive is always required which can take several hours depending on how many images arestored on the system
bull The images appear to be downloading but the system will not allow the export image function to be activated due to malfunctioning hardware
In the case of the VerifEye System we have received excellent support to date However Verifeye have recently announced that they will no longer support theiroriginal Mark III systemwhichmay pose problems whentrying to access images from cabs that continue to usethis outdated software
ei-
Imnroner Installation
The installation of the taxi camerasystems is inconsistent from one vehicle to another Theway the systems are designed to work is such that when the cab doors are opened the interior dome light is activated and the camera system is triggered to begin capturing and saving images Occasionally the cab drivers disconnect the dome light and unknowingly deactivate the camera system This situation is only discovered and remedied if the cab requires an image download or during a city inspectionof the system We have alsoencountered a number of improperly installed systems that are only triggered by meter activation and not by the required door triggers Hence no images were captured in a Peelcase that involved suspects stealinga cab and driving it around the Region before abandoning the vehicle
Another issue is the increasing number of taxi cabs that appear to have second hand systems installed by non approved facilities as a cost saving measure More often than not these systems were not functioning correctly in the first place have not been repaired and give a false sense of security to the taxi driver who believes images are being recorded
Image OualitvNumber of Images
When the cabcamerasystemsare functioning as designed the downloaded images are very useful in an investigation The technology continues to Improve and the newer updated systems produce more images of a higher quality
Depending on the size of the compact flash card purchased (for SilentWitness) or the hard drive installed (Verifeye) both systems need to savesignificantly more images FIS personneloften find that systems have overwritten the relevant images by the time the cab attends forensic identification services for the download
Thenewer updates forVerifEye save more images and In fact have a video component in the latest versions Several cabs attended FIS recently that have the original Verifeye system installed and retain a mere 512 imagesThe incidents that are of interest to the police are often longoverwritten - one busyshift in the caboverwrites the entiredrive Alot ofthe drivers are under the impression that the cabs save images for up to three months They are frustrated and disappointed to learn that the images have been so quicklyand easilyerased
Single Camera vs Dual Head Camera OptionsBroken Cameras
The majority of cabs within the region are still using a single camera system Dual head cameras are now available and greatly improve the quality of the images obtained The wider view allows better visuals of the driver front passenger and second row seats They dont have the distortion that is often observed in single camera systems or the fishbowl effect so often observed in downloaded images Inminivan cabs dual cameras are a necessity inorder to cover thesecond and third row of passengers
ei-9
Peel recently had a case where the camera appeared to be operating but upon further inspection revealed that it was not in fact capturing any images This discovery could only be determined AFTER the download was complete which took approximately four hours This was time consuming and frustrating for the person performing the download and stressful for the driver who lost significant income as a result of trying to assist the police
Time Consuming Downloads
The now out-of-date Silent Witness System takes an inordinate amount oftime to download images The date and time display is ALWAYS out of sync with the actual date and time Many cabs will display dates that are inaccurate by years As a result when trying to search and retrieve images a full rather than partial archive must be done This means that thousands of images are downloaded over several hours This is an inefficient use of our FIS resources as well as a source of contention
with cab drivers
The VerifEye system will adjust the date and time to reflect the real date and time so it makes locating images much quicker Downloads are still time consuming on the older version of the software but are amazingly fast on the newer versions reducing download times to less than thirty minutes
RECOMMENDATIONS
1 Technical specifications in the by-law related to approved camera and recording devices should be updated Key areas for enhancement include
bull The ability to capture and store high quality images (with a minimum resolution standard) for at least 24 hours of norma) cab operation
bull Two head camera systems should be mandatory bull Triggers that activate the camera and recording system should be standardized including
opening ofany car door and the activation ofthe fare system (with or without interior dome light activation)
bull Demonstrated capacity by approved vendors to offer prompt service and support for their equipment to cab owners cab drivers and Peel Regional Police
2 The equipment installation process would benefit from being tightly regulated through the establishment ofapproved installation sites All installations should be undertaken by an approved site Such sites should be audited annually to ensure the quality of the installation is consistent with the manufacturers specifications
bull Cameras and recording devices should be located in the same area in each vehicle regardless of the manufacturer or type ofsystem
3 Annual inspectionsof recordingsystems by the city should allowCity Inspectors to determine if the camera and recording system are working as per the manufacturers specifications If a system is found to be inoperable procedure should allow for prompt repair A requirement to install all major software updates as they become available from the manufacturer should be part of the annual inspection process
ei-io
4 Sufficient penalties should be included fornon-compliance
SUMMARY
Retrieving evidence from taxi cab camera systems is becoming increasingly difficult and inconsistent Due to age poor maintenance and installation procedures videosurveillance systems are failing in increasing numbers These failures are putting cab drivers andthe general public at risk
e-l-ll
BASIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1 AColour CCD Dual Camera system that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the taxi so that the driver and front seat passenger are visible as well as all occupants of the rear passenger seat This request for the wide angle and narrow angle view is in direct response to incidents where the activity in the front of the taxi was critical in determining what events had transpired within the vehicle
2 High resolution camera that has sufficientilluminationto produce highquality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition Acolour CCD Camera option would prove invaluable in identifyingclothing of individuals under investigation If it can be demonstrated that the colour camera also allows for high quality images during night recording it would be the preferred option The camera must also be vendor approved for their particular product so that off the shelf cameras are not installed as an alternative
3 All digitalimagesmust be stored insequence until automaticallyoverwritten Ifa panic button system is included those images must be stored in a partitioned area of the drive or flash card to prevent deletion Witha larger storage driveflash cardperhaps more images can be saved in this mode
4 Minimal compression of the saved data to increase the possibility ofobtaining fine details in the image that will assist in identifyingpersons or property
5 Memory no less than 16 GB Industrial Grade memoryflash card would mean more images can be saved by the systems for longer periods of time Images being overwritten in a short period of time (sometimes as little as 48 hours) has been an ongoing problem for investigators and valuable evidence has been lost
6 Recording unit that is sealed to protect against environmental conditions damage and shock Unit must be tamper proof to prevent unauthorized access A connection must be available in and around the glove compartment of the vehicle to allow easy access and download of images by authorized personnel from Peel RegionalPoliceand the City Inspectors office City Inspectors must be able to check the camera and recording device when performing annual inspection of the taxi cab
7 Minimum of 10 to 15 days of image storage
8 Minimal frame rate of no less than 4 frames per second
9 Information attached to each image should include an accurate date time type of trigger serial number of the recording unit and taxi plate number
10 File Format
If images are stored in a proprietary format software must be provided by the vendor to authorized personnel to extract high quality images for best original evidence
If images are not stored in a proprietary format they must be stored in a high quality format (bitmap tiff or high resolution jpeg) The Forensic Unit at PRP would like the
6 HI
opportunityto examine the images presented byvendorsas recorded by their systems to determine if the quality meets the standard required for identifying possible suspects andor property
11 Image triggers need to be consistent in every taxi
12 Reliable system indicator that alerts the cabownerdriver as wellas the city inspector and forensic police personnel if the system is functioningor not Recent cab examinations have shown that some of the indicators are faultyand on one occasion appeared to be simply a light box with no connection at ail to the in-car camera system
13 Guaranteed vendor technical support beyond regular business hours for troubleshooting any issues that mayarise during a downloadof imagesdue to hardware or software malfunctions Training materials provided by vendor to assist in educating Peel Regional Police Forensic personneland City Inspectorsin proper download techniques for their software
14 Demonstrations of technologyby vendor would be appreciated to show that their systems meet the specifications - images are easilyextracted image quality is highespeciallyfrom night recordings
15 Vendorapproved installers in eachcitywouldmeanthere is consistencyin installation of the camerasystems as wellas proper maintenance follow up and accountability There have been a number of instances of improperly installed systems that have led to the loss of valuable evidence in police investigations
Prepared Bv Miriam Windmoller
Video Analyst Forensic Identification Services
Peel Regional Police
January 29 2013
El-Ci APPENDIX 2
Specifications for Digital Taxi Cameras
Operational Specifications
The specifications outlined below are the minimum standard required to comply with the City of Brampton Policy
- The approved system must be 100 solid state design and operational between 8 and 15 volts DC and be protected against reverse voltage short circuits and high voltage transients likely to be encountered in the vehicle electrical system
- The system shall not interfere with any other systems on board the taxi and shall itself not be effected in any way by any sources of interference likely encountered on the taxi
- The system shall have a back up system to preserve images in the event of loss of power - The system shall be equipped with industrial grade flash memory - Battery back-up will not be permitted
Storage Capacity
- The camera must be capable of recording and storing a minimum of 15 days of image storage and must record images at a resolution of at least 720 x 576 pixels
- Minimum Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage of no less than 8 GB - A warranty of 5 years (or greater) on the Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage shall be
provided
Camera Head
- The camera must be a two lens design that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the vehicle The wide angle lens must provide a view of the driver and front passengers seat and the narrow angle lens a view that captures the rest of the passenger seating area
- The camera must be capable of recording in colour - The camera must be equipped with infrared lighting source and operate automatically and in
conjunction with image capture for day and night use to produce high quality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition
- The camera and all system components shall be installed in a manner that does not interfere with the drivers vision or view of mirrors or otherwise normal operation of the vehicle
- The camera head shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The camera must be able to produce clear pictures
- NOTE Vehicles equipped with a shield must be equipped with a 2 (two) camera system One camera shall be located in the approved location as set out above and the second camera shall be situated such that the lens is against the shield so to produce a clear image of the passengers in the rear seat
Page 1
APPENDIX 2pound1-14
Storage Device
(Recorder)
- All stored images must be time and date stamped including a vehicle identification number (Plate or car number)
- Each recorded image shall be automatically stamped with a unique and non-modifiable code that identifies the controller that was used to record the image each image shall also display the image number and the total number of images in that clip (eg image 3 of 256 etc)
- The image storage unit shall be concealed from view and effectively inaccessible except by authorized personnel
- The recorder shall be impact resistant sufficient to withstand a typical car accident or striking with a large heavy object such as a suitcase
- The image storage unit shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The recorder shall be equipped with a communication port for downloading by authorized personnel This port shall be located in the glove compartment of the vehicle situated so as not to be accidentally damaged during regular taxicab business
- The recorder shall be able to support secure download speeds that will allow an 8GB memory card (with 15 days of images) to be downloaded in less than 15 minutes
Public Notices
- The system shall have no microphone or audio recording capabilities - Decals must be installed on the right and left rear windows of the vehicle to advise
passengers that a digital camera system is in operation The decals must be printed with a double-sided message for interior and exterior visibility
- The decals will read This vehicle is fitted with camera security YOU WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED
Poor Meter Activation
- The recorder shall activate when any door is opened and upon meter activation with a minimum of 1 (one) image being recorded every second for the 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after the door opening (ie a total of 20 images for the wide angle camera and 20 images for the narrow angle camera) The recorder shall capture additional images recording at a rate of 1 (one) image every 10 seconds until superseded by a higher priority trigger or until the recorder enters the sleep mode The recorder shall reset if a door is opened prior to completing any cycle
Manual Activation
- The driverowner shall have no control of the imaging system except for the emergency activation button
Page 2
EMS APPENDIX 2
Emergency Activation
- An emergency activation button will lock into memory a minimum of 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens prior to the activation and 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens after the activation (for a total of 1200 images) The unit must be capable of recording storing and locking in all emergency activation images for 3 events with a minimum of 1200 images per event (600 images per camera lens) These images shall be stored for a minimum 72 hours before they can be recorded over
Downloading
- AH stored images shall be secured in a way to prevent unauthorized access - Provisions shall be made by all approved manufacturers to provide a means of downloading
images using the camera imagerecorder unit removed from the vehicle The use of a docking station and power converter must be supplied with the software
- Stored images must be protected to prevent unauthorized access or download - It shall be possible to determine if the image has been manipulated in any way This may be
done by using signature encryption
System Information
- The unit manufacturer shall have a service log shipped with the unit and will be marked with the serial number and provision for the installer to indicate the installation date The manufacturer shall also enclose detailed instructions for the driversowners with each unit shipped An installation manual shall also be furnished to authorized installers and fleet operators
- The system shall be provided with clear and concise operation instructions which are written with due consideration to varying levels of literacy
Test Centre Inspections
- The driver shall have an indicator showing when the system is operational and when there is a malfunction These indicators shall be mountedinstalled for the drivers vision only and not to be visible by a front or rear seat passenger(s) The indication system shall incorporate the following minimum features
a) normal displaysystem operational - green b) valid image capture - flashing green c) emergency activation memory full - alternating redgreen flashes d) system malfunction - red flashing continuous until fault cleared
- Where a system is fitted with an indicator to show that the system is on this indicator shall be separate to those listed above or of a different colour to avoid any possible confusion on the part of the driver using the system
- The system shall be designed and installed such that the system may be easily tested by the License Issuer or designate to ensure that all features are operating and that images are recorded as prescribed
- The camera vendors shall provide free of charge Inspection Software that will allow the License Issuer to confirm that all triggers are working and that the camera is correctly aimed
Page3
ei-i(o APPENDIX 2
The unit shall have a test port located in the vehicle glove compartment that will allow the License Issuer to connect a laptop with Inspection Software
General
- The system shall provide reliable and full functionality in all operational and environmental conditions encountered in the operation of taxis
- It shall be possible to change timing and parameters without the requirement to change components
- The recording system shall be configured such that recording of images will automatically commence re-recordings once the image capacity has been reached The oldest images shall be overwritten first
Revised Feb 27 2013
Page4
ei-l
cameras were outdated had worn-out hardware issues with downloading technical support issues improper installations poor image quality and storage capacity
Enforcement staff support the recommendations outlined in the report from Peel Regional Police and recommend that the taxi industry replace the camera system in their taxis
Enforcement staff have updated the camera specifications (Appendix 2) that will meet the requirements that the Peel Regional Police Forensic Identification Services have identified in their report The new specifications require 8GB industrial grade memory which is the more commonly used memory size at this time and is capable of storing images up to 15 days before being overwritten
The situation of a manufacturer no longer supporting a camera product could happen again in this changing market and staff believe that unsupported cameras need to be replaced with a new camera that is supported
The cost of replacing a camera system would be approximately $1000-$1200 The new camera systems are upgradeable and last up to 10 years There are two major companies manufacturing the taxi camera systems VerifEye Technologies Inc and 247 Security Inc Both companies are based in the Greater Toronto Area The two companies provide support to the municipalities and police services for the inspections on the systems as well as offering assistance in trouble-shooting download or inspection issues
The new camera specifications identify installation requirements that should ensure quality installation of the equipment along with a consistent location for the download cables
The taxi industry will require some time to purchase and install the cameras and staff recommend that the taxi industry be given till November 29 2013 to have the cameras installed
Conclusion
Peel Regional Police Forensic Identification Services have identified in a report to the Taxicab Advisory Committee that the cameras in the Brampton taxicabs are outdated and are failing to produce usable downloads for investigations They have identified inconsistent installations of the cameras along with a lack of technical support As a result they have made recommendations that the cameras be updated with more effective cameras and have consistent installations with technical support from the manufacturers
ei-M-
Taxicab Owners will be required to replace the Taxicab Camera Security System with an upgraded system that meets the new requirements by November 29 2013
Moving forward if a manufacturer stops supporting any camera that camera will no longer meet the Camera Specifications and will need to be removed and replaced with a camera system that has support
Original signed by Original signed by
jL
Dave Wilson Peter Simmons
Director of Enforcement and By-law Services Commissioner of Corporate Services
Appendices
1 Peel Regional Police Report- Taxicab Camera Downloads
2 New Camera Specifications
Report authored by James Bisson Manager- Licensing Enforcement Enforcement and By-law Services Corporate Services Department
EI-5
APPENDIX 1
A l PEEL REGIONAL
POLICE -
TAXI CAMERA
PROGRAM
REPORT
A review of the Taxi-Cab Camera Program in the Region of Peel in relation to image extraction for police investigations with a view to improving in-car camera recording systems Amendments to the by-law governing this program will be recommended to expedite the image download process and
enhance driver safety
Forensic Identification Services - Peel Regional Police
1292013
El-fc
BACKGROUND
The Taxi Cab surveillance systems were first introduced by the City of Brampton in 2002 They have since been made mandatory across die entire Region with Mississauga coming on board in 2005 Overall the systems have proven themselves to be an invaluable investigative tool We have had a number of cases where suspects have been arrested shortly after committing cab robberies due to the excellent quality of the images extracted the timely download of images from the cab and the expertise offered by FIS personnel Officers have indicated that the images are very helpful in their investigations and images extracted have been accepted by the courts as photographic evidence The in-car camera program is very worthwhile and should continue to be supported by Peel Regional Police However the original By-Law which first introduced the camera systems into cabs has not been updated or amended since originally written The majority of cabs within the Region are still using their original surveillance systems which are beginning to fail in increasing numbers Without an amendment to the existing by-law that requires cab owners to upgrade their systemswe are likelyto see these numbers rise This posesnot only a danger to the safety and well being of the cab drivers but also raises issues of liability for Peel Regional Police and the Cities of Brampton and Mississauga
The following is a chart indicating the number of downloads performed by Forensic Identification Services personnel
ft Cab Downloads - bullbullgt bullbull-bullbullshy
bull Verifeye - ^rew]e^kLbull-i^i Slaquo - -bull
v-y^^ bullbull ^Unsuccessful 1-Downloads
1
2002 2 3 5 i
2003 4 8 12 2
2004 10 8 18 10
2005 10 6 16 7
2006 32 18 51 11
2007 21 7 28 6
2008 36 12 48 16
2009 26 13 39 7
2010 40 12 52 14
2011 33 8 41 13
2012 (to April12) 9 2 11 9
321 96Total
Arevised log sheet introduced in October 2010 trackscab related equipmenttechnical problems as the reason for the unsuccessful download
Since the programs inception in 2002 almost thirty percent of all cabs brought into FIS for download were unsuccessful Since January l51 of this year the number of cabs failing to download images is over eighty percent
pound1-)
The failure rate can be attributed to a combination of the following factors
bull Outdated SoftwareWorn Out Hardware bull Lack ofTechnical Support bull Improper Installation ofSystemsIrregular maintenance bull Inability of City Inspectors to check if the recording system is functioning properly bull Insufficient image storage Images are quickly overwritten bull Single Camera System Vs Dual Camera Systems
Outdated Software Worn Out Hardware
The majority of the cab surveillance systems currently operating in our Region are original systems installed when the by-law was first introduced On average these camera systems are seven to ten years old Given their age it is no surprise they are starting to fail more regularly There are two city approved systems in existence that met the original specifications - Silent WitnessFareview and Verifeye Silent Witness is no longer manufactured sold or supported The lack of vendor support for this older system has created major problems when attempting to download images Valuable evidence continues to be lost as the Silent Witness systems fail and are not repaired or replaced The other system VerifEye has released numerous software upgrades studier hardware better cameras and improved image storage capacity However cab owners are not upgradingto newer versions of Verifeye It is unlikely that owners will volunteer to incur the costs necessary to purchase the upgrade without achange in the by-law
Downloading Issues Technical Support
FIS personnel performing image downloads from cabs are increasingly encountering problems connecting with the image storage systems locating the images requested and successfully downloading them Some of the technical issues include
bull The proprietaryviewer software on the dedicated laptop cannot locate the hardware (CRU) andor Flash Card where the images are stored
bull Images are displayed as black screens bull The SilentWitness system has never allowedus to do a partial archive of images as the time
and date stamp is invariably incorrect so a full archive is always required which can take several hours depending on how many images arestored on the system
bull The images appear to be downloading but the system will not allow the export image function to be activated due to malfunctioning hardware
In the case of the VerifEye System we have received excellent support to date However Verifeye have recently announced that they will no longer support theiroriginal Mark III systemwhichmay pose problems whentrying to access images from cabs that continue to usethis outdated software
ei-
Imnroner Installation
The installation of the taxi camerasystems is inconsistent from one vehicle to another Theway the systems are designed to work is such that when the cab doors are opened the interior dome light is activated and the camera system is triggered to begin capturing and saving images Occasionally the cab drivers disconnect the dome light and unknowingly deactivate the camera system This situation is only discovered and remedied if the cab requires an image download or during a city inspectionof the system We have alsoencountered a number of improperly installed systems that are only triggered by meter activation and not by the required door triggers Hence no images were captured in a Peelcase that involved suspects stealinga cab and driving it around the Region before abandoning the vehicle
