Securing the Bremer County Jail and Police Department

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By Gina Stuelke, CEO of Kenton Brothers

Problem: Aging Systems protecting the Bremer County Jail and Police Department

The Bremer County Jail was last renovated in 2003 to house up to 79 inmates in a variety of configurations. Not only does this jail house inmates for Bremer County, but they also have contracts to house prisoners from other counties in the area. They also have a contract for federal prisoners.

Due to the extensive growth in these contracts, Bremer County Jail needed updated high-level security. The previous security systems were becoming obsolete and simply not meeting the increased demands. To enhance capabilities, Sheriff Dan Pickett and his team decided it was time to upgrade. Investing in a new security system would be vital for the success of the entire facility. Correctional officers would be able to utilize smart systems to increase the safety of inmates and improve effectiveness.

Sheriff Pickett worked closely with our engineering team, headed up by Brinton Hallum, to identify specific needs, desires, and expectations for the new systems of both administrative areas and the jail. The primary goal was to increase the capabilities and functionality of their security systems while centralizing administration.

Solution: Implementing Commercial Access Control and Video Surveillance

Bremer’s previous system contained PLCs (Program Logic Controls) that were outdated and couldn’t be upgraded. Our solution consolidated the previous PLC functionality with new integrations that met Bremer’s needs and allows for future expansion. Even better, the way we architected the new solution will be a seamless transition for correctional officers and will provide them a chance to focus on higher level details.

Commercial Access Control

Gallagher LogoThe new solution begins with card access control by Gallagher. This access control system then interfaces with a system of custom programmable logic controllers for general jail control, including lighting and water control. We added card readers on every cell door, every pod entry door, and intake. Users can scan their credential to not only gain access into these areas, but also turn on lights and record guard tour activity throughout the facility increasing the productivity of the facility.

The flexibility of the system assists administrators to meet Federal regulations and improve the safety and reliability of their daily operations while offering adaptability for future security upgrades.

Commercial Video Surveillance

Milestone LogoThe next step was to implement a Milestone commercial video surveillance system with Axis cameras. This specialized system was chosen to provide full prison visibility, while utilizing camera analytics to improve facility awareness and guard effectiveness.

Integration

We leveraged Gallagher’s strong integration with Milestone to make the correctional officer’s lives easier through improved administration with specific alerts for various scenarios.

For example, by using motion detection analytics in the Axis cameras, Milestone can be alerted to the presence of an inmate on one side of the door and then notify Gallagher to deny card access through that door without proper level credentials. This gives guards a chance to control and notify the entire facility from a safe distance.

Because all systems operate on this network, the Gallagher access control system can signal the Harding intercoms to alarm various high decibel alerts allowing immediate notice of security threats. This can help alleviate the margin for mistakes and reduce the opportunities for officers to be in harm’s way.

The specialized integration we have designed provides the benefit of less personnel required to manage the system and therefore offers them a way to do their job more efficiently and with greater precision. By allowing smart systems to help with the burden of security, Bremer County can be ensured that their facility will be protected with the utmost accuracy and highest level of performance.

Bremer County: Sheriff Dan Pickett“I can’t say enough good things about Kenton Brothers. They have been great to work with including a few small changes as our project progresses. Brinton has been excellent in everything they have done keeping us informed on what the next step will be. I was concerned at the beginning of our bid taking with other companies doing such a huge project. I would recommend Kenton Brothers for a security upgrade such as cameras and jail controls!!!” – Sheriff Dan Pickett

Missouri Jail Administrators: Hard working, Professional and Committed

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Missouri Sheriffs and Jail administrators came together in October. They’re passionate about the securing county detention centers!

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COVID Fighter – Opening Office Doors Without Using Your Hands

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By Ryan Kaullen, Field Services Manager at Kenton Brothers

You can’t turn on the TV, read a news article, or go anywhere without hearing about COVID. And rightfully so. COVID is causing uncertainty in our world, but one thing is certain… Kenton Brothers is working at the forefront to help our customers stay safe and help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Wrist Pulls, Push Plates and Foot Pulls

COVID Fighter: Foot PullsRecently, we’ve been getting requests and calls for help related to door hardware. Our customers are asking, “How can we add safety features to keep our employees safe while keeping our doors/openings functional?” In response, we’ve been installing wrist pulls, push plates, and foot pulls at our customer sites to meet this growing need.

