Costa Rica's Judiciary Relies on Milestone Protection

Milestone XProtect open platform IP video management software (VMS) has been implemented in more than 30 government judicial buildings in Costa Rica. The new surveillance system is the foundation for defense against violence for judicial employees to be less vulnerable to the risk of attacks in the office.

With an increase in reported violent crimes throughout Costa Rica, the prosecution of more offenders has resulted in a correlated increase of threats directed toward judicial employees in government offices around the country. Controlling all legal matters in the Central American country, more than 10,000 employees work in 31 buildings ranging in size from 1,312 - 81,200 square feet. They had previously been left vulnerable with out-of-date analog surveillance systems.

To help protect the employees and property of the Costa Rica judicial system, the government agency has implemented a highly effective solution to control the entire video monitoring infrastructure with high image quality, reliability and the ability to integrate with technology from leading security manufacturers and suppliers. Milestone XProtect Enterprise VMS was implemented for a full-scale surveillance improvement throughout the nation's government buildings.

For the new system, two types of IP network cameras were installed: the SNC-RS86N pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) day/night outdoor rapid dome camera with 36x zoom capability and H.264 data compression, and the SNC-DH180 network 720p HD vandal-resistant, fixed mini-dome camera with view-DR technology and IR illuminator - both manufactured by Sony.

Milestone XProtect Enterprise software operates through the Wide Area Network (WAN) of the organization to the monitoring centers with client stations, where administration and supervisors are located. Each building has its own local monitoring center running through a client station. In total, the system has around 30 operators.

"XProtect Enterprise has allowed government security personnel to perform intelligence work remotely, increasing the effectiveness of our human resources," states Carlos Solano, Project Development Manager at Sonivision, Costa Rica, the Milestone partner who implemented the solution.
The Milestone solution offers an advanced surveillance system with top-of-the-line technology and open architecture, providing coverage of all surveillance needs through managing high-resolution, high-definition IP cameras, which would not have been possible with analog technology. Milestone XProtect Enterprise can access the video in both real time and recorded information - simultaneously.

"Milestone XProtect Enterprise has a very intuitive user interface that allows access to remote viewing of different points of interest simultaneously, as well as recordings. With the intelligent search tools we can look for evidence easily that can be quickly exported and used as evidence," stated German Rojas Monje, Security Director, Judiciary System of Costa Rica. "In addition to its powerful remote surveillance, the XProtect® Smart Client interface has improved our ability to view and record events that take place both inside and outside the buildings. This has improved security and allowed us to strengthen our position against possible threats."

When the first stage of implementation was finished, operators of the system and the IT personnel who provide technical support were trained in two stages: basic training for both types of users, and one focused solely on the IT personnel in recommended practices for maintaining the XProtect Enterprise software and Sony cameras. Solano continued: "All of the end users are in agreement - due to its graphic design and intuitive interface, it is a significant improvement for the government's security. Whether running through scheduled monitoring routines or exporting and generating video evidence, Milestone's ease of use is significantly more helpful in protecting those who serve in the justice department."