Networked video solution: A view beyond the border
The operators of the Hazeldonk-Meer logistics park in the Netherlands have been relying on a networked video solution from Bosch to enhance security and reduce crime. They achieved their first success just two days after installing it: the license plate of a car involved in a theft was photographed and the pictures immediately sent to the police.
Around 1,600 people work there, and several thousand others pass through every day. “We want our members to feel safe in Hazeldonk-Meer,” says Marie-Cecile Roovers, the association’s spokesperson. “Our goal is to make the area unattractive to criminals and, in the long term, one of the five safest facilities in the Netherlands.” Bosch experts overcame this challenge by implementing a specialized infrastructure for the video system. Cameras trained on the area scan passing vehicles and remain separated by country. The main system in the Netherlands is augmented by a supplementary system in Belgium. The systems operate independently of one another and each is connected to its own server. All vehicle movement is logged in a Bosch management system, which also contains information on stolen vehicles and criminal activity.
The Hazeldonk-Meer logistics park is very popular owing to its favorable location midway between the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp―it straddles the border, with 106 hectares on Dutch soil and 117 hectares in Belgium―and its good accessibility by road, since the A16/E19 motorway, a major artery, runs right through its middle. More than 175 companies have set up shop there. Unfortunately, its location also makes it a magnet for wrongdoers. In fact, the park is the fifth most crime-plagued industrial park in the Netherlands. The police, courts, and customs and tax authorities of the Netherlands, Belgium and France therefore work together closely to combat cross-border crime. The Hazeldonk-Meer Logistics Association (LCHM), which manages the park, attaches top priority to safeguarding human lives and property.
"We wanted a partner that would offer the best solution for this challenge"
Just two days after the system began operation, it registered the license plate of a car involved in a robbery and forwarded the images to the police. LCHM’s longterm goal is to see the Hazeldonk-Meer facility recognized as one of the top five most secure locations in the Netherlands. According to board member Johan Creemers, this is exactly why the company chose Bosch. “We wanted a partner that would offer the best solution for this challenge.”