Wrist pulls, push plates, and foot pulls allow employees to go in and out of doors without using their hands. A perfect example of this type of project was the recent installation of 38 restroom doors on a multi-floor office building. We can keep the functionality of commercial doors intact, maintaining a clean and professional appearance, while increasing the health safety for the staff.

Want to know more about COVID Fighter solutions?

Is your company looking for ways to offer hands free solutions to openings at your facility? We would love the opportunity to show you our full line of COVID Fighter offerings. These include hands-free mechanical locking hardware, touchless Commercial Access Control, and Commercial Video Temperature Monitoring solutions. Give us a call!

COVID Fighter: Hands Free Mechanical Locking Hardware COVID Fighter: Hands Free Mechanical Locking Hardware

COVID-19 Technology Update: Kenton Brother’s Thermal Imaging All-in-One Mobile Cart

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To help you meet the increasing demand for thermal-sensing technology, Kenton Brothers is proud to introduce the Thermal Imaging All-in-One Mobile Cart Kit.

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Body Cameras – Not just for the police anymore.

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By David Strickland, Vice President of Kenton Brothers

In the news lately, there is a lot of talk about body cameras for police. There are a lot of positive reasons people are having these discussions.

  • 90% reduction in complaints against officers
  • 50% higher conviction rate when used in arrests
  • Higher evidence capture rate at crime and accident scenes
  • Passive documentation of real time events

These are very powerful reasons why body cameras work. Have you ever thought about how they can be used effectively in other types of businesses and security scenarios?

Kenton Brothers: Body Cameras

Improved safety in warehouse and logistic environments

Some companies are requiring Fork lift drivers and stacker drivers to wear cameras. And they have had great success:

  • Reduced accidents
  • Identifying Training opportunities
  • Recognition of safety enhancements needed such as lights or pathways marked on ground
  • Identification of Pallet Construction flaws
  • GEO location of Operators in large spaces

Technician / Electrician apprentice training

Some companies are utilizing body cameras to review technician work in the field to ensure accuracy of work compared to company specs.

This has improved output in the following ways:

  • Reduced call backs on new technicians
  • Increase in Productivity
  • Clearly identifies training opportunities
  • Ensures compliance with lock out tag out procedures

Increased safety and production in Manufacturing facilities

  • Passively captures evidence from the workers perspective of the manufacturing process
  • Identifies hidden areas of safety concern
  • Facilitates training opportunities
  • Identifies inefficiencies in the current processes

At Kenton Brothers Systems for Security, we are proud to offer body worn cameras manufactured by our premier commercial video surveillance manufacturer Axis Communications.

Kenton Brothers: Body CamerasThe Axis camera solution offers several benefits:

  • Easy integration with any VMS, EMS
  • Flexible and scalable
  • Fast reliable video and data offloading
  • Meets the highest government cybersecurity standards
  • End-to-end encryption

 “The same level of thoroughness has been applied throughout the solution, not just the camera unit. We took a holistic view of the customer requirement, from video capture in the field to presentation of evidence in the courtroom. This is where the openness became imperative – customers didn’t want to be forced into a specific VMS and EMS – and also drove key aspects related to security and ensuring the integrity of evidence.”

Axis Body Worn Camera System

The new Axis body worn camera system features three main hardware components: the camera itself; the camera docking station (8-bay or 1-bay); and the system controller.

This camera captures video up to 1080p @30fps and audio through dual microphones for noise suppression capabilities. Wide dynamic range technology is employed to guarantee image quality in even the most challenging light conditions, while Axis Zipstream for body worn reduces the demands for storage. Battery power is designed to cover a ‘full shift’, with 12 hours of normal usage and the capability for charging in-car or from a power bank.

The docking station and the system controller are separate units. The system is scalable for large and cost-efficient body worn systems. The system controller provides a single integration and management point, and allows for fast and reliable video offloading (100Mbit per camera). All data is encrypted both at rest and in transfer using AES256 and TLS. In addition, video data can be fully end-to-end encrypted with specific integrations.

The camera also features built-in:

  • GPS/GNSS receiver for location tracking
  • Bluetooth Low Energy 4.1
  • IEEE 802.11b/g/n
  • 6-axis gyro and accelerometer

The Axis Body Worn Assistant mobile application allows users to review footage and add categories, descriptions and notes. The applications for this technology are endless.

We are very excited to offer this solution to our customers! Would you like to know more about the Axis Body Worn Camera Solution? Give us a call!