Another issue is the increasing number of taxi cabs that appear to have second hand systems installed by non approved facilities as a cost saving measure More often than not these systems were not functioning correctly in the first place have not been repaired and give a false sense of security to the taxi driver who believes images are being recorded
Image OualitvNumber of Images
When the cabcamerasystemsare functioning as designed the downloaded images are very useful in an investigation The technology continues to Improve and the newer updated systems produce more images of a higher quality
Depending on the size of the compact flash card purchased (for SilentWitness) or the hard drive installed (Verifeye) both systems need to savesignificantly more images FIS personneloften find that systems have overwritten the relevant images by the time the cab attends forensic identification services for the download
Thenewer updates forVerifEye save more images and In fact have a video component in the latest versions Several cabs attended FIS recently that have the original Verifeye system installed and retain a mere 512 imagesThe incidents that are of interest to the police are often longoverwritten - one busyshift in the caboverwrites the entiredrive Alot ofthe drivers are under the impression that the cabs save images for up to three months They are frustrated and disappointed to learn that the images have been so quicklyand easilyerased
Single Camera vs Dual Head Camera OptionsBroken Cameras
The majority of cabs within the region are still using a single camera system Dual head cameras are now available and greatly improve the quality of the images obtained The wider view allows better visuals of the driver front passenger and second row seats They dont have the distortion that is often observed in single camera systems or the fishbowl effect so often observed in downloaded images Inminivan cabs dual cameras are a necessity inorder to cover thesecond and third row of passengers
ei-9
Peel recently had a case where the camera appeared to be operating but upon further inspection revealed that it was not in fact capturing any images This discovery could only be determined AFTER the download was complete which took approximately four hours This was time consuming and frustrating for the person performing the download and stressful for the driver who lost significant income as a result of trying to assist the police
Time Consuming Downloads
The now out-of-date Silent Witness System takes an inordinate amount oftime to download images The date and time display is ALWAYS out of sync with the actual date and time Many cabs will display dates that are inaccurate by years As a result when trying to search and retrieve images a full rather than partial archive must be done This means that thousands of images are downloaded over several hours This is an inefficient use of our FIS resources as well as a source of contention
with cab drivers
The VerifEye system will adjust the date and time to reflect the real date and time so it makes locating images much quicker Downloads are still time consuming on the older version of the software but are amazingly fast on the newer versions reducing download times to less than thirty minutes
RECOMMENDATIONS
1 Technical specifications in the by-law related to approved camera and recording devices should be updated Key areas for enhancement include
bull The ability to capture and store high quality images (with a minimum resolution standard) for at least 24 hours of norma) cab operation
bull Two head camera systems should be mandatory bull Triggers that activate the camera and recording system should be standardized including
opening ofany car door and the activation ofthe fare system (with or without interior dome light activation)
bull Demonstrated capacity by approved vendors to offer prompt service and support for their equipment to cab owners cab drivers and Peel Regional Police
2 The equipment installation process would benefit from being tightly regulated through the establishment ofapproved installation sites All installations should be undertaken by an approved site Such sites should be audited annually to ensure the quality of the installation is consistent with the manufacturers specifications
bull Cameras and recording devices should be located in the same area in each vehicle regardless of the manufacturer or type ofsystem
3 Annual inspectionsof recordingsystems by the city should allowCity Inspectors to determine if the camera and recording system are working as per the manufacturers specifications If a system is found to be inoperable procedure should allow for prompt repair A requirement to install all major software updates as they become available from the manufacturer should be part of the annual inspection process
ei-io
4 Sufficient penalties should be included fornon-compliance
SUMMARY
Retrieving evidence from taxi cab camera systems is becoming increasingly difficult and inconsistent Due to age poor maintenance and installation procedures videosurveillance systems are failing in increasing numbers These failures are putting cab drivers andthe general public at risk
e-l-ll
BASIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1 AColour CCD Dual Camera system that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the taxi so that the driver and front seat passenger are visible as well as all occupants of the rear passenger seat This request for the wide angle and narrow angle view is in direct response to incidents where the activity in the front of the taxi was critical in determining what events had transpired within the vehicle
2 High resolution camera that has sufficientilluminationto produce highquality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition Acolour CCD Camera option would prove invaluable in identifyingclothing of individuals under investigation If it can be demonstrated that the colour camera also allows for high quality images during night recording it would be the preferred option The camera must also be vendor approved for their particular product so that off the shelf cameras are not installed as an alternative
3 All digitalimagesmust be stored insequence until automaticallyoverwritten Ifa panic button system is included those images must be stored in a partitioned area of the drive or flash card to prevent deletion Witha larger storage driveflash cardperhaps more images can be saved in this mode
4 Minimal compression of the saved data to increase the possibility ofobtaining fine details in the image that will assist in identifyingpersons or property
5 Memory no less than 16 GB Industrial Grade memoryflash card would mean more images can be saved by the systems for longer periods of time Images being overwritten in a short period of time (sometimes as little as 48 hours) has been an ongoing problem for investigators and valuable evidence has been lost
6 Recording unit that is sealed to protect against environmental conditions damage and shock Unit must be tamper proof to prevent unauthorized access A connection must be available in and around the glove compartment of the vehicle to allow easy access and download of images by authorized personnel from Peel RegionalPoliceand the City Inspectors office City Inspectors must be able to check the camera and recording device when performing annual inspection of the taxi cab
7 Minimum of 10 to 15 days of image storage
8 Minimal frame rate of no less than 4 frames per second
9 Information attached to each image should include an accurate date time type of trigger serial number of the recording unit and taxi plate number
10 File Format
If images are stored in a proprietary format software must be provided by the vendor to authorized personnel to extract high quality images for best original evidence
If images are not stored in a proprietary format they must be stored in a high quality format (bitmap tiff or high resolution jpeg) The Forensic Unit at PRP would like the
6 HI
opportunityto examine the images presented byvendorsas recorded by their systems to determine if the quality meets the standard required for identifying possible suspects andor property
11 Image triggers need to be consistent in every taxi
12 Reliable system indicator that alerts the cabownerdriver as wellas the city inspector and forensic police personnel if the system is functioningor not Recent cab examinations have shown that some of the indicators are faultyand on one occasion appeared to be simply a light box with no connection at ail to the in-car camera system
13 Guaranteed vendor technical support beyond regular business hours for troubleshooting any issues that mayarise during a downloadof imagesdue to hardware or software malfunctions Training materials provided by vendor to assist in educating Peel Regional Police Forensic personneland City Inspectorsin proper download techniques for their software
14 Demonstrations of technologyby vendor would be appreciated to show that their systems meet the specifications - images are easilyextracted image quality is highespeciallyfrom night recordings
15 Vendorapproved installers in eachcitywouldmeanthere is consistencyin installation of the camerasystems as wellas proper maintenance follow up and accountability There have been a number of instances of improperly installed systems that have led to the loss of valuable evidence in police investigations
Prepared Bv Miriam Windmoller
Video Analyst Forensic Identification Services
Peel Regional Police
January 29 2013
El-Ci APPENDIX 2
Specifications for Digital Taxi Cameras
Operational Specifications
The specifications outlined below are the minimum standard required to comply with the City of Brampton Policy
- The approved system must be 100 solid state design and operational between 8 and 15 volts DC and be protected against reverse voltage short circuits and high voltage transients likely to be encountered in the vehicle electrical system
- The system shall not interfere with any other systems on board the taxi and shall itself not be effected in any way by any sources of interference likely encountered on the taxi
- The system shall have a back up system to preserve images in the event of loss of power - The system shall be equipped with industrial grade flash memory - Battery back-up will not be permitted
Storage Capacity
- The camera must be capable of recording and storing a minimum of 15 days of image storage and must record images at a resolution of at least 720 x 576 pixels
- Minimum Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage of no less than 8 GB - A warranty of 5 years (or greater) on the Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage shall be
provided
Camera Head
- The camera must be a two lens design that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the vehicle The wide angle lens must provide a view of the driver and front passengers seat and the narrow angle lens a view that captures the rest of the passenger seating area
- The camera must be capable of recording in colour - The camera must be equipped with infrared lighting source and operate automatically and in
conjunction with image capture for day and night use to produce high quality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition
- The camera and all system components shall be installed in a manner that does not interfere with the drivers vision or view of mirrors or otherwise normal operation of the vehicle
- The camera head shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The camera must be able to produce clear pictures
- NOTE Vehicles equipped with a shield must be equipped with a 2 (two) camera system One camera shall be located in the approved location as set out above and the second camera shall be situated such that the lens is against the shield so to produce a clear image of the passengers in the rear seat
Page 1
APPENDIX 2pound1-14
Storage Device
(Recorder)
- All stored images must be time and date stamped including a vehicle identification number (Plate or car number)
- Each recorded image shall be automatically stamped with a unique and non-modifiable code that identifies the controller that was used to record the image each image shall also display the image number and the total number of images in that clip (eg image 3 of 256 etc)
- The image storage unit shall be concealed from view and effectively inaccessible except by authorized personnel
- The recorder shall be impact resistant sufficient to withstand a typical car accident or striking with a large heavy object such as a suitcase
- The image storage unit shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The recorder shall be equipped with a communication port for downloading by authorized personnel This port shall be located in the glove compartment of the vehicle situated so as not to be accidentally damaged during regular taxicab business
- The recorder shall be able to support secure download speeds that will allow an 8GB memory card (with 15 days of images) to be downloaded in less than 15 minutes
Public Notices
- The system shall have no microphone or audio recording capabilities - Decals must be installed on the right and left rear windows of the vehicle to advise
passengers that a digital camera system is in operation The decals must be printed with a double-sided message for interior and exterior visibility
- The decals will read This vehicle is fitted with camera security YOU WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED
Poor Meter Activation
- The recorder shall activate when any door is opened and upon meter activation with a minimum of 1 (one) image being recorded every second for the 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after the door opening (ie a total of 20 images for the wide angle camera and 20 images for the narrow angle camera) The recorder shall capture additional images recording at a rate of 1 (one) image every 10 seconds until superseded by a higher priority trigger or until the recorder enters the sleep mode The recorder shall reset if a door is opened prior to completing any cycle
Manual Activation
- The driverowner shall have no control of the imaging system except for the emergency activation button
Page 2
EMS APPENDIX 2
Emergency Activation
- An emergency activation button will lock into memory a minimum of 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens prior to the activation and 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens after the activation (for a total of 1200 images) The unit must be capable of recording storing and locking in all emergency activation images for 3 events with a minimum of 1200 images per event (600 images per camera lens) These images shall be stored for a minimum 72 hours before they can be recorded over
Downloading
- AH stored images shall be secured in a way to prevent unauthorized access - Provisions shall be made by all approved manufacturers to provide a means of downloading
images using the camera imagerecorder unit removed from the vehicle The use of a docking station and power converter must be supplied with the software
- Stored images must be protected to prevent unauthorized access or download - It shall be possible to determine if the image has been manipulated in any way This may be
done by using signature encryption
System Information
- The unit manufacturer shall have a service log shipped with the unit and will be marked with the serial number and provision for the installer to indicate the installation date The manufacturer shall also enclose detailed instructions for the driversowners with each unit shipped An installation manual shall also be furnished to authorized installers and fleet operators
- The system shall be provided with clear and concise operation instructions which are written with due consideration to varying levels of literacy
Test Centre Inspections
- The driver shall have an indicator showing when the system is operational and when there is a malfunction These indicators shall be mountedinstalled for the drivers vision only and not to be visible by a front or rear seat passenger(s) The indication system shall incorporate the following minimum features
a) normal displaysystem operational - green b) valid image capture - flashing green c) emergency activation memory full - alternating redgreen flashes d) system malfunction - red flashing continuous until fault cleared
- Where a system is fitted with an indicator to show that the system is on this indicator shall be separate to those listed above or of a different colour to avoid any possible confusion on the part of the driver using the system
- The system shall be designed and installed such that the system may be easily tested by the License Issuer or designate to ensure that all features are operating and that images are recorded as prescribed
- The camera vendors shall provide free of charge Inspection Software that will allow the License Issuer to confirm that all triggers are working and that the camera is correctly aimed
Page3
ei-i(o APPENDIX 2
The unit shall have a test port located in the vehicle glove compartment that will allow the License Issuer to connect a laptop with Inspection Software
General
- The system shall provide reliable and full functionality in all operational and environmental conditions encountered in the operation of taxis
- It shall be possible to change timing and parameters without the requirement to change components
- The recording system shall be configured such that recording of images will automatically commence re-recordings once the image capacity has been reached The oldest images shall be overwritten first
Revised Feb 27 2013
Page4
ei-M-
Taxicab Owners will be required to replace the Taxicab Camera Security System with an upgraded system that meets the new requirements by November 29 2013
Moving forward if a manufacturer stops supporting any camera that camera will no longer meet the Camera Specifications and will need to be removed and replaced with a camera system that has support
Original signed by Original signed by
jL
Dave Wilson Peter Simmons
Director of Enforcement and By-law Services Commissioner of Corporate Services
Appendices
1 Peel Regional Police Report- Taxicab Camera Downloads
2 New Camera Specifications
Report authored by James Bisson Manager- Licensing Enforcement Enforcement and By-law Services Corporate Services Department
EI-5
APPENDIX 1
A l PEEL REGIONAL
POLICE -
TAXI CAMERA
PROGRAM
REPORT
A review of the Taxi-Cab Camera Program in the Region of Peel in relation to image extraction for police investigations with a view to improving in-car camera recording systems Amendments to the by-law governing this program will be recommended to expedite the image download process and
enhance driver safety
Forensic Identification Services - Peel Regional Police
1292013
El-fc
BACKGROUND
The Taxi Cab surveillance systems were first introduced by the City of Brampton in 2002 They have since been made mandatory across die entire Region with Mississauga coming on board in 2005 Overall the systems have proven themselves to be an invaluable investigative tool We have had a number of cases where suspects have been arrested shortly after committing cab robberies due to the excellent quality of the images extracted the timely download of images from the cab and the expertise offered by FIS personnel Officers have indicated that the images are very helpful in their investigations and images extracted have been accepted by the courts as photographic evidence The in-car camera program is very worthwhile and should continue to be supported by Peel Regional Police However the original By-Law which first introduced the camera systems into cabs has not been updated or amended since originally written The majority of cabs within the Region are still using their original surveillance systems which are beginning to fail in increasing numbers Without an amendment to the existing by-law that requires cab owners to upgrade their systemswe are likelyto see these numbers rise This posesnot only a danger to the safety and well being of the cab drivers but also raises issues of liability for Peel Regional Police and the Cities of Brampton and Mississauga
The following is a chart indicating the number of downloads performed by Forensic Identification Services personnel
ft Cab Downloads - bullbullgt bullbull-bullbullshy
bull Verifeye - ^rew]e^kLbull-i^i Slaquo - -bull
v-y^^ bullbull ^Unsuccessful 1-Downloads
1
2002 2 3 5 i
2003 4 8 12 2
2004 10 8 18 10
2005 10 6 16 7
2006 32 18 51 11
2007 21 7 28 6
2008 36 12 48 16
2009 26 13 39 7
2010 40 12 52 14
2011 33 8 41 13
2012 (to April12) 9 2 11 9
321 96Total
Arevised log sheet introduced in October 2010 trackscab related equipmenttechnical problems as the reason for the unsuccessful download
Since the programs inception in 2002 almost thirty percent of all cabs brought into FIS for download were unsuccessful Since January l51 of this year the number of cabs failing to download images is over eighty percent
pound1-)
The failure rate can be attributed to a combination of the following factors
bull Outdated SoftwareWorn Out Hardware bull Lack ofTechnical Support bull Improper Installation ofSystemsIrregular maintenance bull Inability of City Inspectors to check if the recording system is functioning properly bull Insufficient image storage Images are quickly overwritten bull Single Camera System Vs Dual Camera Systems
Outdated Software Worn Out Hardware
The majority of the cab surveillance systems currently operating in our Region are original systems installed when the by-law was first introduced On average these camera systems are seven to ten years old Given their age it is no surprise they are starting to fail more regularly There are two city approved systems in existence that met the original specifications - Silent WitnessFareview and Verifeye Silent Witness is no longer manufactured sold or supported The lack of vendor support for this older system has created major problems when attempting to download images Valuable evidence continues to be lost as the Silent Witness systems fail and are not repaired or replaced The other system VerifEye has released numerous software upgrades studier hardware better cameras and improved image storage capacity However cab owners are not upgradingto newer versions of Verifeye It is unlikely that owners will volunteer to incur the costs necessary to purchase the upgrade without achange in the by-law
Downloading Issues Technical Support
FIS personnel performing image downloads from cabs are increasingly encountering problems connecting with the image storage systems locating the images requested and successfully downloading them Some of the technical issues include
bull The proprietaryviewer software on the dedicated laptop cannot locate the hardware (CRU) andor Flash Card where the images are stored
bull Images are displayed as black screens bull The SilentWitness system has never allowedus to do a partial archive of images as the time
and date stamp is invariably incorrect so a full archive is always required which can take several hours depending on how many images arestored on the system
bull The images appear to be downloading but the system will not allow the export image function to be activated due to malfunctioning hardware
In the case of the VerifEye System we have received excellent support to date However Verifeye have recently announced that they will no longer support theiroriginal Mark III systemwhichmay pose problems whentrying to access images from cabs that continue to usethis outdated software
ei-
Imnroner Installation
The installation of the taxi camerasystems is inconsistent from one vehicle to another Theway the systems are designed to work is such that when the cab doors are opened the interior dome light is activated and the camera system is triggered to begin capturing and saving images Occasionally the cab drivers disconnect the dome light and unknowingly deactivate the camera system This situation is only discovered and remedied if the cab requires an image download or during a city inspectionof the system We have alsoencountered a number of improperly installed systems that are only triggered by meter activation and not by the required door triggers Hence no images were captured in a Peelcase that involved suspects stealinga cab and driving it around the Region before abandoning the vehicle
Another issue is the increasing number of taxi cabs that appear to have second hand systems installed by non approved facilities as a cost saving measure More often than not these systems were not functioning correctly in the first place have not been repaired and give a false sense of security to the taxi driver who believes images are being recorded
Image OualitvNumber of Images
When the cabcamerasystemsare functioning as designed the downloaded images are very useful in an investigation The technology continues to Improve and the newer updated systems produce more images of a higher quality
Depending on the size of the compact flash card purchased (for SilentWitness) or the hard drive installed (Verifeye) both systems need to savesignificantly more images FIS personneloften find that systems have overwritten the relevant images by the time the cab attends forensic identification services for the download
Thenewer updates forVerifEye save more images and In fact have a video component in the latest versions Several cabs attended FIS recently that have the original Verifeye system installed and retain a mere 512 imagesThe incidents that are of interest to the police are often longoverwritten - one busyshift in the caboverwrites the entiredrive Alot ofthe drivers are under the impression that the cabs save images for up to three months They are frustrated and disappointed to learn that the images have been so quicklyand easilyerased
Single Camera vs Dual Head Camera OptionsBroken Cameras
The majority of cabs within the region are still using a single camera system Dual head cameras are now available and greatly improve the quality of the images obtained The wider view allows better visuals of the driver front passenger and second row seats They dont have the distortion that is often observed in single camera systems or the fishbowl effect so often observed in downloaded images Inminivan cabs dual cameras are a necessity inorder to cover thesecond and third row of passengers
ei-9
Peel recently had a case where the camera appeared to be operating but upon further inspection revealed that it was not in fact capturing any images This discovery could only be determined AFTER the download was complete which took approximately four hours This was time consuming and frustrating for the person performing the download and stressful for the driver who lost significant income as a result of trying to assist the police
Time Consuming Downloads
The now out-of-date Silent Witness System takes an inordinate amount oftime to download images The date and time display is ALWAYS out of sync with the actual date and time Many cabs will display dates that are inaccurate by years As a result when trying to search and retrieve images a full rather than partial archive must be done This means that thousands of images are downloaded over several hours This is an inefficient use of our FIS resources as well as a source of contention
with cab drivers
The VerifEye system will adjust the date and time to reflect the real date and time so it makes locating images much quicker Downloads are still time consuming on the older version of the software but are amazingly fast on the newer versions reducing download times to less than thirty minutes
RECOMMENDATIONS
1 Technical specifications in the by-law related to approved camera and recording devices should be updated Key areas for enhancement include
bull The ability to capture and store high quality images (with a minimum resolution standard) for at least 24 hours of norma) cab operation
bull Two head camera systems should be mandatory bull Triggers that activate the camera and recording system should be standardized including
opening ofany car door and the activation ofthe fare system (with or without interior dome light activation)
