More Project Shield Problems
[From $43 million later, Homeland Security project bogged down :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES ]
A year ago I pointed our the numerous problems with Cook County’s Project Shield. The goal of the project was live video from police to central command stations. The project consists of 802.11b and 4.9Ghz hotspots, adjustable and fixed cameras, vehicle locator GPS, pole mounted police surveillance cameras, premises digital video recorders, and personal computer-based viewing stations. These devices are wired into the Cook County network. The project was funded by a $100 million from Homeland Security.
But as Chicago Sun-Times/NBC5 investigation found, there are still major problems:
Already 36 percent over budget, the massive effort now isn’t expected to be fully operational until 2011 — three years late. Even then, it could be without a number of suburbs that opted out because of problems.
Begun in the administration of the late Cook County Board President John Stroger, Project Shield was to be completed in three phases, at a cost of $31.5 million. As of August, the county has spent $42,961,306.38 on Project Shield.
But two years later, after spending $26 million and still suffering with technical problems, IBM — which declined requests for an interview — was dumped. . . . IBM was replaced last year by Johnson Controls, and, as of July, the county boasted that 90 first-responder vehicles had cameras.
The cameras are working in Evanston, Elmwood Park, Glencoe and Palatine. But other police departments have complained of problems — including cameras that don’t work. As a result, Berwyn, Forest Park, Morton Grove, Norridge, Park Ridge, Tinley Park and University Park have abandoned Project Shield. “Every municipality in the county was supposed to be involved,” said Quigley. “If you leave several out . . . it’s useless.”
. . . Still, at a recent demonstration, the video from a patrol car driving down a street was so bad it was impossible at times to clearly see. Oak Park is home to one of three mobile command vans for Project Shield. Each cost $400,000. But the vans haven’t been tested to see if they can communicate with one another, according to Tanksley, and can’t access other cameras.
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