Surveillance and ports seem to go hand in hand – travelers hardly notice the myriad security cameras in airport terminals, and ferry passengers are similarly unsurprised when their transportation and loading areas are markedly under surveillance. However, not all surveillance cameras, systems or even analytics are fit for port security, as Steve Vandor soon discovered.
Vandor is the deputy director of IT for the Washington Department of Transportation, Ferries Division – including the largest ferry system in the United States, the Washington State Ferries. In 2010, the existing surveillance system was becoming obsolete, both from aging equipment and a looming lack of support from the manufacturer. In 2011, the state-run entity began implementing a new system with G4S Technology.