bull Demonstrated capacity by approved vendors to offer prompt service and support for their equipment to cab owners cab drivers and Peel Regional Police
2 The equipment installation process would benefit from being tightly regulated through the establishment ofapproved installation sites All installations should be undertaken by an approved site Such sites should be audited annually to ensure the quality of the installation is consistent with the manufacturers specifications
bull Cameras and recording devices should be located in the same area in each vehicle regardless of the manufacturer or type ofsystem
3 Annual inspectionsof recordingsystems by the city should allowCity Inspectors to determine if the camera and recording system are working as per the manufacturers specifications If a system is found to be inoperable procedure should allow for prompt repair A requirement to install all major software updates as they become available from the manufacturer should be part of the annual inspection process
ei-io
4 Sufficient penalties should be included fornon-compliance
SUMMARY
Retrieving evidence from taxi cab camera systems is becoming increasingly difficult and inconsistent Due to age poor maintenance and installation procedures videosurveillance systems are failing in increasing numbers These failures are putting cab drivers andthe general public at risk
e-l-ll
BASIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1 AColour CCD Dual Camera system that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the taxi so that the driver and front seat passenger are visible as well as all occupants of the rear passenger seat This request for the wide angle and narrow angle view is in direct response to incidents where the activity in the front of the taxi was critical in determining what events had transpired within the vehicle
2 High resolution camera that has sufficientilluminationto produce highquality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition Acolour CCD Camera option would prove invaluable in identifyingclothing of individuals under investigation If it can be demonstrated that the colour camera also allows for high quality images during night recording it would be the preferred option The camera must also be vendor approved for their particular product so that off the shelf cameras are not installed as an alternative
3 All digitalimagesmust be stored insequence until automaticallyoverwritten Ifa panic button system is included those images must be stored in a partitioned area of the drive or flash card to prevent deletion Witha larger storage driveflash cardperhaps more images can be saved in this mode
4 Minimal compression of the saved data to increase the possibility ofobtaining fine details in the image that will assist in identifyingpersons or property
5 Memory no less than 16 GB Industrial Grade memoryflash card would mean more images can be saved by the systems for longer periods of time Images being overwritten in a short period of time (sometimes as little as 48 hours) has been an ongoing problem for investigators and valuable evidence has been lost
6 Recording unit that is sealed to protect against environmental conditions damage and shock Unit must be tamper proof to prevent unauthorized access A connection must be available in and around the glove compartment of the vehicle to allow easy access and download of images by authorized personnel from Peel RegionalPoliceand the City Inspectors office City Inspectors must be able to check the camera and recording device when performing annual inspection of the taxi cab
7 Minimum of 10 to 15 days of image storage
8 Minimal frame rate of no less than 4 frames per second
9 Information attached to each image should include an accurate date time type of trigger serial number of the recording unit and taxi plate number
10 File Format
If images are stored in a proprietary format software must be provided by the vendor to authorized personnel to extract high quality images for best original evidence
If images are not stored in a proprietary format they must be stored in a high quality format (bitmap tiff or high resolution jpeg) The Forensic Unit at PRP would like the
6 HI
opportunityto examine the images presented byvendorsas recorded by their systems to determine if the quality meets the standard required for identifying possible suspects andor property
11 Image triggers need to be consistent in every taxi
12 Reliable system indicator that alerts the cabownerdriver as wellas the city inspector and forensic police personnel if the system is functioningor not Recent cab examinations have shown that some of the indicators are faultyand on one occasion appeared to be simply a light box with no connection at ail to the in-car camera system
13 Guaranteed vendor technical support beyond regular business hours for troubleshooting any issues that mayarise during a downloadof imagesdue to hardware or software malfunctions Training materials provided by vendor to assist in educating Peel Regional Police Forensic personneland City Inspectorsin proper download techniques for their software
14 Demonstrations of technologyby vendor would be appreciated to show that their systems meet the specifications - images are easilyextracted image quality is highespeciallyfrom night recordings
15 Vendorapproved installers in eachcitywouldmeanthere is consistencyin installation of the camerasystems as wellas proper maintenance follow up and accountability There have been a number of instances of improperly installed systems that have led to the loss of valuable evidence in police investigations
Prepared Bv Miriam Windmoller
Video Analyst Forensic Identification Services
Peel Regional Police
January 29 2013
El-Ci APPENDIX 2
Specifications for Digital Taxi Cameras
Operational Specifications
The specifications outlined below are the minimum standard required to comply with the City of Brampton Policy
- The approved system must be 100 solid state design and operational between 8 and 15 volts DC and be protected against reverse voltage short circuits and high voltage transients likely to be encountered in the vehicle electrical system
- The system shall not interfere with any other systems on board the taxi and shall itself not be effected in any way by any sources of interference likely encountered on the taxi
- The system shall have a back up system to preserve images in the event of loss of power - The system shall be equipped with industrial grade flash memory - Battery back-up will not be permitted
Storage Capacity
- The camera must be capable of recording and storing a minimum of 15 days of image storage and must record images at a resolution of at least 720 x 576 pixels
- Minimum Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage of no less than 8 GB - A warranty of 5 years (or greater) on the Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage shall be
provided
Camera Head
- The camera must be a two lens design that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the vehicle The wide angle lens must provide a view of the driver and front passengers seat and the narrow angle lens a view that captures the rest of the passenger seating area
- The camera must be capable of recording in colour - The camera must be equipped with infrared lighting source and operate automatically and in
conjunction with image capture for day and night use to produce high quality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition
- The camera and all system components shall be installed in a manner that does not interfere with the drivers vision or view of mirrors or otherwise normal operation of the vehicle
- The camera head shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The camera must be able to produce clear pictures
- NOTE Vehicles equipped with a shield must be equipped with a 2 (two) camera system One camera shall be located in the approved location as set out above and the second camera shall be situated such that the lens is against the shield so to produce a clear image of the passengers in the rear seat
Page 1
APPENDIX 2pound1-14
Storage Device
(Recorder)
- All stored images must be time and date stamped including a vehicle identification number (Plate or car number)
- Each recorded image shall be automatically stamped with a unique and non-modifiable code that identifies the controller that was used to record the image each image shall also display the image number and the total number of images in that clip (eg image 3 of 256 etc)
- The image storage unit shall be concealed from view and effectively inaccessible except by authorized personnel
- The recorder shall be impact resistant sufficient to withstand a typical car accident or striking with a large heavy object such as a suitcase
- The image storage unit shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The recorder shall be equipped with a communication port for downloading by authorized personnel This port shall be located in the glove compartment of the vehicle situated so as not to be accidentally damaged during regular taxicab business
- The recorder shall be able to support secure download speeds that will allow an 8GB memory card (with 15 days of images) to be downloaded in less than 15 minutes
Public Notices
- The system shall have no microphone or audio recording capabilities - Decals must be installed on the right and left rear windows of the vehicle to advise
passengers that a digital camera system is in operation The decals must be printed with a double-sided message for interior and exterior visibility
- The decals will read This vehicle is fitted with camera security YOU WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED
Poor Meter Activation
- The recorder shall activate when any door is opened and upon meter activation with a minimum of 1 (one) image being recorded every second for the 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after the door opening (ie a total of 20 images for the wide angle camera and 20 images for the narrow angle camera) The recorder shall capture additional images recording at a rate of 1 (one) image every 10 seconds until superseded by a higher priority trigger or until the recorder enters the sleep mode The recorder shall reset if a door is opened prior to completing any cycle
Manual Activation
- The driverowner shall have no control of the imaging system except for the emergency activation button
Page 2
EMS APPENDIX 2
Emergency Activation
- An emergency activation button will lock into memory a minimum of 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens prior to the activation and 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens after the activation (for a total of 1200 images) The unit must be capable of recording storing and locking in all emergency activation images for 3 events with a minimum of 1200 images per event (600 images per camera lens) These images shall be stored for a minimum 72 hours before they can be recorded over
Downloading
- AH stored images shall be secured in a way to prevent unauthorized access - Provisions shall be made by all approved manufacturers to provide a means of downloading
images using the camera imagerecorder unit removed from the vehicle The use of a docking station and power converter must be supplied with the software
- Stored images must be protected to prevent unauthorized access or download - It shall be possible to determine if the image has been manipulated in any way This may be
done by using signature encryption
System Information
- The unit manufacturer shall have a service log shipped with the unit and will be marked with the serial number and provision for the installer to indicate the installation date The manufacturer shall also enclose detailed instructions for the driversowners with each unit shipped An installation manual shall also be furnished to authorized installers and fleet operators
- The system shall be provided with clear and concise operation instructions which are written with due consideration to varying levels of literacy
Test Centre Inspections
- The driver shall have an indicator showing when the system is operational and when there is a malfunction These indicators shall be mountedinstalled for the drivers vision only and not to be visible by a front or rear seat passenger(s) The indication system shall incorporate the following minimum features
a) normal displaysystem operational - green b) valid image capture - flashing green c) emergency activation memory full - alternating redgreen flashes d) system malfunction - red flashing continuous until fault cleared
- Where a system is fitted with an indicator to show that the system is on this indicator shall be separate to those listed above or of a different colour to avoid any possible confusion on the part of the driver using the system
- The system shall be designed and installed such that the system may be easily tested by the License Issuer or designate to ensure that all features are operating and that images are recorded as prescribed
- The camera vendors shall provide free of charge Inspection Software that will allow the License Issuer to confirm that all triggers are working and that the camera is correctly aimed
Page3
ei-i(o APPENDIX 2
The unit shall have a test port located in the vehicle glove compartment that will allow the License Issuer to connect a laptop with Inspection Software
General
- The system shall provide reliable and full functionality in all operational and environmental conditions encountered in the operation of taxis
- It shall be possible to change timing and parameters without the requirement to change components
- The recording system shall be configured such that recording of images will automatically commence re-recordings once the image capacity has been reached The oldest images shall be overwritten first
Revised Feb 27 2013
Page4
EI-5
APPENDIX 1
A l PEEL REGIONAL
POLICE -
TAXI CAMERA
PROGRAM
REPORT
A review of the Taxi-Cab Camera Program in the Region of Peel in relation to image extraction for police investigations with a view to improving in-car camera recording systems Amendments to the by-law governing this program will be recommended to expedite the image download process and
enhance driver safety
Forensic Identification Services - Peel Regional Police
1292013
El-fc
BACKGROUND
The Taxi Cab surveillance systems were first introduced by the City of Brampton in 2002 They have since been made mandatory across die entire Region with Mississauga coming on board in 2005 Overall the systems have proven themselves to be an invaluable investigative tool We have had a number of cases where suspects have been arrested shortly after committing cab robberies due to the excellent quality of the images extracted the timely download of images from the cab and the expertise offered by FIS personnel Officers have indicated that the images are very helpful in their investigations and images extracted have been accepted by the courts as photographic evidence The in-car camera program is very worthwhile and should continue to be supported by Peel Regional Police However the original By-Law which first introduced the camera systems into cabs has not been updated or amended since originally written The majority of cabs within the Region are still using their original surveillance systems which are beginning to fail in increasing numbers Without an amendment to the existing by-law that requires cab owners to upgrade their systemswe are likelyto see these numbers rise This posesnot only a danger to the safety and well being of the cab drivers but also raises issues of liability for Peel Regional Police and the Cities of Brampton and Mississauga
The following is a chart indicating the number of downloads performed by Forensic Identification Services personnel
ft Cab Downloads - bullbullgt bullbull-bullbullshy
bull Verifeye - ^rew]e^kLbull-i^i Slaquo - -bull
v-y^^ bullbull ^Unsuccessful 1-Downloads
1
2002 2 3 5 i
2003 4 8 12 2
2004 10 8 18 10
2005 10 6 16 7
2006 32 18 51 11
2007 21 7 28 6
2008 36 12 48 16
2009 26 13 39 7
2010 40 12 52 14
2011 33 8 41 13
2012 (to April12) 9 2 11 9
321 96Total
Arevised log sheet introduced in October 2010 trackscab related equipmenttechnical problems as the reason for the unsuccessful download
Since the programs inception in 2002 almost thirty percent of all cabs brought into FIS for download were unsuccessful Since January l51 of this year the number of cabs failing to download images is over eighty percent
pound1-)
The failure rate can be attributed to a combination of the following factors
bull Outdated SoftwareWorn Out Hardware bull Lack ofTechnical Support bull Improper Installation ofSystemsIrregular maintenance bull Inability of City Inspectors to check if the recording system is functioning properly bull Insufficient image storage Images are quickly overwritten bull Single Camera System Vs Dual Camera Systems
Outdated Software Worn Out Hardware
The majority of the cab surveillance systems currently operating in our Region are original systems installed when the by-law was first introduced On average these camera systems are seven to ten years old Given their age it is no surprise they are starting to fail more regularly There are two city approved systems in existence that met the original specifications - Silent WitnessFareview and Verifeye Silent Witness is no longer manufactured sold or supported The lack of vendor support for this older system has created major problems when attempting to download images Valuable evidence continues to be lost as the Silent Witness systems fail and are not repaired or replaced The other system VerifEye has released numerous software upgrades studier hardware better cameras and improved image storage capacity However cab owners are not upgradingto newer versions of Verifeye It is unlikely that owners will volunteer to incur the costs necessary to purchase the upgrade without achange in the by-law
Downloading Issues Technical Support
FIS personnel performing image downloads from cabs are increasingly encountering problems connecting with the image storage systems locating the images requested and successfully downloading them Some of the technical issues include
bull The proprietaryviewer software on the dedicated laptop cannot locate the hardware (CRU) andor Flash Card where the images are stored
bull Images are displayed as black screens bull The SilentWitness system has never allowedus to do a partial archive of images as the time
and date stamp is invariably incorrect so a full archive is always required which can take several hours depending on how many images arestored on the system
bull The images appear to be downloading but the system will not allow the export image function to be activated due to malfunctioning hardware
In the case of the VerifEye System we have received excellent support to date However Verifeye have recently announced that they will no longer support theiroriginal Mark III systemwhichmay pose problems whentrying to access images from cabs that continue to usethis outdated software
ei-
Imnroner Installation
The installation of the taxi camerasystems is inconsistent from one vehicle to another Theway the systems are designed to work is such that when the cab doors are opened the interior dome light is activated and the camera system is triggered to begin capturing and saving images Occasionally the cab drivers disconnect the dome light and unknowingly deactivate the camera system This situation is only discovered and remedied if the cab requires an image download or during a city inspectionof the system We have alsoencountered a number of improperly installed systems that are only triggered by meter activation and not by the required door triggers Hence no images were captured in a Peelcase that involved suspects stealinga cab and driving it around the Region before abandoning the vehicle
Another issue is the increasing number of taxi cabs that appear to have second hand systems installed by non approved facilities as a cost saving measure More often than not these systems were not functioning correctly in the first place have not been repaired and give a false sense of security to the taxi driver who believes images are being recorded
Image OualitvNumber of Images
When the cabcamerasystemsare functioning as designed the downloaded images are very useful in an investigation The technology continues to Improve and the newer updated systems produce more images of a higher quality
Depending on the size of the compact flash card purchased (for SilentWitness) or the hard drive installed (Verifeye) both systems need to savesignificantly more images FIS personneloften find that systems have overwritten the relevant images by the time the cab attends forensic identification services for the download
Thenewer updates forVerifEye save more images and In fact have a video component in the latest versions Several cabs attended FIS recently that have the original Verifeye system installed and retain a mere 512 imagesThe incidents that are of interest to the police are often longoverwritten - one busyshift in the caboverwrites the entiredrive Alot ofthe drivers are under the impression that the cabs save images for up to three months They are frustrated and disappointed to learn that the images have been so quicklyand easilyerased
Single Camera vs Dual Head Camera OptionsBroken Cameras
The majority of cabs within the region are still using a single camera system Dual head cameras are now available and greatly improve the quality of the images obtained The wider view allows better visuals of the driver front passenger and second row seats They dont have the distortion that is often observed in single camera systems or the fishbowl effect so often observed in downloaded images Inminivan cabs dual cameras are a necessity inorder to cover thesecond and third row of passengers
ei-9
Peel recently had a case where the camera appeared to be operating but upon further inspection revealed that it was not in fact capturing any images This discovery could only be determined AFTER the download was complete which took approximately four hours This was time consuming and frustrating for the person performing the download and stressful for the driver who lost significant income as a result of trying to assist the police
Time Consuming Downloads
The now out-of-date Silent Witness System takes an inordinate amount oftime to download images The date and time display is ALWAYS out of sync with the actual date and time Many cabs will display dates that are inaccurate by years As a result when trying to search and retrieve images a full rather than partial archive must be done This means that thousands of images are downloaded over several hours This is an inefficient use of our FIS resources as well as a source of contention
with cab drivers
The VerifEye system will adjust the date and time to reflect the real date and time so it makes locating images much quicker Downloads are still time consuming on the older version of the software but are amazingly fast on the newer versions reducing download times to less than thirty minutes
RECOMMENDATIONS
1 Technical specifications in the by-law related to approved camera and recording devices should be updated Key areas for enhancement include
bull The ability to capture and store high quality images (with a minimum resolution standard) for at least 24 hours of norma) cab operation
bull Two head camera systems should be mandatory bull Triggers that activate the camera and recording system should be standardized including
opening ofany car door and the activation ofthe fare system (with or without interior dome light activation)
bull Demonstrated capacity by approved vendors to offer prompt service and support for their equipment to cab owners cab drivers and Peel Regional Police
2 The equipment installation process would benefit from being tightly regulated through the establishment ofapproved installation sites All installations should be undertaken by an approved site Such sites should be audited annually to ensure the quality of the installation is consistent with the manufacturers specifications
bull Cameras and recording devices should be located in the same area in each vehicle regardless of the manufacturer or type ofsystem
3 Annual inspectionsof recordingsystems by the city should allowCity Inspectors to determine if the camera and recording system are working as per the manufacturers specifications If a system is found to be inoperable procedure should allow for prompt repair A requirement to install all major software updates as they become available from the manufacturer should be part of the annual inspection process
ei-io
4 Sufficient penalties should be included fornon-compliance
SUMMARY
Retrieving evidence from taxi cab camera systems is becoming increasingly difficult and inconsistent Due to age poor maintenance and installation procedures videosurveillance systems are failing in increasing numbers These failures are putting cab drivers andthe general public at risk
e-l-ll
BASIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1 AColour CCD Dual Camera system that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the taxi so that the driver and front seat passenger are visible as well as all occupants of the rear passenger seat This request for the wide angle and narrow angle view is in direct response to incidents where the activity in the front of the taxi was critical in determining what events had transpired within the vehicle
2 High resolution camera that has sufficientilluminationto produce highquality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition Acolour CCD Camera option would prove invaluable in identifyingclothing of individuals under investigation If it can be demonstrated that the colour camera also allows for high quality images during night recording it would be the preferred option The camera must also be vendor approved for their particular product so that off the shelf cameras are not installed as an alternative
3 All digitalimagesmust be stored insequence until automaticallyoverwritten Ifa panic button system is included those images must be stored in a partitioned area of the drive or flash card to prevent deletion Witha larger storage driveflash cardperhaps more images can be saved in this mode
4 Minimal compression of the saved data to increase the possibility ofobtaining fine details in the image that will assist in identifyingpersons or property
5 Memory no less than 16 GB Industrial Grade memoryflash card would mean more images can be saved by the systems for longer periods of time Images being overwritten in a short period of time (sometimes as little as 48 hours) has been an ongoing problem for investigators and valuable evidence has been lost
6 Recording unit that is sealed to protect against environmental conditions damage and shock Unit must be tamper proof to prevent unauthorized access A connection must be available in and around the glove compartment of the vehicle to allow easy access and download of images by authorized personnel from Peel RegionalPoliceand the City Inspectors office City Inspectors must be able to check the camera and recording device when performing annual inspection of the taxi cab
7 Minimum of 10 to 15 days of image storage
8 Minimal frame rate of no less than 4 frames per second
9 Information attached to each image should include an accurate date time type of trigger serial number of the recording unit and taxi plate number
10 File Format
If images are stored in a proprietary format software must be provided by the vendor to authorized personnel to extract high quality images for best original evidence
If images are not stored in a proprietary format they must be stored in a high quality format (bitmap tiff or high resolution jpeg) The Forensic Unit at PRP would like the
6 HI
opportunityto examine the images presented byvendorsas recorded by their systems to determine if the quality meets the standard required for identifying possible suspects andor property
11 Image triggers need to be consistent in every taxi
