District Wharf is known as the place “Where D.C. Meets its Water,” and it’s easy to see why. Sprawling for a mile along the Potomac River, The Wharf offers outdoor seating, excellent dining and shopping, and a water taxi system transporting visitors to and from National Harbor, Old Town Alexandria, and Georgetown.
This project was developed by Hoffman-Marquette,
with the goal of transforming an underused area with
great potential into a unique, multi-use development.
The plan was to combine retail, multi-family, office, and
entertainment spaces, while allowing visitors to arrive by
foot, public transit, cars, and boats. Phase I was opened
in October 2017, and Phase II will be delivered in 2022.
For such a large project, security was always going to
be a key consideration. Visitors needed to feel safe
without feeling restricted or watched by security
guards. The Wharf’s long waterline and proximity to
DC landmarks make security even more important
Hoffman-Marquette needed powerful security that
would be up and running from day one. As the site was
under construction, there was no way to know who would
occupy each building. However, it was vital that site
security have access to all common areas while allowing
tenants access to security in each of their properties.
The system needed to be unified, yet separable. Certain
cameras needed to be able to be viewed by building
tenants without duplicating systems and cameras.
This was impossible with existing systems.
One of the biggest challenges with this project
centered around space. Video surveillance systems
typically require a relatively large amount of space
for computers, network equipment, and recorders.
However, the developers needed the lightest possible
footprint for security, to maximize real-estate that
could be rented out.
With 220 cameras on the property, it simply wasn’t
feasible for all of these to be continually monitored.
Instead, this project required a smart system that
would alert officers to issues. Video also needed to
be easily shared with authorities such as police and
the Coast Guard in the event of an emergency.
CheckVideo was the only video security company able to
overcome all of the above challenges. A video wall was
set up in the command center that could be configured
flexibly through a web browser, even remotely. This
system included AI-driven video analytics to serve as a
force multiplier. This means that their security officers
can be out patrolling in the field instead of sitting in an
office watching monitors. Most of the time, a single officer
is able to monitor all videos since these videos are shown
based on triggering events such as someone loitering in
a particular area. Officers can also respond faster, thus
preventing crimes.
The cameras themselves are compact and unobtrusive,
however, they’re also 4-megapixel day/night cameras,
producing high detail color images even at night.
CheckVideo’s cloud-managed system requires little on-site
infrastructure, and equipment is easily stored in network
closets wherever space is available. This offers the best
of both worlds - all of the functionality of an enterprise
system without the need for a large amount of space.
District Wharf continues to attract visitors from near and far
with sensational water views, the Municipal Fish Market,
and the Anthem, a concert and events venue with a
capacity of up to 6,000 people.
Since The District Wharf is such a popular location, the security
office is kept busy with multiple investigations every week.
Video investigations for incidents generally require officers
to spend a huge amount of time finding and exporting
video evidence. Historically, this has meant that only the
most serious incidents are investigated.
Diane Groomes, formerly an
Assistant Chief of Police for the
Metropolitan Police Department
is Director of Security and Public
Safety at The Wharf. During her 27
years on the force, her team used
a variety of CCTV systems, most of which were too complex.
CheckVideo’s ease of use makes it possible for her to use the
system multiple times a day, even enabling her to easily tap into
the system from home or her mobile phone. “I’m proud to say
right now we have not had one violent incident. No robberies,
no felony assault,” she says.
One of the most important considerations for a security
system spanning such a large, busy area is the health of that
system. The CheckVideo system proactively monitors its own
health - continuing to function like new. It checks for bugs
and faults and will notify service technicians if necessary.
CheckVideo’s cloud managed system provides a complete
solution for The Wharf, by alerting officers to issues and by
allowing IT staff to provide a reliable system that is cost-effective to deploy and maintain.
— Diane Groomes, Director of Security
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