Made in USASafeguarding a National Landmark with Advanced Technology from Scallop Imaging
Few national monuments are as globally iconic as the Statue of Liberty — symbolizing many things for which America stands, including democracy, freedom and promise. Each year, more than 4 million people visit the monument and Ellis Island. But after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, the Statue of Liberty was closed to the public.
Challenge
During the time the island was shut down to visitors, the U.S. Park Police, National Park Service (NPS) and Department of the Interior launched a refurbishing project to bring the monument back to its former glory. The group selected Total Recall, a New 
York-based systems integrator, to design a comprehensive security solution to help secure the statue. After evaluating the security needs and technical requirements of the project, the integration firm sought out technology that was different from standard solutions to exceed the agencies’ expectations.
Overall, the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island required new technology to enhance public safety, improve operational efficiencies and provide a much-needed update from analog to IP-based digital video technology to realize streamlined monitoring capabilities. The organizations also wanted to deploy video surveillance cameras around the perimeter to add an additional layer of security. Lack of electricity, flooding and damage caused by Hurricane Sandy made this particular part of the installation challenging.
Solution
Total Recall designed a state-of-the-art surveillance system and built an intelligent, modern command center to help the NPS and U.S. Park Police better leverage technology, and streamline investigations and patrols. Additionally, surveillance views of the entire area in and around the monument can now be brought up onscreen at once, each visible with a time-stamp code, which eliminated the need for scrolling through hours of footage at a time.
Perimeter security is enhanced by Scallop Imaging’s M6-200 IP camera. The 6-megapixel M6-200 video surveillance camera is the first distributed image panoramic camera specifically designed to provide outstanding image quality in very low light conditions. The cameras were selected based on their ability to withstand harsh weather and the fact that they require limited maintenance. With cameras deployed at high-profile locations around the globe, Scallop Imaging’s highly reliable and robust design is proven to have extremely low failure rates. Additionally, the cameras have no lenses to adjust or focus, reducing maintenance and installation costs, and ensuring a long product lifecycle.
The 6-megapixel, 200-degree panoramic camera provides up to four simultaneous detail views. Its unique design allows for fast shutter speeds to prevent motion blurring under extreme low-light conditions. This best-in-class, low-light camera is based on a monochromatic High Dynamic Range sensor with no filters, eliminating the need for infrared technology. The result is exceptional low light performance and superior daylight image capture.
Scallop’s cameras were placed around the perimeter of the monument to provide the NPS and U.S. Park Police with upgraded situational awareness of the island and monument. The devices, which do not look like traditional video cameras, provide a covert layer of security protection.
Results
Today, the Statue of Liberty’s security team enjoys seamless integration between the various technologies that are leveraged to deliver a new layer of safety to the island’s visitors. The new system is used for day-to-day safety and security of the park but the video captured by the Scallop Imaging cameras are also used to help monitor traffic flow, ferry service operation, locate misplaced children, and is used to investigate incidents of theft, loss or accident claims.
This high-profile project received the Government Security News Homeland Security Extraordinary Achievement in Public Safety and Security award in early 2014 and also was honored with a Bronze STE Security Innovation Award.