12 Reliable system indicator that alerts the cabownerdriver as wellas the city inspector and forensic police personnel if the system is functioningor not Recent cab examinations have shown that some of the indicators are faultyand on one occasion appeared to be simply a light box with no connection at ail to the in-car camera system
13 Guaranteed vendor technical support beyond regular business hours for troubleshooting any issues that mayarise during a downloadof imagesdue to hardware or software malfunctions Training materials provided by vendor to assist in educating Peel Regional Police Forensic personneland City Inspectorsin proper download techniques for their software
14 Demonstrations of technologyby vendor would be appreciated to show that their systems meet the specifications - images are easilyextracted image quality is highespeciallyfrom night recordings
15 Vendorapproved installers in eachcitywouldmeanthere is consistencyin installation of the camerasystems as wellas proper maintenance follow up and accountability There have been a number of instances of improperly installed systems that have led to the loss of valuable evidence in police investigations
Prepared Bv Miriam Windmoller
Video Analyst Forensic Identification Services
Peel Regional Police
January 29 2013
El-Ci APPENDIX 2
Specifications for Digital Taxi Cameras
Operational Specifications
The specifications outlined below are the minimum standard required to comply with the City of Brampton Policy
- The approved system must be 100 solid state design and operational between 8 and 15 volts DC and be protected against reverse voltage short circuits and high voltage transients likely to be encountered in the vehicle electrical system
- The system shall not interfere with any other systems on board the taxi and shall itself not be effected in any way by any sources of interference likely encountered on the taxi
- The system shall have a back up system to preserve images in the event of loss of power - The system shall be equipped with industrial grade flash memory - Battery back-up will not be permitted
Storage Capacity
- The camera must be capable of recording and storing a minimum of 15 days of image storage and must record images at a resolution of at least 720 x 576 pixels
- Minimum Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage of no less than 8 GB - A warranty of 5 years (or greater) on the Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage shall be
provided
Camera Head
- The camera must be a two lens design that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the vehicle The wide angle lens must provide a view of the driver and front passengers seat and the narrow angle lens a view that captures the rest of the passenger seating area
- The camera must be capable of recording in colour - The camera must be equipped with infrared lighting source and operate automatically and in
conjunction with image capture for day and night use to produce high quality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition
- The camera and all system components shall be installed in a manner that does not interfere with the drivers vision or view of mirrors or otherwise normal operation of the vehicle
- The camera head shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The camera must be able to produce clear pictures
- NOTE Vehicles equipped with a shield must be equipped with a 2 (two) camera system One camera shall be located in the approved location as set out above and the second camera shall be situated such that the lens is against the shield so to produce a clear image of the passengers in the rear seat
Page 1
APPENDIX 2pound1-14
Storage Device
(Recorder)
- All stored images must be time and date stamped including a vehicle identification number (Plate or car number)
- Each recorded image shall be automatically stamped with a unique and non-modifiable code that identifies the controller that was used to record the image each image shall also display the image number and the total number of images in that clip (eg image 3 of 256 etc)
- The image storage unit shall be concealed from view and effectively inaccessible except by authorized personnel
- The recorder shall be impact resistant sufficient to withstand a typical car accident or striking with a large heavy object such as a suitcase
- The image storage unit shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The recorder shall be equipped with a communication port for downloading by authorized personnel This port shall be located in the glove compartment of the vehicle situated so as not to be accidentally damaged during regular taxicab business
- The recorder shall be able to support secure download speeds that will allow an 8GB memory card (with 15 days of images) to be downloaded in less than 15 minutes
Public Notices
- The system shall have no microphone or audio recording capabilities - Decals must be installed on the right and left rear windows of the vehicle to advise
passengers that a digital camera system is in operation The decals must be printed with a double-sided message for interior and exterior visibility
- The decals will read This vehicle is fitted with camera security YOU WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED
Poor Meter Activation
- The recorder shall activate when any door is opened and upon meter activation with a minimum of 1 (one) image being recorded every second for the 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after the door opening (ie a total of 20 images for the wide angle camera and 20 images for the narrow angle camera) The recorder shall capture additional images recording at a rate of 1 (one) image every 10 seconds until superseded by a higher priority trigger or until the recorder enters the sleep mode The recorder shall reset if a door is opened prior to completing any cycle
Manual Activation
- The driverowner shall have no control of the imaging system except for the emergency activation button
Page 2
EMS APPENDIX 2
Emergency Activation
- An emergency activation button will lock into memory a minimum of 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens prior to the activation and 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens after the activation (for a total of 1200 images) The unit must be capable of recording storing and locking in all emergency activation images for 3 events with a minimum of 1200 images per event (600 images per camera lens) These images shall be stored for a minimum 72 hours before they can be recorded over
Downloading
- AH stored images shall be secured in a way to prevent unauthorized access - Provisions shall be made by all approved manufacturers to provide a means of downloading
images using the camera imagerecorder unit removed from the vehicle The use of a docking station and power converter must be supplied with the software
- Stored images must be protected to prevent unauthorized access or download - It shall be possible to determine if the image has been manipulated in any way This may be
done by using signature encryption
System Information
- The unit manufacturer shall have a service log shipped with the unit and will be marked with the serial number and provision for the installer to indicate the installation date The manufacturer shall also enclose detailed instructions for the driversowners with each unit shipped An installation manual shall also be furnished to authorized installers and fleet operators
- The system shall be provided with clear and concise operation instructions which are written with due consideration to varying levels of literacy
Test Centre Inspections
- The driver shall have an indicator showing when the system is operational and when there is a malfunction These indicators shall be mountedinstalled for the drivers vision only and not to be visible by a front or rear seat passenger(s) The indication system shall incorporate the following minimum features
a) normal displaysystem operational - green b) valid image capture - flashing green c) emergency activation memory full - alternating redgreen flashes d) system malfunction - red flashing continuous until fault cleared
- Where a system is fitted with an indicator to show that the system is on this indicator shall be separate to those listed above or of a different colour to avoid any possible confusion on the part of the driver using the system
- The system shall be designed and installed such that the system may be easily tested by the License Issuer or designate to ensure that all features are operating and that images are recorded as prescribed
- The camera vendors shall provide free of charge Inspection Software that will allow the License Issuer to confirm that all triggers are working and that the camera is correctly aimed
Page3
ei-i(o APPENDIX 2
The unit shall have a test port located in the vehicle glove compartment that will allow the License Issuer to connect a laptop with Inspection Software
General
- The system shall provide reliable and full functionality in all operational and environmental conditions encountered in the operation of taxis
- It shall be possible to change timing and parameters without the requirement to change components
- The recording system shall be configured such that recording of images will automatically commence re-recordings once the image capacity has been reached The oldest images shall be overwritten first
Revised Feb 27 2013
Page4
El-fc
BACKGROUND
The Taxi Cab surveillance systems were first introduced by the City of Brampton in 2002 They have since been made mandatory across die entire Region with Mississauga coming on board in 2005 Overall the systems have proven themselves to be an invaluable investigative tool We have had a number of cases where suspects have been arrested shortly after committing cab robberies due to the excellent quality of the images extracted the timely download of images from the cab and the expertise offered by FIS personnel Officers have indicated that the images are very helpful in their investigations and images extracted have been accepted by the courts as photographic evidence The in-car camera program is very worthwhile and should continue to be supported by Peel Regional Police However the original By-Law which first introduced the camera systems into cabs has not been updated or amended since originally written The majority of cabs within the Region are still using their original surveillance systems which are beginning to fail in increasing numbers Without an amendment to the existing by-law that requires cab owners to upgrade their systemswe are likelyto see these numbers rise This posesnot only a danger to the safety and well being of the cab drivers but also raises issues of liability for Peel Regional Police and the Cities of Brampton and Mississauga
The following is a chart indicating the number of downloads performed by Forensic Identification Services personnel
ft Cab Downloads - bullbullgt bullbull-bullbullshy
bull Verifeye - ^rew]e^kLbull-i^i Slaquo - -bull
v-y^^ bullbull ^Unsuccessful 1-Downloads
1
2002 2 3 5 i
2003 4 8 12 2
2004 10 8 18 10
2005 10 6 16 7
2006 32 18 51 11
2007 21 7 28 6
2008 36 12 48 16
2009 26 13 39 7
2010 40 12 52 14
2011 33 8 41 13
2012 (to April12) 9 2 11 9
321 96Total
Arevised log sheet introduced in October 2010 trackscab related equipmenttechnical problems as the reason for the unsuccessful download
Since the programs inception in 2002 almost thirty percent of all cabs brought into FIS for download were unsuccessful Since January l51 of this year the number of cabs failing to download images is over eighty percent
pound1-)
The failure rate can be attributed to a combination of the following factors
bull Outdated SoftwareWorn Out Hardware bull Lack ofTechnical Support bull Improper Installation ofSystemsIrregular maintenance bull Inability of City Inspectors to check if the recording system is functioning properly bull Insufficient image storage Images are quickly overwritten bull Single Camera System Vs Dual Camera Systems
Outdated Software Worn Out Hardware
The majority of the cab surveillance systems currently operating in our Region are original systems installed when the by-law was first introduced On average these camera systems are seven to ten years old Given their age it is no surprise they are starting to fail more regularly There are two city approved systems in existence that met the original specifications - Silent WitnessFareview and Verifeye Silent Witness is no longer manufactured sold or supported The lack of vendor support for this older system has created major problems when attempting to download images Valuable evidence continues to be lost as the Silent Witness systems fail and are not repaired or replaced The other system VerifEye has released numerous software upgrades studier hardware better cameras and improved image storage capacity However cab owners are not upgradingto newer versions of Verifeye It is unlikely that owners will volunteer to incur the costs necessary to purchase the upgrade without achange in the by-law
Downloading Issues Technical Support
FIS personnel performing image downloads from cabs are increasingly encountering problems connecting with the image storage systems locating the images requested and successfully downloading them Some of the technical issues include
bull The proprietaryviewer software on the dedicated laptop cannot locate the hardware (CRU) andor Flash Card where the images are stored
bull Images are displayed as black screens bull The SilentWitness system has never allowedus to do a partial archive of images as the time
and date stamp is invariably incorrect so a full archive is always required which can take several hours depending on how many images arestored on the system
bull The images appear to be downloading but the system will not allow the export image function to be activated due to malfunctioning hardware
In the case of the VerifEye System we have received excellent support to date However Verifeye have recently announced that they will no longer support theiroriginal Mark III systemwhichmay pose problems whentrying to access images from cabs that continue to usethis outdated software
ei-
Imnroner Installation
The installation of the taxi camerasystems is inconsistent from one vehicle to another Theway the systems are designed to work is such that when the cab doors are opened the interior dome light is activated and the camera system is triggered to begin capturing and saving images Occasionally the cab drivers disconnect the dome light and unknowingly deactivate the camera system This situation is only discovered and remedied if the cab requires an image download or during a city inspectionof the system We have alsoencountered a number of improperly installed systems that are only triggered by meter activation and not by the required door triggers Hence no images were captured in a Peelcase that involved suspects stealinga cab and driving it around the Region before abandoning the vehicle
Another issue is the increasing number of taxi cabs that appear to have second hand systems installed by non approved facilities as a cost saving measure More often than not these systems were not functioning correctly in the first place have not been repaired and give a false sense of security to the taxi driver who believes images are being recorded
Image OualitvNumber of Images
When the cabcamerasystemsare functioning as designed the downloaded images are very useful in an investigation The technology continues to Improve and the newer updated systems produce more images of a higher quality
Depending on the size of the compact flash card purchased (for SilentWitness) or the hard drive installed (Verifeye) both systems need to savesignificantly more images FIS personneloften find that systems have overwritten the relevant images by the time the cab attends forensic identification services for the download
Thenewer updates forVerifEye save more images and In fact have a video component in the latest versions Several cabs attended FIS recently that have the original Verifeye system installed and retain a mere 512 imagesThe incidents that are of interest to the police are often longoverwritten - one busyshift in the caboverwrites the entiredrive Alot ofthe drivers are under the impression that the cabs save images for up to three months They are frustrated and disappointed to learn that the images have been so quicklyand easilyerased
Single Camera vs Dual Head Camera OptionsBroken Cameras
The majority of cabs within the region are still using a single camera system Dual head cameras are now available and greatly improve the quality of the images obtained The wider view allows better visuals of the driver front passenger and second row seats They dont have the distortion that is often observed in single camera systems or the fishbowl effect so often observed in downloaded images Inminivan cabs dual cameras are a necessity inorder to cover thesecond and third row of passengers
ei-9
Peel recently had a case where the camera appeared to be operating but upon further inspection revealed that it was not in fact capturing any images This discovery could only be determined AFTER the download was complete which took approximately four hours This was time consuming and frustrating for the person performing the download and stressful for the driver who lost significant income as a result of trying to assist the police
Time Consuming Downloads
The now out-of-date Silent Witness System takes an inordinate amount oftime to download images The date and time display is ALWAYS out of sync with the actual date and time Many cabs will display dates that are inaccurate by years As a result when trying to search and retrieve images a full rather than partial archive must be done This means that thousands of images are downloaded over several hours This is an inefficient use of our FIS resources as well as a source of contention
with cab drivers
The VerifEye system will adjust the date and time to reflect the real date and time so it makes locating images much quicker Downloads are still time consuming on the older version of the software but are amazingly fast on the newer versions reducing download times to less than thirty minutes
RECOMMENDATIONS
1 Technical specifications in the by-law related to approved camera and recording devices should be updated Key areas for enhancement include
bull The ability to capture and store high quality images (with a minimum resolution standard) for at least 24 hours of norma) cab operation
bull Two head camera systems should be mandatory bull Triggers that activate the camera and recording system should be standardized including
opening ofany car door and the activation ofthe fare system (with or without interior dome light activation)
bull Demonstrated capacity by approved vendors to offer prompt service and support for their equipment to cab owners cab drivers and Peel Regional Police
2 The equipment installation process would benefit from being tightly regulated through the establishment ofapproved installation sites All installations should be undertaken by an approved site Such sites should be audited annually to ensure the quality of the installation is consistent with the manufacturers specifications
bull Cameras and recording devices should be located in the same area in each vehicle regardless of the manufacturer or type ofsystem
3 Annual inspectionsof recordingsystems by the city should allowCity Inspectors to determine if the camera and recording system are working as per the manufacturers specifications If a system is found to be inoperable procedure should allow for prompt repair A requirement to install all major software updates as they become available from the manufacturer should be part of the annual inspection process
ei-io
4 Sufficient penalties should be included fornon-compliance
SUMMARY
Retrieving evidence from taxi cab camera systems is becoming increasingly difficult and inconsistent Due to age poor maintenance and installation procedures videosurveillance systems are failing in increasing numbers These failures are putting cab drivers andthe general public at risk
e-l-ll
BASIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1 AColour CCD Dual Camera system that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the taxi so that the driver and front seat passenger are visible as well as all occupants of the rear passenger seat This request for the wide angle and narrow angle view is in direct response to incidents where the activity in the front of the taxi was critical in determining what events had transpired within the vehicle
2 High resolution camera that has sufficientilluminationto produce highquality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition Acolour CCD Camera option would prove invaluable in identifyingclothing of individuals under investigation If it can be demonstrated that the colour camera also allows for high quality images during night recording it would be the preferred option The camera must also be vendor approved for their particular product so that off the shelf cameras are not installed as an alternative
3 All digitalimagesmust be stored insequence until automaticallyoverwritten Ifa panic button system is included those images must be stored in a partitioned area of the drive or flash card to prevent deletion Witha larger storage driveflash cardperhaps more images can be saved in this mode
4 Minimal compression of the saved data to increase the possibility ofobtaining fine details in the image that will assist in identifyingpersons or property
5 Memory no less than 16 GB Industrial Grade memoryflash card would mean more images can be saved by the systems for longer periods of time Images being overwritten in a short period of time (sometimes as little as 48 hours) has been an ongoing problem for investigators and valuable evidence has been lost
6 Recording unit that is sealed to protect against environmental conditions damage and shock Unit must be tamper proof to prevent unauthorized access A connection must be available in and around the glove compartment of the vehicle to allow easy access and download of images by authorized personnel from Peel RegionalPoliceand the City Inspectors office City Inspectors must be able to check the camera and recording device when performing annual inspection of the taxi cab
7 Minimum of 10 to 15 days of image storage
8 Minimal frame rate of no less than 4 frames per second
9 Information attached to each image should include an accurate date time type of trigger serial number of the recording unit and taxi plate number
10 File Format
If images are stored in a proprietary format software must be provided by the vendor to authorized personnel to extract high quality images for best original evidence
If images are not stored in a proprietary format they must be stored in a high quality format (bitmap tiff or high resolution jpeg) The Forensic Unit at PRP would like the
6 HI
opportunityto examine the images presented byvendorsas recorded by their systems to determine if the quality meets the standard required for identifying possible suspects andor property
11 Image triggers need to be consistent in every taxi
12 Reliable system indicator that alerts the cabownerdriver as wellas the city inspector and forensic police personnel if the system is functioningor not Recent cab examinations have shown that some of the indicators are faultyand on one occasion appeared to be simply a light box with no connection at ail to the in-car camera system
13 Guaranteed vendor technical support beyond regular business hours for troubleshooting any issues that mayarise during a downloadof imagesdue to hardware or software malfunctions Training materials provided by vendor to assist in educating Peel Regional Police Forensic personneland City Inspectorsin proper download techniques for their software
14 Demonstrations of technologyby vendor would be appreciated to show that their systems meet the specifications - images are easilyextracted image quality is highespeciallyfrom night recordings
15 Vendorapproved installers in eachcitywouldmeanthere is consistencyin installation of the camerasystems as wellas proper maintenance follow up and accountability There have been a number of instances of improperly installed systems that have led to the loss of valuable evidence in police investigations
Prepared Bv Miriam Windmoller
Video Analyst Forensic Identification Services
Peel Regional Police
January 29 2013
El-Ci APPENDIX 2
Specifications for Digital Taxi Cameras
Operational Specifications
The specifications outlined below are the minimum standard required to comply with the City of Brampton Policy
- The approved system must be 100 solid state design and operational between 8 and 15 volts DC and be protected against reverse voltage short circuits and high voltage transients likely to be encountered in the vehicle electrical system
- The system shall not interfere with any other systems on board the taxi and shall itself not be effected in any way by any sources of interference likely encountered on the taxi
- The system shall have a back up system to preserve images in the event of loss of power - The system shall be equipped with industrial grade flash memory - Battery back-up will not be permitted
Storage Capacity
- The camera must be capable of recording and storing a minimum of 15 days of image storage and must record images at a resolution of at least 720 x 576 pixels
- Minimum Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage of no less than 8 GB - A warranty of 5 years (or greater) on the Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage shall be
provided
Camera Head
- The camera must be a two lens design that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the vehicle The wide angle lens must provide a view of the driver and front passengers seat and the narrow angle lens a view that captures the rest of the passenger seating area
- The camera must be capable of recording in colour - The camera must be equipped with infrared lighting source and operate automatically and in
conjunction with image capture for day and night use to produce high quality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition
- The camera and all system components shall be installed in a manner that does not interfere with the drivers vision or view of mirrors or otherwise normal operation of the vehicle
- The camera head shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The camera must be able to produce clear pictures
- NOTE Vehicles equipped with a shield must be equipped with a 2 (two) camera system One camera shall be located in the approved location as set out above and the second camera shall be situated such that the lens is against the shield so to produce a clear image of the passengers in the rear seat
Page 1
APPENDIX 2pound1-14
Storage Device
(Recorder)
- All stored images must be time and date stamped including a vehicle identification number (Plate or car number)
- Each recorded image shall be automatically stamped with a unique and non-modifiable code that identifies the controller that was used to record the image each image shall also display the image number and the total number of images in that clip (eg image 3 of 256 etc)
- The image storage unit shall be concealed from view and effectively inaccessible except by authorized personnel
- The recorder shall be impact resistant sufficient to withstand a typical car accident or striking with a large heavy object such as a suitcase
- The image storage unit shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The recorder shall be equipped with a communication port for downloading by authorized personnel This port shall be located in the glove compartment of the vehicle situated so as not to be accidentally damaged during regular taxicab business
- The recorder shall be able to support secure download speeds that will allow an 8GB memory card (with 15 days of images) to be downloaded in less than 15 minutes
Public Notices
- The system shall have no microphone or audio recording capabilities - Decals must be installed on the right and left rear windows of the vehicle to advise
