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| The Security Function at Secaucus Junction |
Even four years after 9/11, public transit systems in the US remain, for the most part, unprotected. But not the New Jersey transit system. The Secaucus Junction, located between New York Penn Station and Newark Penn Station in Secaucus, New Jersey, is the United States' largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 750,000 daily trips on 240 bus routes, two light rail lines and 11 commuter rail lines. The station and supporting infrastructure are built above three active rail lines, including the electrified Northeast Corridor -- one of the busiest rail corridors in the world.
With 312,000 square feet and 5,000 commuters on an average weekday, Secaucus Junction is responsible for the safety of its millions of annual commuters. In its effort to revolutionize the way they provide security and deliver security information to areas never before possible, the New Jersey Transit authority deployed NICE next generation security solution with capabilities for simultaneous advanced video content analytics on a large number of cameras, providing security personnel the power to identify risk in real time, make optimal decisions, and take action that improves security. The solution is integrated with checkpoint X-ray and related equipment, access control and many other security systems to ensure prompt threat detection and identification.
With NICE intelligent video analysis, the solution automatically counts customers, detects dropped bags, tracks intruders in secure areas such as tunnels, monitors cars stopping in no-parking areas, and detects unusually large crowds that might indicate some kind of problem. The solution can automatically trigger an announcement on the public-address system that parking is not allowed in the area. Furthermore, it can send alerts to a pager, cell phone or wireless PDA of an onsite officer, who can then investigate the situation, and either have the car moved or override the alert if the idling vehicle is a police car.
During the Republican National Convention last September in New York City, the NICE solution also helped prevent an entire station from being evacuated. Transit police were able to quickly trace the recording, to see who had dropped a bag and determine that the person was not a threat, just a forgetful employee.
"As the nation's largest statewide public transportation system we are responsible for the efficient and safe transportation of millions of commuters. We are utilizing the NICE solution as an information asset to monitor, manage and impart safety throughout the entire enterprise," said Michael K. Slack, Deputy Chief Information Officer, New Jersey Transit.
As it turns out the solution serves as a business asset as well. Officials at New Jersey Transit discovered that Secaucus Junction security solutions from NICE offered other benefits for their business operations and customer service. If a passenger complained that the last train of the night blazed by, customer service can view the video of the tracks just after midnight and see whether the train did indeed fail to stop. If a passenger complained that a ticket booth operator was belligerent, customer service can pull up the video of the transaction. If there's a storm, the maintenance crew can actually see how much snow has accumulated on the tracks.
The solution from NICE has transferred liability as well. When the Portal Bridge near the Secaucus Junction station caught fire, disrupting service for the entire Northeast corridor, Joseph Bober, New Jersey Transit's Chief of Police says he was able to prove that New Jersey Transit was not responsible. (Amtrak owns the bridge, but New Jersey Transit uses it.) "We were able to go back to the digital recordings and substantiate how the bridge caught fire," Bober says. "If we wouldn't have had this system on site, New Jersey Transit more than likely would have been liable."
Going forward, the Secaucus Junction station is serving as a model for future deployments at New Jersey Transit and other projects that aim to deliver insight from interaction to help large city centers protect their mass transit systems.
"New Jersey Transit has been a business that has continued to increase services-more trains, more trips"-without adding to its staff, explains Bober. "We put in so many technologies over the years because we couldn't have all the eyes. Now you take that single eye"-the camera-"and share it with everybody, and it's very valuable."
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"We put in so many technologies over the years because we couldn't have all the eyes. Now you take that single eye"-the camera-"and share it with everybody, and it's very valuable."
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