Project Profile:
St. Paul CCTV Safe City Project

project date:	2007 - 2008
client:	City of St. Paul, Minnesota
client contact:	Sgt. Tim Lynaugh, SPPD Office of Homeland Security
e&a project manager:	Wendy Chretien, PMP

In 2007 the City of Saint Paul, Minnesota selected Elert & Associates as the City's consultant to design, bid out and provide project management for a large scale multi-user CCTV surveillance system. Phase I of the CCTV project is comprised of IP-based cameras at intersections along approximately 4 miles of University Avenue as well as a downtown spur of roughly 1 mile. The system also includes a Command & Control Center equipped with multiple large displays and control consoles.

As host to the 2008 Republican National Convention (RNC) Saint Paul received funding to provide video coverage for a large portion of downtown to help provide security for the convention. This became Phase II of the CCTV project and includes cameras covering approximately half of downtown (with focus on the convention venue area and approaches to it). After the RNC, some cameras will be redistributed from the concentration surrounding the convention venue to other areas of downtown. Phases I and II were complete as of August 2008.

Backhaul for the video is via a combination of leased fiber, owned fiber and high-speed point to point wireless links, while the most of the cameras themselves are connected via a wireless mesh network.

Besides the City of Saint Paul Police Department (SPPD), other users of the system include the Metropolitan Transit Commission and many local law enforcement agencies that provided personnel and support during the RNC. Another initiative is a regional sharing of outdoor security video among the City of Minneapolis Police Department, the State of Minnesota Department of Transportation, the State of Minnesota Capitol Security Department (a division of the Minnesota State Patrol) and the University of Minnesota.

Throughout the project, the City relied on Elert & Associates to provide expert technical design, assistance and project management. Our scope included investigating and designing the fiber backhaul system, developing a detailed RFP for Phase 1, tracking project progress, reviewing and approving work by contractors, inspecting installations and generally facilitating all aspects of the project.

Several senior E&A consultants worked on this project, including Wendy Chretien, Tony Chojnowski, Felix Fayngersh, and Dave Kaun.