passengers that a digital camera system is in operation The decals must be printed with a double-sided message for interior and exterior visibility
- The decals will read This vehicle is fitted with camera security YOU WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED
Poor Meter Activation
- The recorder shall activate when any door is opened and upon meter activation with a minimum of 1 (one) image being recorded every second for the 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after the door opening (ie a total of 20 images for the wide angle camera and 20 images for the narrow angle camera) The recorder shall capture additional images recording at a rate of 1 (one) image every 10 seconds until superseded by a higher priority trigger or until the recorder enters the sleep mode The recorder shall reset if a door is opened prior to completing any cycle
Manual Activation
- The driverowner shall have no control of the imaging system except for the emergency activation button
Page 2
EMS APPENDIX 2
Emergency Activation
- An emergency activation button will lock into memory a minimum of 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens prior to the activation and 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens after the activation (for a total of 1200 images) The unit must be capable of recording storing and locking in all emergency activation images for 3 events with a minimum of 1200 images per event (600 images per camera lens) These images shall be stored for a minimum 72 hours before they can be recorded over
Downloading
- AH stored images shall be secured in a way to prevent unauthorized access - Provisions shall be made by all approved manufacturers to provide a means of downloading
images using the camera imagerecorder unit removed from the vehicle The use of a docking station and power converter must be supplied with the software
- Stored images must be protected to prevent unauthorized access or download - It shall be possible to determine if the image has been manipulated in any way This may be
done by using signature encryption
System Information
- The unit manufacturer shall have a service log shipped with the unit and will be marked with the serial number and provision for the installer to indicate the installation date The manufacturer shall also enclose detailed instructions for the driversowners with each unit shipped An installation manual shall also be furnished to authorized installers and fleet operators
- The system shall be provided with clear and concise operation instructions which are written with due consideration to varying levels of literacy
Test Centre Inspections
- The driver shall have an indicator showing when the system is operational and when there is a malfunction These indicators shall be mountedinstalled for the drivers vision only and not to be visible by a front or rear seat passenger(s) The indication system shall incorporate the following minimum features
a) normal displaysystem operational - green b) valid image capture - flashing green c) emergency activation memory full - alternating redgreen flashes d) system malfunction - red flashing continuous until fault cleared
- Where a system is fitted with an indicator to show that the system is on this indicator shall be separate to those listed above or of a different colour to avoid any possible confusion on the part of the driver using the system
- The system shall be designed and installed such that the system may be easily tested by the License Issuer or designate to ensure that all features are operating and that images are recorded as prescribed
- The camera vendors shall provide free of charge Inspection Software that will allow the License Issuer to confirm that all triggers are working and that the camera is correctly aimed
Page3
ei-i(o APPENDIX 2
The unit shall have a test port located in the vehicle glove compartment that will allow the License Issuer to connect a laptop with Inspection Software
General
- The system shall provide reliable and full functionality in all operational and environmental conditions encountered in the operation of taxis
- It shall be possible to change timing and parameters without the requirement to change components
- The recording system shall be configured such that recording of images will automatically commence re-recordings once the image capacity has been reached The oldest images shall be overwritten first
Revised Feb 27 2013
Page4
pound1-)
The failure rate can be attributed to a combination of the following factors
bull Outdated SoftwareWorn Out Hardware bull Lack ofTechnical Support bull Improper Installation ofSystemsIrregular maintenance bull Inability of City Inspectors to check if the recording system is functioning properly bull Insufficient image storage Images are quickly overwritten bull Single Camera System Vs Dual Camera Systems
Outdated Software Worn Out Hardware
The majority of the cab surveillance systems currently operating in our Region are original systems installed when the by-law was first introduced On average these camera systems are seven to ten years old Given their age it is no surprise they are starting to fail more regularly There are two city approved systems in existence that met the original specifications - Silent WitnessFareview and Verifeye Silent Witness is no longer manufactured sold or supported The lack of vendor support for this older system has created major problems when attempting to download images Valuable evidence continues to be lost as the Silent Witness systems fail and are not repaired or replaced The other system VerifEye has released numerous software upgrades studier hardware better cameras and improved image storage capacity However cab owners are not upgradingto newer versions of Verifeye It is unlikely that owners will volunteer to incur the costs necessary to purchase the upgrade without achange in the by-law
Downloading Issues Technical Support
FIS personnel performing image downloads from cabs are increasingly encountering problems connecting with the image storage systems locating the images requested and successfully downloading them Some of the technical issues include
bull The proprietaryviewer software on the dedicated laptop cannot locate the hardware (CRU) andor Flash Card where the images are stored
bull Images are displayed as black screens bull The SilentWitness system has never allowedus to do a partial archive of images as the time
and date stamp is invariably incorrect so a full archive is always required which can take several hours depending on how many images arestored on the system
bull The images appear to be downloading but the system will not allow the export image function to be activated due to malfunctioning hardware
In the case of the VerifEye System we have received excellent support to date However Verifeye have recently announced that they will no longer support theiroriginal Mark III systemwhichmay pose problems whentrying to access images from cabs that continue to usethis outdated software
ei-
Imnroner Installation
The installation of the taxi camerasystems is inconsistent from one vehicle to another Theway the systems are designed to work is such that when the cab doors are opened the interior dome light is activated and the camera system is triggered to begin capturing and saving images Occasionally the cab drivers disconnect the dome light and unknowingly deactivate the camera system This situation is only discovered and remedied if the cab requires an image download or during a city inspectionof the system We have alsoencountered a number of improperly installed systems that are only triggered by meter activation and not by the required door triggers Hence no images were captured in a Peelcase that involved suspects stealinga cab and driving it around the Region before abandoning the vehicle
Another issue is the increasing number of taxi cabs that appear to have second hand systems installed by non approved facilities as a cost saving measure More often than not these systems were not functioning correctly in the first place have not been repaired and give a false sense of security to the taxi driver who believes images are being recorded
Image OualitvNumber of Images
When the cabcamerasystemsare functioning as designed the downloaded images are very useful in an investigation The technology continues to Improve and the newer updated systems produce more images of a higher quality
Depending on the size of the compact flash card purchased (for SilentWitness) or the hard drive installed (Verifeye) both systems need to savesignificantly more images FIS personneloften find that systems have overwritten the relevant images by the time the cab attends forensic identification services for the download
Thenewer updates forVerifEye save more images and In fact have a video component in the latest versions Several cabs attended FIS recently that have the original Verifeye system installed and retain a mere 512 imagesThe incidents that are of interest to the police are often longoverwritten - one busyshift in the caboverwrites the entiredrive Alot ofthe drivers are under the impression that the cabs save images for up to three months They are frustrated and disappointed to learn that the images have been so quicklyand easilyerased
Single Camera vs Dual Head Camera OptionsBroken Cameras
The majority of cabs within the region are still using a single camera system Dual head cameras are now available and greatly improve the quality of the images obtained The wider view allows better visuals of the driver front passenger and second row seats They dont have the distortion that is often observed in single camera systems or the fishbowl effect so often observed in downloaded images Inminivan cabs dual cameras are a necessity inorder to cover thesecond and third row of passengers
ei-9
Peel recently had a case where the camera appeared to be operating but upon further inspection revealed that it was not in fact capturing any images This discovery could only be determined AFTER the download was complete which took approximately four hours This was time consuming and frustrating for the person performing the download and stressful for the driver who lost significant income as a result of trying to assist the police
Time Consuming Downloads
The now out-of-date Silent Witness System takes an inordinate amount oftime to download images The date and time display is ALWAYS out of sync with the actual date and time Many cabs will display dates that are inaccurate by years As a result when trying to search and retrieve images a full rather than partial archive must be done This means that thousands of images are downloaded over several hours This is an inefficient use of our FIS resources as well as a source of contention
with cab drivers
The VerifEye system will adjust the date and time to reflect the real date and time so it makes locating images much quicker Downloads are still time consuming on the older version of the software but are amazingly fast on the newer versions reducing download times to less than thirty minutes
RECOMMENDATIONS
1 Technical specifications in the by-law related to approved camera and recording devices should be updated Key areas for enhancement include
bull The ability to capture and store high quality images (with a minimum resolution standard) for at least 24 hours of norma) cab operation
bull Two head camera systems should be mandatory bull Triggers that activate the camera and recording system should be standardized including
opening ofany car door and the activation ofthe fare system (with or without interior dome light activation)
bull Demonstrated capacity by approved vendors to offer prompt service and support for their equipment to cab owners cab drivers and Peel Regional Police
2 The equipment installation process would benefit from being tightly regulated through the establishment ofapproved installation sites All installations should be undertaken by an approved site Such sites should be audited annually to ensure the quality of the installation is consistent with the manufacturers specifications
bull Cameras and recording devices should be located in the same area in each vehicle regardless of the manufacturer or type ofsystem
3 Annual inspectionsof recordingsystems by the city should allowCity Inspectors to determine if the camera and recording system are working as per the manufacturers specifications If a system is found to be inoperable procedure should allow for prompt repair A requirement to install all major software updates as they become available from the manufacturer should be part of the annual inspection process
ei-io
4 Sufficient penalties should be included fornon-compliance
SUMMARY
Retrieving evidence from taxi cab camera systems is becoming increasingly difficult and inconsistent Due to age poor maintenance and installation procedures videosurveillance systems are failing in increasing numbers These failures are putting cab drivers andthe general public at risk
e-l-ll
BASIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1 AColour CCD Dual Camera system that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the taxi so that the driver and front seat passenger are visible as well as all occupants of the rear passenger seat This request for the wide angle and narrow angle view is in direct response to incidents where the activity in the front of the taxi was critical in determining what events had transpired within the vehicle
2 High resolution camera that has sufficientilluminationto produce highquality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition Acolour CCD Camera option would prove invaluable in identifyingclothing of individuals under investigation If it can be demonstrated that the colour camera also allows for high quality images during night recording it would be the preferred option The camera must also be vendor approved for their particular product so that off the shelf cameras are not installed as an alternative
3 All digitalimagesmust be stored insequence until automaticallyoverwritten Ifa panic button system is included those images must be stored in a partitioned area of the drive or flash card to prevent deletion Witha larger storage driveflash cardperhaps more images can be saved in this mode
4 Minimal compression of the saved data to increase the possibility ofobtaining fine details in the image that will assist in identifyingpersons or property
5 Memory no less than 16 GB Industrial Grade memoryflash card would mean more images can be saved by the systems for longer periods of time Images being overwritten in a short period of time (sometimes as little as 48 hours) has been an ongoing problem for investigators and valuable evidence has been lost
6 Recording unit that is sealed to protect against environmental conditions damage and shock Unit must be tamper proof to prevent unauthorized access A connection must be available in and around the glove compartment of the vehicle to allow easy access and download of images by authorized personnel from Peel RegionalPoliceand the City Inspectors office City Inspectors must be able to check the camera and recording device when performing annual inspection of the taxi cab
7 Minimum of 10 to 15 days of image storage
8 Minimal frame rate of no less than 4 frames per second
9 Information attached to each image should include an accurate date time type of trigger serial number of the recording unit and taxi plate number
10 File Format
If images are stored in a proprietary format software must be provided by the vendor to authorized personnel to extract high quality images for best original evidence
If images are not stored in a proprietary format they must be stored in a high quality format (bitmap tiff or high resolution jpeg) The Forensic Unit at PRP would like the
6 HI
opportunityto examine the images presented byvendorsas recorded by their systems to determine if the quality meets the standard required for identifying possible suspects andor property
11 Image triggers need to be consistent in every taxi
12 Reliable system indicator that alerts the cabownerdriver as wellas the city inspector and forensic police personnel if the system is functioningor not Recent cab examinations have shown that some of the indicators are faultyand on one occasion appeared to be simply a light box with no connection at ail to the in-car camera system
13 Guaranteed vendor technical support beyond regular business hours for troubleshooting any issues that mayarise during a downloadof imagesdue to hardware or software malfunctions Training materials provided by vendor to assist in educating Peel Regional Police Forensic personneland City Inspectorsin proper download techniques for their software
14 Demonstrations of technologyby vendor would be appreciated to show that their systems meet the specifications - images are easilyextracted image quality is highespeciallyfrom night recordings
15 Vendorapproved installers in eachcitywouldmeanthere is consistencyin installation of the camerasystems as wellas proper maintenance follow up and accountability There have been a number of instances of improperly installed systems that have led to the loss of valuable evidence in police investigations
Prepared Bv Miriam Windmoller
Video Analyst Forensic Identification Services
Peel Regional Police
January 29 2013
El-Ci APPENDIX 2
Specifications for Digital Taxi Cameras
Operational Specifications
The specifications outlined below are the minimum standard required to comply with the City of Brampton Policy
- The approved system must be 100 solid state design and operational between 8 and 15 volts DC and be protected against reverse voltage short circuits and high voltage transients likely to be encountered in the vehicle electrical system
- The system shall not interfere with any other systems on board the taxi and shall itself not be effected in any way by any sources of interference likely encountered on the taxi
- The system shall have a back up system to preserve images in the event of loss of power - The system shall be equipped with industrial grade flash memory - Battery back-up will not be permitted
Storage Capacity
- The camera must be capable of recording and storing a minimum of 15 days of image storage and must record images at a resolution of at least 720 x 576 pixels
- Minimum Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage of no less than 8 GB - A warranty of 5 years (or greater) on the Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage shall be
provided
Camera Head
- The camera must be a two lens design that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the vehicle The wide angle lens must provide a view of the driver and front passengers seat and the narrow angle lens a view that captures the rest of the passenger seating area
- The camera must be capable of recording in colour - The camera must be equipped with infrared lighting source and operate automatically and in
conjunction with image capture for day and night use to produce high quality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition
- The camera and all system components shall be installed in a manner that does not interfere with the drivers vision or view of mirrors or otherwise normal operation of the vehicle
- The camera head shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The camera must be able to produce clear pictures
- NOTE Vehicles equipped with a shield must be equipped with a 2 (two) camera system One camera shall be located in the approved location as set out above and the second camera shall be situated such that the lens is against the shield so to produce a clear image of the passengers in the rear seat
Page 1
APPENDIX 2pound1-14
Storage Device
(Recorder)
- All stored images must be time and date stamped including a vehicle identification number (Plate or car number)
- Each recorded image shall be automatically stamped with a unique and non-modifiable code that identifies the controller that was used to record the image each image shall also display the image number and the total number of images in that clip (eg image 3 of 256 etc)
- The image storage unit shall be concealed from view and effectively inaccessible except by authorized personnel
- The recorder shall be impact resistant sufficient to withstand a typical car accident or striking with a large heavy object such as a suitcase
- The image storage unit shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The recorder shall be equipped with a communication port for downloading by authorized personnel This port shall be located in the glove compartment of the vehicle situated so as not to be accidentally damaged during regular taxicab business
- The recorder shall be able to support secure download speeds that will allow an 8GB memory card (with 15 days of images) to be downloaded in less than 15 minutes
Public Notices
- The system shall have no microphone or audio recording capabilities - Decals must be installed on the right and left rear windows of the vehicle to advise
passengers that a digital camera system is in operation The decals must be printed with a double-sided message for interior and exterior visibility
- The decals will read This vehicle is fitted with camera security YOU WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED
Poor Meter Activation
- The recorder shall activate when any door is opened and upon meter activation with a minimum of 1 (one) image being recorded every second for the 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after the door opening (ie a total of 20 images for the wide angle camera and 20 images for the narrow angle camera) The recorder shall capture additional images recording at a rate of 1 (one) image every 10 seconds until superseded by a higher priority trigger or until the recorder enters the sleep mode The recorder shall reset if a door is opened prior to completing any cycle
Manual Activation
- The driverowner shall have no control of the imaging system except for the emergency activation button
Page 2
EMS APPENDIX 2
Emergency Activation
- An emergency activation button will lock into memory a minimum of 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens prior to the activation and 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens after the activation (for a total of 1200 images) The unit must be capable of recording storing and locking in all emergency activation images for 3 events with a minimum of 1200 images per event (600 images per camera lens) These images shall be stored for a minimum 72 hours before they can be recorded over
Downloading
- AH stored images shall be secured in a way to prevent unauthorized access - Provisions shall be made by all approved manufacturers to provide a means of downloading
images using the camera imagerecorder unit removed from the vehicle The use of a docking station and power converter must be supplied with the software
- Stored images must be protected to prevent unauthorized access or download - It shall be possible to determine if the image has been manipulated in any way This may be
done by using signature encryption
System Information
- The unit manufacturer shall have a service log shipped with the unit and will be marked with the serial number and provision for the installer to indicate the installation date The manufacturer shall also enclose detailed instructions for the driversowners with each unit shipped An installation manual shall also be furnished to authorized installers and fleet operators
- The system shall be provided with clear and concise operation instructions which are written with due consideration to varying levels of literacy
Test Centre Inspections
- The driver shall have an indicator showing when the system is operational and when there is a malfunction These indicators shall be mountedinstalled for the drivers vision only and not to be visible by a front or rear seat passenger(s) The indication system shall incorporate the following minimum features
a) normal displaysystem operational - green b) valid image capture - flashing green c) emergency activation memory full - alternating redgreen flashes d) system malfunction - red flashing continuous until fault cleared
- Where a system is fitted with an indicator to show that the system is on this indicator shall be separate to those listed above or of a different colour to avoid any possible confusion on the part of the driver using the system
- The system shall be designed and installed such that the system may be easily tested by the License Issuer or designate to ensure that all features are operating and that images are recorded as prescribed
- The camera vendors shall provide free of charge Inspection Software that will allow the License Issuer to confirm that all triggers are working and that the camera is correctly aimed
Page3
ei-i(o APPENDIX 2
The unit shall have a test port located in the vehicle glove compartment that will allow the License Issuer to connect a laptop with Inspection Software
General
- The system shall provide reliable and full functionality in all operational and environmental conditions encountered in the operation of taxis
- It shall be possible to change timing and parameters without the requirement to change components
- The recording system shall be configured such that recording of images will automatically commence re-recordings once the image capacity has been reached The oldest images shall be overwritten first
Revised Feb 27 2013
Page4
ei-
Imnroner Installation
The installation of the taxi camerasystems is inconsistent from one vehicle to another Theway the systems are designed to work is such that when the cab doors are opened the interior dome light is activated and the camera system is triggered to begin capturing and saving images Occasionally the cab drivers disconnect the dome light and unknowingly deactivate the camera system This situation is only discovered and remedied if the cab requires an image download or during a city inspectionof the system We have alsoencountered a number of improperly installed systems that are only triggered by meter activation and not by the required door triggers Hence no images were captured in a Peelcase that involved suspects stealinga cab and driving it around the Region before abandoning the vehicle
Another issue is the increasing number of taxi cabs that appear to have second hand systems installed by non approved facilities as a cost saving measure More often than not these systems were not functioning correctly in the first place have not been repaired and give a false sense of security to the taxi driver who believes images are being recorded
Image OualitvNumber of Images
When the cabcamerasystemsare functioning as designed the downloaded images are very useful in an investigation The technology continues to Improve and the newer updated systems produce more images of a higher quality
Depending on the size of the compact flash card purchased (for SilentWitness) or the hard drive installed (Verifeye) both systems need to savesignificantly more images FIS personneloften find that systems have overwritten the relevant images by the time the cab attends forensic identification services for the download
Thenewer updates forVerifEye save more images and In fact have a video component in the latest versions Several cabs attended FIS recently that have the original Verifeye system installed and retain a mere 512 imagesThe incidents that are of interest to the police are often longoverwritten - one busyshift in the caboverwrites the entiredrive Alot ofthe drivers are under the impression that the cabs save images for up to three months They are frustrated and disappointed to learn that the images have been so quicklyand easilyerased
Single Camera vs Dual Head Camera OptionsBroken Cameras
The majority of cabs within the region are still using a single camera system Dual head cameras are now available and greatly improve the quality of the images obtained The wider view allows better visuals of the driver front passenger and second row seats They dont have the distortion that is often observed in single camera systems or the fishbowl effect so often observed in downloaded images Inminivan cabs dual cameras are a necessity inorder to cover thesecond and third row of passengers
ei-9
Peel recently had a case where the camera appeared to be operating but upon further inspection revealed that it was not in fact capturing any images This discovery could only be determined AFTER the download was complete which took approximately four hours This was time consuming and frustrating for the person performing the download and stressful for the driver who lost significant income as a result of trying to assist the police
Time Consuming Downloads
The now out-of-date Silent Witness System takes an inordinate amount oftime to download images The date and time display is ALWAYS out of sync with the actual date and time Many cabs will display dates that are inaccurate by years As a result when trying to search and retrieve images a full rather than partial archive must be done This means that thousands of images are downloaded over several hours This is an inefficient use of our FIS resources as well as a source of contention
with cab drivers
The VerifEye system will adjust the date and time to reflect the real date and time so it makes locating images much quicker Downloads are still time consuming on the older version of the software but are amazingly fast on the newer versions reducing download times to less than thirty minutes
RECOMMENDATIONS
1 Technical specifications in the by-law related to approved camera and recording devices should be updated Key areas for enhancement include
bull The ability to capture and store high quality images (with a minimum resolution standard) for at least 24 hours of norma) cab operation
bull Two head camera systems should be mandatory bull Triggers that activate the camera and recording system should be standardized including
opening ofany car door and the activation ofthe fare system (with or without interior dome light activation)
bull Demonstrated capacity by approved vendors to offer prompt service and support for their equipment to cab owners cab drivers and Peel Regional Police
2 The equipment installation process would benefit from being tightly regulated through the establishment ofapproved installation sites All installations should be undertaken by an approved site Such sites should be audited annually to ensure the quality of the installation is consistent with the manufacturers specifications
bull Cameras and recording devices should be located in the same area in each vehicle regardless of the manufacturer or type ofsystem
3 Annual inspectionsof recordingsystems by the city should allowCity Inspectors to determine if the camera and recording system are working as per the manufacturers specifications If a system is found to be inoperable procedure should allow for prompt repair A requirement to install all major software updates as they become available from the manufacturer should be part of the annual inspection process
ei-io
4 Sufficient penalties should be included fornon-compliance
SUMMARY
Retrieving evidence from taxi cab camera systems is becoming increasingly difficult and inconsistent Due to age poor maintenance and installation procedures videosurveillance systems are failing in increasing numbers These failures are putting cab drivers andthe general public at risk
e-l-ll
BASIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1 AColour CCD Dual Camera system that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the taxi so that the driver and front seat passenger are visible as well as all occupants of the rear passenger seat This request for the wide angle and narrow angle view is in direct response to incidents where the activity in the front of the taxi was critical in determining what events had transpired within the vehicle
2 High resolution camera that has sufficientilluminationto produce highquality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition Acolour CCD Camera option would prove invaluable in identifyingclothing of individuals under investigation If it can be demonstrated that the colour camera also allows for high quality images during night recording it would be the preferred option The camera must also be vendor approved for their particular product so that off the shelf cameras are not installed as an alternative
3 All digitalimagesmust be stored insequence until automaticallyoverwritten Ifa panic button system is included those images must be stored in a partitioned area of the drive or flash card to prevent deletion Witha larger storage driveflash cardperhaps more images can be saved in this mode
4 Minimal compression of the saved data to increase the possibility ofobtaining fine details in the image that will assist in identifyingpersons or property
5 Memory no less than 16 GB Industrial Grade memoryflash card would mean more images can be saved by the systems for longer periods of time Images being overwritten in a short period of time (sometimes as little as 48 hours) has been an ongoing problem for investigators and valuable evidence has been lost
6 Recording unit that is sealed to protect against environmental conditions damage and shock Unit must be tamper proof to prevent unauthorized access A connection must be available in and around the glove compartment of the vehicle to allow easy access and download of images by authorized personnel from Peel RegionalPoliceand the City Inspectors office City Inspectors must be able to check the camera and recording device when performing annual inspection of the taxi cab
7 Minimum of 10 to 15 days of image storage
8 Minimal frame rate of no less than 4 frames per second
9 Information attached to each image should include an accurate date time type of trigger serial number of the recording unit and taxi plate number
10 File Format
If images are stored in a proprietary format software must be provided by the vendor to authorized personnel to extract high quality images for best original evidence
If images are not stored in a proprietary format they must be stored in a high quality format (bitmap tiff or high resolution jpeg) The Forensic Unit at PRP would like the
6 HI
opportunityto examine the images presented byvendorsas recorded by their systems to determine if the quality meets the standard required for identifying possible suspects andor property
11 Image triggers need to be consistent in every taxi
12 Reliable system indicator that alerts the cabownerdriver as wellas the city inspector and forensic police personnel if the system is functioningor not Recent cab examinations have shown that some of the indicators are faultyand on one occasion appeared to be simply a light box with no connection at ail to the in-car camera system
13 Guaranteed vendor technical support beyond regular business hours for troubleshooting any issues that mayarise during a downloadof imagesdue to hardware or software malfunctions Training materials provided by vendor to assist in educating Peel Regional Police Forensic personneland City Inspectorsin proper download techniques for their software
14 Demonstrations of technologyby vendor would be appreciated to show that their systems meet the specifications - images are easilyextracted image quality is highespeciallyfrom night recordings
15 Vendorapproved installers in eachcitywouldmeanthere is consistencyin installation of the camerasystems as wellas proper maintenance follow up and accountability There have been a number of instances of improperly installed systems that have led to the loss of valuable evidence in police investigations
Prepared Bv Miriam Windmoller
Video Analyst Forensic Identification Services
Peel Regional Police
January 29 2013
El-Ci APPENDIX 2
Specifications for Digital Taxi Cameras
Operational Specifications
The specifications outlined below are the minimum standard required to comply with the City of Brampton Policy
- The approved system must be 100 solid state design and operational between 8 and 15 volts DC and be protected against reverse voltage short circuits and high voltage transients likely to be encountered in the vehicle electrical system
- The system shall not interfere with any other systems on board the taxi and shall itself not be effected in any way by any sources of interference likely encountered on the taxi
- The system shall have a back up system to preserve images in the event of loss of power - The system shall be equipped with industrial grade flash memory - Battery back-up will not be permitted
Storage Capacity
- The camera must be capable of recording and storing a minimum of 15 days of image storage and must record images at a resolution of at least 720 x 576 pixels
- Minimum Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage of no less than 8 GB - A warranty of 5 years (or greater) on the Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage shall be
provided
Camera Head
- The camera must be a two lens design that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the vehicle The wide angle lens must provide a view of the driver and front passengers seat and the narrow angle lens a view that captures the rest of the passenger seating area
- The camera must be capable of recording in colour - The camera must be equipped with infrared lighting source and operate automatically and in
conjunction with image capture for day and night use to produce high quality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition
- The camera and all system components shall be installed in a manner that does not interfere with the drivers vision or view of mirrors or otherwise normal operation of the vehicle
- The camera head shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The camera must be able to produce clear pictures
- NOTE Vehicles equipped with a shield must be equipped with a 2 (two) camera system One camera shall be located in the approved location as set out above and the second camera shall be situated such that the lens is against the shield so to produce a clear image of the passengers in the rear seat
Page 1
APPENDIX 2pound1-14
Storage Device
(Recorder)
- All stored images must be time and date stamped including a vehicle identification number (Plate or car number)
- Each recorded image shall be automatically stamped with a unique and non-modifiable code that identifies the controller that was used to record the image each image shall also display the image number and the total number of images in that clip (eg image 3 of 256 etc)
- The image storage unit shall be concealed from view and effectively inaccessible except by authorized personnel
- The recorder shall be impact resistant sufficient to withstand a typical car accident or striking with a large heavy object such as a suitcase
- The image storage unit shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The recorder shall be equipped with a communication port for downloading by authorized personnel This port shall be located in the glove compartment of the vehicle situated so as not to be accidentally damaged during regular taxicab business
- The recorder shall be able to support secure download speeds that will allow an 8GB memory card (with 15 days of images) to be downloaded in less than 15 minutes
Public Notices
- The system shall have no microphone or audio recording capabilities - Decals must be installed on the right and left rear windows of the vehicle to advise
passengers that a digital camera system is in operation The decals must be printed with a double-sided message for interior and exterior visibility
- The decals will read This vehicle is fitted with camera security YOU WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED
Poor Meter Activation
- The recorder shall activate when any door is opened and upon meter activation with a minimum of 1 (one) image being recorded every second for the 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after the door opening (ie a total of 20 images for the wide angle camera and 20 images for the narrow angle camera) The recorder shall capture additional images recording at a rate of 1 (one) image every 10 seconds until superseded by a higher priority trigger or until the recorder enters the sleep mode The recorder shall reset if a door is opened prior to completing any cycle
Manual Activation
- The driverowner shall have no control of the imaging system except for the emergency activation button
Page 2
EMS APPENDIX 2
Emergency Activation
- An emergency activation button will lock into memory a minimum of 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens prior to the activation and 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens after the activation (for a total of 1200 images) The unit must be capable of recording storing and locking in all emergency activation images for 3 events with a minimum of 1200 images per event (600 images per camera lens) These images shall be stored for a minimum 72 hours before they can be recorded over
Downloading
- AH stored images shall be secured in a way to prevent unauthorized access - Provisions shall be made by all approved manufacturers to provide a means of downloading
images using the camera imagerecorder unit removed from the vehicle The use of a docking station and power converter must be supplied with the software
- Stored images must be protected to prevent unauthorized access or download - It shall be possible to determine if the image has been manipulated in any way This may be
done by using signature encryption
System Information
- The unit manufacturer shall have a service log shipped with the unit and will be marked with the serial number and provision for the installer to indicate the installation date The manufacturer shall also enclose detailed instructions for the driversowners with each unit shipped An installation manual shall also be furnished to authorized installers and fleet operators
- The system shall be provided with clear and concise operation instructions which are written with due consideration to varying levels of literacy
Test Centre Inspections
- The driver shall have an indicator showing when the system is operational and when there is a malfunction These indicators shall be mountedinstalled for the drivers vision only and not to be visible by a front or rear seat passenger(s) The indication system shall incorporate the following minimum features
a) normal displaysystem operational - green b) valid image capture - flashing green c) emergency activation memory full - alternating redgreen flashes d) system malfunction - red flashing continuous until fault cleared
- Where a system is fitted with an indicator to show that the system is on this indicator shall be separate to those listed above or of a different colour to avoid any possible confusion on the part of the driver using the system
- The system shall be designed and installed such that the system may be easily tested by the License Issuer or designate to ensure that all features are operating and that images are recorded as prescribed
- The camera vendors shall provide free of charge Inspection Software that will allow the License Issuer to confirm that all triggers are working and that the camera is correctly aimed
Page3
ei-i(o APPENDIX 2
The unit shall have a test port located in the vehicle glove compartment that will allow the License Issuer to connect a laptop with Inspection Software
General
- The system shall provide reliable and full functionality in all operational and environmental conditions encountered in the operation of taxis
- It shall be possible to change timing and parameters without the requirement to change components
- The recording system shall be configured such that recording of images will automatically commence re-recordings once the image capacity has been reached The oldest images shall be overwritten first
Revised Feb 27 2013
Page4
ei-9
Peel recently had a case where the camera appeared to be operating but upon further inspection revealed that it was not in fact capturing any images This discovery could only be determined AFTER the download was complete which took approximately four hours This was time consuming and frustrating for the person performing the download and stressful for the driver who lost significant income as a result of trying to assist the police
Time Consuming Downloads
The now out-of-date Silent Witness System takes an inordinate amount oftime to download images The date and time display is ALWAYS out of sync with the actual date and time Many cabs will display dates that are inaccurate by years As a result when trying to search and retrieve images a full rather than partial archive must be done This means that thousands of images are downloaded over several hours This is an inefficient use of our FIS resources as well as a source of contention
with cab drivers
The VerifEye system will adjust the date and time to reflect the real date and time so it makes locating images much quicker Downloads are still time consuming on the older version of the software but are amazingly fast on the newer versions reducing download times to less than thirty minutes
RECOMMENDATIONS
1 Technical specifications in the by-law related to approved camera and recording devices should be updated Key areas for enhancement include
bull The ability to capture and store high quality images (with a minimum resolution standard) for at least 24 hours of norma) cab operation
bull Two head camera systems should be mandatory bull Triggers that activate the camera and recording system should be standardized including
opening ofany car door and the activation ofthe fare system (with or without interior dome light activation)
bull Demonstrated capacity by approved vendors to offer prompt service and support for their equipment to cab owners cab drivers and Peel Regional Police
2 The equipment installation process would benefit from being tightly regulated through the establishment ofapproved installation sites All installations should be undertaken by an approved site Such sites should be audited annually to ensure the quality of the installation is consistent with the manufacturers specifications
bull Cameras and recording devices should be located in the same area in each vehicle regardless of the manufacturer or type ofsystem
3 Annual inspectionsof recordingsystems by the city should allowCity Inspectors to determine if the camera and recording system are working as per the manufacturers specifications If a system is found to be inoperable procedure should allow for prompt repair A requirement to install all major software updates as they become available from the manufacturer should be part of the annual inspection process
ei-io
4 Sufficient penalties should be included fornon-compliance
SUMMARY
Retrieving evidence from taxi cab camera systems is becoming increasingly difficult and inconsistent Due to age poor maintenance and installation procedures videosurveillance systems are failing in increasing numbers These failures are putting cab drivers andthe general public at risk
e-l-ll
BASIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1 AColour CCD Dual Camera system that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the taxi so that the driver and front seat passenger are visible as well as all occupants of the rear passenger seat This request for the wide angle and narrow angle view is in direct response to incidents where the activity in the front of the taxi was critical in determining what events had transpired within the vehicle
2 High resolution camera that has sufficientilluminationto produce highquality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition Acolour CCD Camera option would prove invaluable in identifyingclothing of individuals under investigation If it can be demonstrated that the colour camera also allows for high quality images during night recording it would be the preferred option The camera must also be vendor approved for their particular product so that off the shelf cameras are not installed as an alternative
3 All digitalimagesmust be stored insequence until automaticallyoverwritten Ifa panic button system is included those images must be stored in a partitioned area of the drive or flash card to prevent deletion Witha larger storage driveflash cardperhaps more images can be saved in this mode
4 Minimal compression of the saved data to increase the possibility ofobtaining fine details in the image that will assist in identifyingpersons or property
5 Memory no less than 16 GB Industrial Grade memoryflash card would mean more images can be saved by the systems for longer periods of time Images being overwritten in a short period of time (sometimes as little as 48 hours) has been an ongoing problem for investigators and valuable evidence has been lost
6 Recording unit that is sealed to protect against environmental conditions damage and shock Unit must be tamper proof to prevent unauthorized access A connection must be available in and around the glove compartment of the vehicle to allow easy access and download of images by authorized personnel from Peel RegionalPoliceand the City Inspectors office City Inspectors must be able to check the camera and recording device when performing annual inspection of the taxi cab
7 Minimum of 10 to 15 days of image storage
8 Minimal frame rate of no less than 4 frames per second
9 Information attached to each image should include an accurate date time type of trigger serial number of the recording unit and taxi plate number
10 File Format
If images are stored in a proprietary format software must be provided by the vendor to authorized personnel to extract high quality images for best original evidence
If images are not stored in a proprietary format they must be stored in a high quality format (bitmap tiff or high resolution jpeg) The Forensic Unit at PRP would like the
6 HI
opportunityto examine the images presented byvendorsas recorded by their systems to determine if the quality meets the standard required for identifying possible suspects andor property
11 Image triggers need to be consistent in every taxi
12 Reliable system indicator that alerts the cabownerdriver as wellas the city inspector and forensic police personnel if the system is functioningor not Recent cab examinations have shown that some of the indicators are faultyand on one occasion appeared to be simply a light box with no connection at ail to the in-car camera system
13 Guaranteed vendor technical support beyond regular business hours for troubleshooting any issues that mayarise during a downloadof imagesdue to hardware or software malfunctions Training materials provided by vendor to assist in educating Peel Regional Police Forensic personneland City Inspectorsin proper download techniques for their software
14 Demonstrations of technologyby vendor would be appreciated to show that their systems meet the specifications - images are easilyextracted image quality is highespeciallyfrom night recordings
15 Vendorapproved installers in eachcitywouldmeanthere is consistencyin installation of the camerasystems as wellas proper maintenance follow up and accountability There have been a number of instances of improperly installed systems that have led to the loss of valuable evidence in police investigations
Prepared Bv Miriam Windmoller
Video Analyst Forensic Identification Services
Peel Regional Police
January 29 2013
El-Ci APPENDIX 2
Specifications for Digital Taxi Cameras
Operational Specifications
The specifications outlined below are the minimum standard required to comply with the City of Brampton Policy
- The approved system must be 100 solid state design and operational between 8 and 15 volts DC and be protected against reverse voltage short circuits and high voltage transients likely to be encountered in the vehicle electrical system
- The system shall not interfere with any other systems on board the taxi and shall itself not be effected in any way by any sources of interference likely encountered on the taxi
- The system shall have a back up system to preserve images in the event of loss of power - The system shall be equipped with industrial grade flash memory - Battery back-up will not be permitted
Storage Capacity
- The camera must be capable of recording and storing a minimum of 15 days of image storage and must record images at a resolution of at least 720 x 576 pixels
- Minimum Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage of no less than 8 GB - A warranty of 5 years (or greater) on the Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage shall be
provided
Camera Head
- The camera must be a two lens design that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the vehicle The wide angle lens must provide a view of the driver and front passengers seat and the narrow angle lens a view that captures the rest of the passenger seating area
- The camera must be capable of recording in colour - The camera must be equipped with infrared lighting source and operate automatically and in
conjunction with image capture for day and night use to produce high quality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition
- The camera and all system components shall be installed in a manner that does not interfere with the drivers vision or view of mirrors or otherwise normal operation of the vehicle
- The camera head shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The camera must be able to produce clear pictures
- NOTE Vehicles equipped with a shield must be equipped with a 2 (two) camera system One camera shall be located in the approved location as set out above and the second camera shall be situated such that the lens is against the shield so to produce a clear image of the passengers in the rear seat
Page 1
APPENDIX 2pound1-14
Storage Device
(Recorder)
- All stored images must be time and date stamped including a vehicle identification number (Plate or car number)
- Each recorded image shall be automatically stamped with a unique and non-modifiable code that identifies the controller that was used to record the image each image shall also display the image number and the total number of images in that clip (eg image 3 of 256 etc)
- The image storage unit shall be concealed from view and effectively inaccessible except by authorized personnel
- The recorder shall be impact resistant sufficient to withstand a typical car accident or striking with a large heavy object such as a suitcase
- The image storage unit shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The recorder shall be equipped with a communication port for downloading by authorized personnel This port shall be located in the glove compartment of the vehicle situated so as not to be accidentally damaged during regular taxicab business
- The recorder shall be able to support secure download speeds that will allow an 8GB memory card (with 15 days of images) to be downloaded in less than 15 minutes
Public Notices
- The system shall have no microphone or audio recording capabilities - Decals must be installed on the right and left rear windows of the vehicle to advise
passengers that a digital camera system is in operation The decals must be printed with a double-sided message for interior and exterior visibility
- The decals will read This vehicle is fitted with camera security YOU WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED
Poor Meter Activation
- The recorder shall activate when any door is opened and upon meter activation with a minimum of 1 (one) image being recorded every second for the 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after the door opening (ie a total of 20 images for the wide angle camera and 20 images for the narrow angle camera) The recorder shall capture additional images recording at a rate of 1 (one) image every 10 seconds until superseded by a higher priority trigger or until the recorder enters the sleep mode The recorder shall reset if a door is opened prior to completing any cycle
Manual Activation
- The driverowner shall have no control of the imaging system except for the emergency activation button
Page 2
EMS APPENDIX 2
Emergency Activation
- An emergency activation button will lock into memory a minimum of 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens prior to the activation and 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens after the activation (for a total of 1200 images) The unit must be capable of recording storing and locking in all emergency activation images for 3 events with a minimum of 1200 images per event (600 images per camera lens) These images shall be stored for a minimum 72 hours before they can be recorded over
Downloading
- AH stored images shall be secured in a way to prevent unauthorized access - Provisions shall be made by all approved manufacturers to provide a means of downloading
images using the camera imagerecorder unit removed from the vehicle The use of a docking station and power converter must be supplied with the software
- Stored images must be protected to prevent unauthorized access or download - It shall be possible to determine if the image has been manipulated in any way This may be
done by using signature encryption
System Information
- The unit manufacturer shall have a service log shipped with the unit and will be marked with the serial number and provision for the installer to indicate the installation date The manufacturer shall also enclose detailed instructions for the driversowners with each unit shipped An installation manual shall also be furnished to authorized installers and fleet operators
- The system shall be provided with clear and concise operation instructions which are written with due consideration to varying levels of literacy
Test Centre Inspections
- The driver shall have an indicator showing when the system is operational and when there is a malfunction These indicators shall be mountedinstalled for the drivers vision only and not to be visible by a front or rear seat passenger(s) The indication system shall incorporate the following minimum features
a) normal displaysystem operational - green b) valid image capture - flashing green c) emergency activation memory full - alternating redgreen flashes d) system malfunction - red flashing continuous until fault cleared
- Where a system is fitted with an indicator to show that the system is on this indicator shall be separate to those listed above or of a different colour to avoid any possible confusion on the part of the driver using the system
- The system shall be designed and installed such that the system may be easily tested by the License Issuer or designate to ensure that all features are operating and that images are recorded as prescribed
- The camera vendors shall provide free of charge Inspection Software that will allow the License Issuer to confirm that all triggers are working and that the camera is correctly aimed
Page3
ei-i(o APPENDIX 2
The unit shall have a test port located in the vehicle glove compartment that will allow the License Issuer to connect a laptop with Inspection Software
General
- The system shall provide reliable and full functionality in all operational and environmental conditions encountered in the operation of taxis
- It shall be possible to change timing and parameters without the requirement to change components
- The recording system shall be configured such that recording of images will automatically commence re-recordings once the image capacity has been reached The oldest images shall be overwritten first
Revised Feb 27 2013
Page4
ei-io
4 Sufficient penalties should be included fornon-compliance
SUMMARY
Retrieving evidence from taxi cab camera systems is becoming increasingly difficult and inconsistent Due to age poor maintenance and installation procedures videosurveillance systems are failing in increasing numbers These failures are putting cab drivers andthe general public at risk
e-l-ll
BASIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1 AColour CCD Dual Camera system that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the taxi so that the driver and front seat passenger are visible as well as all occupants of the rear passenger seat This request for the wide angle and narrow angle view is in direct response to incidents where the activity in the front of the taxi was critical in determining what events had transpired within the vehicle
2 High resolution camera that has sufficientilluminationto produce highquality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition Acolour CCD Camera option would prove invaluable in identifyingclothing of individuals under investigation If it can be demonstrated that the colour camera also allows for high quality images during night recording it would be the preferred option The camera must also be vendor approved for their particular product so that off the shelf cameras are not installed as an alternative
3 All digitalimagesmust be stored insequence until automaticallyoverwritten Ifa panic button system is included those images must be stored in a partitioned area of the drive or flash card to prevent deletion Witha larger storage driveflash cardperhaps more images can be saved in this mode
4 Minimal compression of the saved data to increase the possibility ofobtaining fine details in the image that will assist in identifyingpersons or property
5 Memory no less than 16 GB Industrial Grade memoryflash card would mean more images can be saved by the systems for longer periods of time Images being overwritten in a short period of time (sometimes as little as 48 hours) has been an ongoing problem for investigators and valuable evidence has been lost
6 Recording unit that is sealed to protect against environmental conditions damage and shock Unit must be tamper proof to prevent unauthorized access A connection must be available in and around the glove compartment of the vehicle to allow easy access and download of images by authorized personnel from Peel RegionalPoliceand the City Inspectors office City Inspectors must be able to check the camera and recording device when performing annual inspection of the taxi cab
7 Minimum of 10 to 15 days of image storage
8 Minimal frame rate of no less than 4 frames per second
9 Information attached to each image should include an accurate date time type of trigger serial number of the recording unit and taxi plate number
10 File Format
If images are stored in a proprietary format software must be provided by the vendor to authorized personnel to extract high quality images for best original evidence
If images are not stored in a proprietary format they must be stored in a high quality format (bitmap tiff or high resolution jpeg) The Forensic Unit at PRP would like the
6 HI
opportunityto examine the images presented byvendorsas recorded by their systems to determine if the quality meets the standard required for identifying possible suspects andor property
11 Image triggers need to be consistent in every taxi
12 Reliable system indicator that alerts the cabownerdriver as wellas the city inspector and forensic police personnel if the system is functioningor not Recent cab examinations have shown that some of the indicators are faultyand on one occasion appeared to be simply a light box with no connection at ail to the in-car camera system
13 Guaranteed vendor technical support beyond regular business hours for troubleshooting any issues that mayarise during a downloadof imagesdue to hardware or software malfunctions Training materials provided by vendor to assist in educating Peel Regional Police Forensic personneland City Inspectorsin proper download techniques for their software
14 Demonstrations of technologyby vendor would be appreciated to show that their systems meet the specifications - images are easilyextracted image quality is highespeciallyfrom night recordings
15 Vendorapproved installers in eachcitywouldmeanthere is consistencyin installation of the camerasystems as wellas proper maintenance follow up and accountability There have been a number of instances of improperly installed systems that have led to the loss of valuable evidence in police investigations
Prepared Bv Miriam Windmoller
Video Analyst Forensic Identification Services
Peel Regional Police
January 29 2013
El-Ci APPENDIX 2
Specifications for Digital Taxi Cameras
Operational Specifications
The specifications outlined below are the minimum standard required to comply with the City of Brampton Policy
- The approved system must be 100 solid state design and operational between 8 and 15 volts DC and be protected against reverse voltage short circuits and high voltage transients likely to be encountered in the vehicle electrical system
- The system shall not interfere with any other systems on board the taxi and shall itself not be effected in any way by any sources of interference likely encountered on the taxi
- The system shall have a back up system to preserve images in the event of loss of power - The system shall be equipped with industrial grade flash memory - Battery back-up will not be permitted
Storage Capacity
- The camera must be capable of recording and storing a minimum of 15 days of image storage and must record images at a resolution of at least 720 x 576 pixels
- Minimum Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage of no less than 8 GB - A warranty of 5 years (or greater) on the Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage shall be
provided
Camera Head
- The camera must be a two lens design that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the vehicle The wide angle lens must provide a view of the driver and front passengers seat and the narrow angle lens a view that captures the rest of the passenger seating area
- The camera must be capable of recording in colour - The camera must be equipped with infrared lighting source and operate automatically and in
conjunction with image capture for day and night use to produce high quality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition
- The camera and all system components shall be installed in a manner that does not interfere with the drivers vision or view of mirrors or otherwise normal operation of the vehicle
- The camera head shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The camera must be able to produce clear pictures
- NOTE Vehicles equipped with a shield must be equipped with a 2 (two) camera system One camera shall be located in the approved location as set out above and the second camera shall be situated such that the lens is against the shield so to produce a clear image of the passengers in the rear seat
Page 1
APPENDIX 2pound1-14
Storage Device
(Recorder)
- All stored images must be time and date stamped including a vehicle identification number (Plate or car number)
- Each recorded image shall be automatically stamped with a unique and non-modifiable code that identifies the controller that was used to record the image each image shall also display the image number and the total number of images in that clip (eg image 3 of 256 etc)
- The image storage unit shall be concealed from view and effectively inaccessible except by authorized personnel
- The recorder shall be impact resistant sufficient to withstand a typical car accident or striking with a large heavy object such as a suitcase
- The image storage unit shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The recorder shall be equipped with a communication port for downloading by authorized personnel This port shall be located in the glove compartment of the vehicle situated so as not to be accidentally damaged during regular taxicab business
- The recorder shall be able to support secure download speeds that will allow an 8GB memory card (with 15 days of images) to be downloaded in less than 15 minutes
Public Notices
- The system shall have no microphone or audio recording capabilities - Decals must be installed on the right and left rear windows of the vehicle to advise
passengers that a digital camera system is in operation The decals must be printed with a double-sided message for interior and exterior visibility
- The decals will read This vehicle is fitted with camera security YOU WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED
Poor Meter Activation
- The recorder shall activate when any door is opened and upon meter activation with a minimum of 1 (one) image being recorded every second for the 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after the door opening (ie a total of 20 images for the wide angle camera and 20 images for the narrow angle camera) The recorder shall capture additional images recording at a rate of 1 (one) image every 10 seconds until superseded by a higher priority trigger or until the recorder enters the sleep mode The recorder shall reset if a door is opened prior to completing any cycle
Manual Activation
- The driverowner shall have no control of the imaging system except for the emergency activation button
Page 2
EMS APPENDIX 2
Emergency Activation
- An emergency activation button will lock into memory a minimum of 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens prior to the activation and 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens after the activation (for a total of 1200 images) The unit must be capable of recording storing and locking in all emergency activation images for 3 events with a minimum of 1200 images per event (600 images per camera lens) These images shall be stored for a minimum 72 hours before they can be recorded over
Downloading
- AH stored images shall be secured in a way to prevent unauthorized access - Provisions shall be made by all approved manufacturers to provide a means of downloading
images using the camera imagerecorder unit removed from the vehicle The use of a docking station and power converter must be supplied with the software
- Stored images must be protected to prevent unauthorized access or download - It shall be possible to determine if the image has been manipulated in any way This may be
done by using signature encryption
System Information
- The unit manufacturer shall have a service log shipped with the unit and will be marked with the serial number and provision for the installer to indicate the installation date The manufacturer shall also enclose detailed instructions for the driversowners with each unit shipped An installation manual shall also be furnished to authorized installers and fleet operators
- The system shall be provided with clear and concise operation instructions which are written with due consideration to varying levels of literacy
Test Centre Inspections
- The driver shall have an indicator showing when the system is operational and when there is a malfunction These indicators shall be mountedinstalled for the drivers vision only and not to be visible by a front or rear seat passenger(s) The indication system shall incorporate the following minimum features
a) normal displaysystem operational - green b) valid image capture - flashing green c) emergency activation memory full - alternating redgreen flashes d) system malfunction - red flashing continuous until fault cleared
- Where a system is fitted with an indicator to show that the system is on this indicator shall be separate to those listed above or of a different colour to avoid any possible confusion on the part of the driver using the system
- The system shall be designed and installed such that the system may be easily tested by the License Issuer or designate to ensure that all features are operating and that images are recorded as prescribed
- The camera vendors shall provide free of charge Inspection Software that will allow the License Issuer to confirm that all triggers are working and that the camera is correctly aimed
Page3
ei-i(o APPENDIX 2
The unit shall have a test port located in the vehicle glove compartment that will allow the License Issuer to connect a laptop with Inspection Software
General
- The system shall provide reliable and full functionality in all operational and environmental conditions encountered in the operation of taxis
- It shall be possible to change timing and parameters without the requirement to change components
- The recording system shall be configured such that recording of images will automatically commence re-recordings once the image capacity has been reached The oldest images shall be overwritten first
Revised Feb 27 2013
Page4
e-l-ll
BASIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1 AColour CCD Dual Camera system that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the taxi so that the driver and front seat passenger are visible as well as all occupants of the rear passenger seat This request for the wide angle and narrow angle view is in direct response to incidents where the activity in the front of the taxi was critical in determining what events had transpired within the vehicle
2 High resolution camera that has sufficientilluminationto produce highquality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition Acolour CCD Camera option would prove invaluable in identifyingclothing of individuals under investigation If it can be demonstrated that the colour camera also allows for high quality images during night recording it would be the preferred option The camera must also be vendor approved for their particular product so that off the shelf cameras are not installed as an alternative
3 All digitalimagesmust be stored insequence until automaticallyoverwritten Ifa panic button system is included those images must be stored in a partitioned area of the drive or flash card to prevent deletion Witha larger storage driveflash cardperhaps more images can be saved in this mode
4 Minimal compression of the saved data to increase the possibility ofobtaining fine details in the image that will assist in identifyingpersons or property
5 Memory no less than 16 GB Industrial Grade memoryflash card would mean more images can be saved by the systems for longer periods of time Images being overwritten in a short period of time (sometimes as little as 48 hours) has been an ongoing problem for investigators and valuable evidence has been lost
6 Recording unit that is sealed to protect against environmental conditions damage and shock Unit must be tamper proof to prevent unauthorized access A connection must be available in and around the glove compartment of the vehicle to allow easy access and download of images by authorized personnel from Peel RegionalPoliceand the City Inspectors office City Inspectors must be able to check the camera and recording device when performing annual inspection of the taxi cab
7 Minimum of 10 to 15 days of image storage
8 Minimal frame rate of no less than 4 frames per second
9 Information attached to each image should include an accurate date time type of trigger serial number of the recording unit and taxi plate number
10 File Format
If images are stored in a proprietary format software must be provided by the vendor to authorized personnel to extract high quality images for best original evidence
If images are not stored in a proprietary format they must be stored in a high quality format (bitmap tiff or high resolution jpeg) The Forensic Unit at PRP would like the
6 HI
opportunityto examine the images presented byvendorsas recorded by their systems to determine if the quality meets the standard required for identifying possible suspects andor property
11 Image triggers need to be consistent in every taxi
12 Reliable system indicator that alerts the cabownerdriver as wellas the city inspector and forensic police personnel if the system is functioningor not Recent cab examinations have shown that some of the indicators are faultyand on one occasion appeared to be simply a light box with no connection at ail to the in-car camera system
13 Guaranteed vendor technical support beyond regular business hours for troubleshooting any issues that mayarise during a downloadof imagesdue to hardware or software malfunctions Training materials provided by vendor to assist in educating Peel Regional Police Forensic personneland City Inspectorsin proper download techniques for their software
14 Demonstrations of technologyby vendor would be appreciated to show that their systems meet the specifications - images are easilyextracted image quality is highespeciallyfrom night recordings
15 Vendorapproved installers in eachcitywouldmeanthere is consistencyin installation of the camerasystems as wellas proper maintenance follow up and accountability There have been a number of instances of improperly installed systems that have led to the loss of valuable evidence in police investigations
Prepared Bv Miriam Windmoller
Video Analyst Forensic Identification Services
Peel Regional Police
January 29 2013
El-Ci APPENDIX 2
Specifications for Digital Taxi Cameras
Operational Specifications
The specifications outlined below are the minimum standard required to comply with the City of Brampton Policy
- The approved system must be 100 solid state design and operational between 8 and 15 volts DC and be protected against reverse voltage short circuits and high voltage transients likely to be encountered in the vehicle electrical system
- The system shall not interfere with any other systems on board the taxi and shall itself not be effected in any way by any sources of interference likely encountered on the taxi
- The system shall have a back up system to preserve images in the event of loss of power - The system shall be equipped with industrial grade flash memory - Battery back-up will not be permitted
Storage Capacity
- The camera must be capable of recording and storing a minimum of 15 days of image storage and must record images at a resolution of at least 720 x 576 pixels
- Minimum Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage of no less than 8 GB - A warranty of 5 years (or greater) on the Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage shall be
provided
Camera Head
- The camera must be a two lens design that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the vehicle The wide angle lens must provide a view of the driver and front passengers seat and the narrow angle lens a view that captures the rest of the passenger seating area
- The camera must be capable of recording in colour - The camera must be equipped with infrared lighting source and operate automatically and in
conjunction with image capture for day and night use to produce high quality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition
- The camera and all system components shall be installed in a manner that does not interfere with the drivers vision or view of mirrors or otherwise normal operation of the vehicle
- The camera head shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The camera must be able to produce clear pictures
- NOTE Vehicles equipped with a shield must be equipped with a 2 (two) camera system One camera shall be located in the approved location as set out above and the second camera shall be situated such that the lens is against the shield so to produce a clear image of the passengers in the rear seat
Page 1
APPENDIX 2pound1-14
Storage Device
(Recorder)
- All stored images must be time and date stamped including a vehicle identification number (Plate or car number)
- Each recorded image shall be automatically stamped with a unique and non-modifiable code that identifies the controller that was used to record the image each image shall also display the image number and the total number of images in that clip (eg image 3 of 256 etc)
- The image storage unit shall be concealed from view and effectively inaccessible except by authorized personnel
- The recorder shall be impact resistant sufficient to withstand a typical car accident or striking with a large heavy object such as a suitcase
- The image storage unit shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The recorder shall be equipped with a communication port for downloading by authorized personnel This port shall be located in the glove compartment of the vehicle situated so as not to be accidentally damaged during regular taxicab business
- The recorder shall be able to support secure download speeds that will allow an 8GB memory card (with 15 days of images) to be downloaded in less than 15 minutes
Public Notices
- The system shall have no microphone or audio recording capabilities - Decals must be installed on the right and left rear windows of the vehicle to advise
passengers that a digital camera system is in operation The decals must be printed with a double-sided message for interior and exterior visibility
- The decals will read This vehicle is fitted with camera security YOU WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED
Poor Meter Activation
- The recorder shall activate when any door is opened and upon meter activation with a minimum of 1 (one) image being recorded every second for the 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after the door opening (ie a total of 20 images for the wide angle camera and 20 images for the narrow angle camera) The recorder shall capture additional images recording at a rate of 1 (one) image every 10 seconds until superseded by a higher priority trigger or until the recorder enters the sleep mode The recorder shall reset if a door is opened prior to completing any cycle
Manual Activation
- The driverowner shall have no control of the imaging system except for the emergency activation button
Page 2
EMS APPENDIX 2
Emergency Activation
- An emergency activation button will lock into memory a minimum of 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens prior to the activation and 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens after the activation (for a total of 1200 images) The unit must be capable of recording storing and locking in all emergency activation images for 3 events with a minimum of 1200 images per event (600 images per camera lens) These images shall be stored for a minimum 72 hours before they can be recorded over
Downloading
- AH stored images shall be secured in a way to prevent unauthorized access - Provisions shall be made by all approved manufacturers to provide a means of downloading
images using the camera imagerecorder unit removed from the vehicle The use of a docking station and power converter must be supplied with the software
- Stored images must be protected to prevent unauthorized access or download - It shall be possible to determine if the image has been manipulated in any way This may be
done by using signature encryption
System Information
- The unit manufacturer shall have a service log shipped with the unit and will be marked with the serial number and provision for the installer to indicate the installation date The manufacturer shall also enclose detailed instructions for the driversowners with each unit shipped An installation manual shall also be furnished to authorized installers and fleet operators
- The system shall be provided with clear and concise operation instructions which are written with due consideration to varying levels of literacy
Test Centre Inspections
- The driver shall have an indicator showing when the system is operational and when there is a malfunction These indicators shall be mountedinstalled for the drivers vision only and not to be visible by a front or rear seat passenger(s) The indication system shall incorporate the following minimum features
a) normal displaysystem operational - green b) valid image capture - flashing green c) emergency activation memory full - alternating redgreen flashes d) system malfunction - red flashing continuous until fault cleared
- Where a system is fitted with an indicator to show that the system is on this indicator shall be separate to those listed above or of a different colour to avoid any possible confusion on the part of the driver using the system
- The system shall be designed and installed such that the system may be easily tested by the License Issuer or designate to ensure that all features are operating and that images are recorded as prescribed
- The camera vendors shall provide free of charge Inspection Software that will allow the License Issuer to confirm that all triggers are working and that the camera is correctly aimed
Page3
ei-i(o APPENDIX 2
The unit shall have a test port located in the vehicle glove compartment that will allow the License Issuer to connect a laptop with Inspection Software
General
- The system shall provide reliable and full functionality in all operational and environmental conditions encountered in the operation of taxis
- It shall be possible to change timing and parameters without the requirement to change components
- The recording system shall be configured such that recording of images will automatically commence re-recordings once the image capacity has been reached The oldest images shall be overwritten first
Revised Feb 27 2013
Page4
6 HI
opportunityto examine the images presented byvendorsas recorded by their systems to determine if the quality meets the standard required for identifying possible suspects andor property
11 Image triggers need to be consistent in every taxi
12 Reliable system indicator that alerts the cabownerdriver as wellas the city inspector and forensic police personnel if the system is functioningor not Recent cab examinations have shown that some of the indicators are faultyand on one occasion appeared to be simply a light box with no connection at ail to the in-car camera system
13 Guaranteed vendor technical support beyond regular business hours for troubleshooting any issues that mayarise during a downloadof imagesdue to hardware or software malfunctions Training materials provided by vendor to assist in educating Peel Regional Police Forensic personneland City Inspectorsin proper download techniques for their software
14 Demonstrations of technologyby vendor would be appreciated to show that their systems meet the specifications - images are easilyextracted image quality is highespeciallyfrom night recordings
15 Vendorapproved installers in eachcitywouldmeanthere is consistencyin installation of the camerasystems as wellas proper maintenance follow up and accountability There have been a number of instances of improperly installed systems that have led to the loss of valuable evidence in police investigations
Prepared Bv Miriam Windmoller
Video Analyst Forensic Identification Services
Peel Regional Police
January 29 2013
El-Ci APPENDIX 2
Specifications for Digital Taxi Cameras
Operational Specifications
The specifications outlined below are the minimum standard required to comply with the City of Brampton Policy
- The approved system must be 100 solid state design and operational between 8 and 15 volts DC and be protected against reverse voltage short circuits and high voltage transients likely to be encountered in the vehicle electrical system
- The system shall not interfere with any other systems on board the taxi and shall itself not be effected in any way by any sources of interference likely encountered on the taxi
- The system shall have a back up system to preserve images in the event of loss of power - The system shall be equipped with industrial grade flash memory - Battery back-up will not be permitted
Storage Capacity
- The camera must be capable of recording and storing a minimum of 15 days of image storage and must record images at a resolution of at least 720 x 576 pixels
- Minimum Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage of no less than 8 GB - A warranty of 5 years (or greater) on the Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage shall be
provided
Camera Head
- The camera must be a two lens design that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the vehicle The wide angle lens must provide a view of the driver and front passengers seat and the narrow angle lens a view that captures the rest of the passenger seating area
- The camera must be capable of recording in colour - The camera must be equipped with infrared lighting source and operate automatically and in
conjunction with image capture for day and night use to produce high quality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition
- The camera and all system components shall be installed in a manner that does not interfere with the drivers vision or view of mirrors or otherwise normal operation of the vehicle
- The camera head shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The camera must be able to produce clear pictures
- NOTE Vehicles equipped with a shield must be equipped with a 2 (two) camera system One camera shall be located in the approved location as set out above and the second camera shall be situated such that the lens is against the shield so to produce a clear image of the passengers in the rear seat
Page 1
APPENDIX 2pound1-14
Storage Device
(Recorder)
- All stored images must be time and date stamped including a vehicle identification number (Plate or car number)
- Each recorded image shall be automatically stamped with a unique and non-modifiable code that identifies the controller that was used to record the image each image shall also display the image number and the total number of images in that clip (eg image 3 of 256 etc)
- The image storage unit shall be concealed from view and effectively inaccessible except by authorized personnel
- The recorder shall be impact resistant sufficient to withstand a typical car accident or striking with a large heavy object such as a suitcase
- The image storage unit shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The recorder shall be equipped with a communication port for downloading by authorized personnel This port shall be located in the glove compartment of the vehicle situated so as not to be accidentally damaged during regular taxicab business
- The recorder shall be able to support secure download speeds that will allow an 8GB memory card (with 15 days of images) to be downloaded in less than 15 minutes
Public Notices
- The system shall have no microphone or audio recording capabilities - Decals must be installed on the right and left rear windows of the vehicle to advise
passengers that a digital camera system is in operation The decals must be printed with a double-sided message for interior and exterior visibility
- The decals will read This vehicle is fitted with camera security YOU WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED
Poor Meter Activation
- The recorder shall activate when any door is opened and upon meter activation with a minimum of 1 (one) image being recorded every second for the 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after the door opening (ie a total of 20 images for the wide angle camera and 20 images for the narrow angle camera) The recorder shall capture additional images recording at a rate of 1 (one) image every 10 seconds until superseded by a higher priority trigger or until the recorder enters the sleep mode The recorder shall reset if a door is opened prior to completing any cycle
Manual Activation
- The driverowner shall have no control of the imaging system except for the emergency activation button
Page 2
EMS APPENDIX 2
Emergency Activation
- An emergency activation button will lock into memory a minimum of 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens prior to the activation and 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens after the activation (for a total of 1200 images) The unit must be capable of recording storing and locking in all emergency activation images for 3 events with a minimum of 1200 images per event (600 images per camera lens) These images shall be stored for a minimum 72 hours before they can be recorded over
Downloading
- AH stored images shall be secured in a way to prevent unauthorized access - Provisions shall be made by all approved manufacturers to provide a means of downloading
images using the camera imagerecorder unit removed from the vehicle The use of a docking station and power converter must be supplied with the software
- Stored images must be protected to prevent unauthorized access or download - It shall be possible to determine if the image has been manipulated in any way This may be
done by using signature encryption
System Information
- The unit manufacturer shall have a service log shipped with the unit and will be marked with the serial number and provision for the installer to indicate the installation date The manufacturer shall also enclose detailed instructions for the driversowners with each unit shipped An installation manual shall also be furnished to authorized installers and fleet operators
- The system shall be provided with clear and concise operation instructions which are written with due consideration to varying levels of literacy
Test Centre Inspections
- The driver shall have an indicator showing when the system is operational and when there is a malfunction These indicators shall be mountedinstalled for the drivers vision only and not to be visible by a front or rear seat passenger(s) The indication system shall incorporate the following minimum features
a) normal displaysystem operational - green b) valid image capture - flashing green c) emergency activation memory full - alternating redgreen flashes d) system malfunction - red flashing continuous until fault cleared
- Where a system is fitted with an indicator to show that the system is on this indicator shall be separate to those listed above or of a different colour to avoid any possible confusion on the part of the driver using the system
- The system shall be designed and installed such that the system may be easily tested by the License Issuer or designate to ensure that all features are operating and that images are recorded as prescribed
- The camera vendors shall provide free of charge Inspection Software that will allow the License Issuer to confirm that all triggers are working and that the camera is correctly aimed
Page3
ei-i(o APPENDIX 2
The unit shall have a test port located in the vehicle glove compartment that will allow the License Issuer to connect a laptop with Inspection Software
General
- The system shall provide reliable and full functionality in all operational and environmental conditions encountered in the operation of taxis
- It shall be possible to change timing and parameters without the requirement to change components
- The recording system shall be configured such that recording of images will automatically commence re-recordings once the image capacity has been reached The oldest images shall be overwritten first
Revised Feb 27 2013
Page4
El-Ci APPENDIX 2
Specifications for Digital Taxi Cameras
Operational Specifications
The specifications outlined below are the minimum standard required to comply with the City of Brampton Policy
- The approved system must be 100 solid state design and operational between 8 and 15 volts DC and be protected against reverse voltage short circuits and high voltage transients likely to be encountered in the vehicle electrical system
- The system shall not interfere with any other systems on board the taxi and shall itself not be effected in any way by any sources of interference likely encountered on the taxi
- The system shall have a back up system to preserve images in the event of loss of power - The system shall be equipped with industrial grade flash memory - Battery back-up will not be permitted
Storage Capacity
- The camera must be capable of recording and storing a minimum of 15 days of image storage and must record images at a resolution of at least 720 x 576 pixels
- Minimum Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage of no less than 8 GB - A warranty of 5 years (or greater) on the Industrial Grade Flash Memory Storage shall be
provided
Camera Head
- The camera must be a two lens design that offers a wide angle view and a narrow angle view of the interior of the vehicle The wide angle lens must provide a view of the driver and front passengers seat and the narrow angle lens a view that captures the rest of the passenger seating area
- The camera must be capable of recording in colour - The camera must be equipped with infrared lighting source and operate automatically and in
conjunction with image capture for day and night use to produce high quality images especially at night and allows for successful facial recognition
- The camera and all system components shall be installed in a manner that does not interfere with the drivers vision or view of mirrors or otherwise normal operation of the vehicle
- The camera head shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The camera must be able to produce clear pictures
- NOTE Vehicles equipped with a shield must be equipped with a 2 (two) camera system One camera shall be located in the approved location as set out above and the second camera shall be situated such that the lens is against the shield so to produce a clear image of the passengers in the rear seat
Page 1
APPENDIX 2pound1-14
Storage Device
(Recorder)
- All stored images must be time and date stamped including a vehicle identification number (Plate or car number)
- Each recorded image shall be automatically stamped with a unique and non-modifiable code that identifies the controller that was used to record the image each image shall also display the image number and the total number of images in that clip (eg image 3 of 256 etc)
- The image storage unit shall be concealed from view and effectively inaccessible except by authorized personnel
- The recorder shall be impact resistant sufficient to withstand a typical car accident or striking with a large heavy object such as a suitcase
- The image storage unit shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The recorder shall be equipped with a communication port for downloading by authorized personnel This port shall be located in the glove compartment of the vehicle situated so as not to be accidentally damaged during regular taxicab business
- The recorder shall be able to support secure download speeds that will allow an 8GB memory card (with 15 days of images) to be downloaded in less than 15 minutes
Public Notices
- The system shall have no microphone or audio recording capabilities - Decals must be installed on the right and left rear windows of the vehicle to advise
passengers that a digital camera system is in operation The decals must be printed with a double-sided message for interior and exterior visibility
- The decals will read This vehicle is fitted with camera security YOU WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED
Poor Meter Activation
- The recorder shall activate when any door is opened and upon meter activation with a minimum of 1 (one) image being recorded every second for the 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after the door opening (ie a total of 20 images for the wide angle camera and 20 images for the narrow angle camera) The recorder shall capture additional images recording at a rate of 1 (one) image every 10 seconds until superseded by a higher priority trigger or until the recorder enters the sleep mode The recorder shall reset if a door is opened prior to completing any cycle
Manual Activation
- The driverowner shall have no control of the imaging system except for the emergency activation button
Page 2
EMS APPENDIX 2
Emergency Activation
- An emergency activation button will lock into memory a minimum of 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens prior to the activation and 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens after the activation (for a total of 1200 images) The unit must be capable of recording storing and locking in all emergency activation images for 3 events with a minimum of 1200 images per event (600 images per camera lens) These images shall be stored for a minimum 72 hours before they can be recorded over
Downloading
- AH stored images shall be secured in a way to prevent unauthorized access - Provisions shall be made by all approved manufacturers to provide a means of downloading
images using the camera imagerecorder unit removed from the vehicle The use of a docking station and power converter must be supplied with the software
- Stored images must be protected to prevent unauthorized access or download - It shall be possible to determine if the image has been manipulated in any way This may be
done by using signature encryption
System Information
- The unit manufacturer shall have a service log shipped with the unit and will be marked with the serial number and provision for the installer to indicate the installation date The manufacturer shall also enclose detailed instructions for the driversowners with each unit shipped An installation manual shall also be furnished to authorized installers and fleet operators
- The system shall be provided with clear and concise operation instructions which are written with due consideration to varying levels of literacy
Test Centre Inspections
- The driver shall have an indicator showing when the system is operational and when there is a malfunction These indicators shall be mountedinstalled for the drivers vision only and not to be visible by a front or rear seat passenger(s) The indication system shall incorporate the following minimum features
a) normal displaysystem operational - green b) valid image capture - flashing green c) emergency activation memory full - alternating redgreen flashes d) system malfunction - red flashing continuous until fault cleared
- Where a system is fitted with an indicator to show that the system is on this indicator shall be separate to those listed above or of a different colour to avoid any possible confusion on the part of the driver using the system
- The system shall be designed and installed such that the system may be easily tested by the License Issuer or designate to ensure that all features are operating and that images are recorded as prescribed
- The camera vendors shall provide free of charge Inspection Software that will allow the License Issuer to confirm that all triggers are working and that the camera is correctly aimed
Page3
ei-i(o APPENDIX 2
The unit shall have a test port located in the vehicle glove compartment that will allow the License Issuer to connect a laptop with Inspection Software
General
- The system shall provide reliable and full functionality in all operational and environmental conditions encountered in the operation of taxis
- It shall be possible to change timing and parameters without the requirement to change components
- The recording system shall be configured such that recording of images will automatically commence re-recordings once the image capacity has been reached The oldest images shall be overwritten first
Revised Feb 27 2013
Page4
APPENDIX 2pound1-14
Storage Device
(Recorder)
- All stored images must be time and date stamped including a vehicle identification number (Plate or car number)
- Each recorded image shall be automatically stamped with a unique and non-modifiable code that identifies the controller that was used to record the image each image shall also display the image number and the total number of images in that clip (eg image 3 of 256 etc)
- The image storage unit shall be concealed from view and effectively inaccessible except by authorized personnel
- The recorder shall be impact resistant sufficient to withstand a typical car accident or striking with a large heavy object such as a suitcase
- The image storage unit shall be designed to disconnect for ease of removal and replacement by maintenance personnel
- The recorder shall be equipped with a communication port for downloading by authorized personnel This port shall be located in the glove compartment of the vehicle situated so as not to be accidentally damaged during regular taxicab business
- The recorder shall be able to support secure download speeds that will allow an 8GB memory card (with 15 days of images) to be downloaded in less than 15 minutes
Public Notices
- The system shall have no microphone or audio recording capabilities - Decals must be installed on the right and left rear windows of the vehicle to advise
passengers that a digital camera system is in operation The decals must be printed with a double-sided message for interior and exterior visibility
- The decals will read This vehicle is fitted with camera security YOU WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED
Poor Meter Activation
- The recorder shall activate when any door is opened and upon meter activation with a minimum of 1 (one) image being recorded every second for the 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after the door opening (ie a total of 20 images for the wide angle camera and 20 images for the narrow angle camera) The recorder shall capture additional images recording at a rate of 1 (one) image every 10 seconds until superseded by a higher priority trigger or until the recorder enters the sleep mode The recorder shall reset if a door is opened prior to completing any cycle
Manual Activation
- The driverowner shall have no control of the imaging system except for the emergency activation button
Page 2
EMS APPENDIX 2
Emergency Activation
- An emergency activation button will lock into memory a minimum of 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens prior to the activation and 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens after the activation (for a total of 1200 images) The unit must be capable of recording storing and locking in all emergency activation images for 3 events with a minimum of 1200 images per event (600 images per camera lens) These images shall be stored for a minimum 72 hours before they can be recorded over
Downloading
- AH stored images shall be secured in a way to prevent unauthorized access - Provisions shall be made by all approved manufacturers to provide a means of downloading
images using the camera imagerecorder unit removed from the vehicle The use of a docking station and power converter must be supplied with the software
- Stored images must be protected to prevent unauthorized access or download - It shall be possible to determine if the image has been manipulated in any way This may be
done by using signature encryption
System Information
- The unit manufacturer shall have a service log shipped with the unit and will be marked with the serial number and provision for the installer to indicate the installation date The manufacturer shall also enclose detailed instructions for the driversowners with each unit shipped An installation manual shall also be furnished to authorized installers and fleet operators
- The system shall be provided with clear and concise operation instructions which are written with due consideration to varying levels of literacy
Test Centre Inspections
- The driver shall have an indicator showing when the system is operational and when there is a malfunction These indicators shall be mountedinstalled for the drivers vision only and not to be visible by a front or rear seat passenger(s) The indication system shall incorporate the following minimum features
a) normal displaysystem operational - green b) valid image capture - flashing green c) emergency activation memory full - alternating redgreen flashes d) system malfunction - red flashing continuous until fault cleared
- Where a system is fitted with an indicator to show that the system is on this indicator shall be separate to those listed above or of a different colour to avoid any possible confusion on the part of the driver using the system
- The system shall be designed and installed such that the system may be easily tested by the License Issuer or designate to ensure that all features are operating and that images are recorded as prescribed
- The camera vendors shall provide free of charge Inspection Software that will allow the License Issuer to confirm that all triggers are working and that the camera is correctly aimed
Page3
ei-i(o APPENDIX 2
The unit shall have a test port located in the vehicle glove compartment that will allow the License Issuer to connect a laptop with Inspection Software
General
- The system shall provide reliable and full functionality in all operational and environmental conditions encountered in the operation of taxis
- It shall be possible to change timing and parameters without the requirement to change components
- The recording system shall be configured such that recording of images will automatically commence re-recordings once the image capacity has been reached The oldest images shall be overwritten first
Revised Feb 27 2013
Page4
EMS APPENDIX 2
Emergency Activation
- An emergency activation button will lock into memory a minimum of 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens prior to the activation and 300 images at 2 fps per camera lens after the activation (for a total of 1200 images) The unit must be capable of recording storing and locking in all emergency activation images for 3 events with a minimum of 1200 images per event (600 images per camera lens) These images shall be stored for a minimum 72 hours before they can be recorded over
Downloading
- AH stored images shall be secured in a way to prevent unauthorized access - Provisions shall be made by all approved manufacturers to provide a means of downloading
images using the camera imagerecorder unit removed from the vehicle The use of a docking station and power converter must be supplied with the software
- Stored images must be protected to prevent unauthorized access or download - It shall be possible to determine if the image has been manipulated in any way This may be
done by using signature encryption
System Information
- The unit manufacturer shall have a service log shipped with the unit and will be marked with the serial number and provision for the installer to indicate the installation date The manufacturer shall also enclose detailed instructions for the driversowners with each unit shipped An installation manual shall also be furnished to authorized installers and fleet operators
- The system shall be provided with clear and concise operation instructions which are written with due consideration to varying levels of literacy
Test Centre Inspections
- The driver shall have an indicator showing when the system is operational and when there is a malfunction These indicators shall be mountedinstalled for the drivers vision only and not to be visible by a front or rear seat passenger(s) The indication system shall incorporate the following minimum features
a) normal displaysystem operational - green b) valid image capture - flashing green c) emergency activation memory full - alternating redgreen flashes d) system malfunction - red flashing continuous until fault cleared
- Where a system is fitted with an indicator to show that the system is on this indicator shall be separate to those listed above or of a different colour to avoid any possible confusion on the part of the driver using the system
- The system shall be designed and installed such that the system may be easily tested by the License Issuer or designate to ensure that all features are operating and that images are recorded as prescribed
- The camera vendors shall provide free of charge Inspection Software that will allow the License Issuer to confirm that all triggers are working and that the camera is correctly aimed
Page3
ei-i(o APPENDIX 2
The unit shall have a test port located in the vehicle glove compartment that will allow the License Issuer to connect a laptop with Inspection Software
General
- The system shall provide reliable and full functionality in all operational and environmental conditions encountered in the operation of taxis
- It shall be possible to change timing and parameters without the requirement to change components
- The recording system shall be configured such that recording of images will automatically commence re-recordings once the image capacity has been reached The oldest images shall be overwritten first
Revised Feb 27 2013
Page4
ei-i(o APPENDIX 2
The unit shall have a test port located in the vehicle glove compartment that will allow the License Issuer to connect a laptop with Inspection Software
General
- The system shall provide reliable and full functionality in all operational and environmental conditions encountered in the operation of taxis
- It shall be possible to change timing and parameters without the requirement to change components
- The recording system shall be configured such that recording of images will automatically commence re-recordings once the image capacity has been reached The oldest images shall be overwritten first
Revised Feb 27 2013
Page4
