25 Jul QIC’s Project Safe-Guard: An Innovative Approach to Enhancing Safety in Shopping Centres
Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) is a prominent investment manager established in 1991 by the Queensland Government. Over the years, QIC has evolved into a leading specialist investment manager, offering alternative real asset solutions across various sectors, including infrastructure, real estate, private debt, and private capital. Notably, QIC manages 24 shopping centres encompassing close to 1.3 million square metres in gross lettable area (GLA) throughout Australia.
A Core Focus on Safety:
As the manager of numerous large shopping centres, QIC prioritizes creating safe environments for its retail tenants, workers, customers, and visitors. This commitment to safety gained even more significance during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a concerning increase in self-harm incidents within Australian shopping centres.
Introducing Project Safe-Guard: In response to this serious industry and social issue, and following a specific self-harm incident at one of its centres in 2021, QIC launched a new safety program known as Project Safe-Guard. This innovative initiative aims to significantly reduce the likelihood of self-harm and security breach incidents within QIC’s shopping centres.
Collaborative Efforts and Smart Surveillance
To implement Project Safe-Guard, QIC teamed up with Axis Communications, a trusted provider of network cameras, and PMT Security Systems, a local Axis partner. Together, they focused on the pilot site at Robina Town Centre, a large shopping complex on the Gold Coast in Queensland. This multi-level centre with numerous stores and car parks required extensive monitoring to ensure maximum security.
Key to the success of the program was the deployment of advanced surveillance technology. QIC opted for Axis radar cameras, featuring a 60-metre range and a 180-degree field of view, in addition to cameras supporting visual identification of incidents. By utilizing these cameras, QIC minimized the technology footprint while achieving its operational objectives.
Comprehensive Risk Assessment
The development of Project Safe-Guard went beyond addressing self-harm incidents. QIC, in collaboration with Lifeline, designed a self-harm audit tool, guiding them in identifying high-risk areas within the shopping centre. The assessment encompassed various aspects, including misuse of places like car parks, unauthorized access to high-risk areas, and vulnerable locations.
Tailored Analytics for Precise Alerts
To effectively manage the vast amount of surveillance data, the existing Milestone video management system installed at Robina Town Centre was leveraged. QIC, Axis, and PMT Security worked together to establish specific business rules, enabling the analytics software to generate alerts only in high-risk areas during specific times.
Minimizing False Positives: Avoiding undue workload and fatigue for security personnel was essential. Therefore, the use of Axis camera and sensor fleet, incorporating features like virtual tripwires, allowed the implementation of highly prescriptive business rules. These rules ensured that most alerts were triggered by genuine incidents, reducing false positives.
QIC’s Project Safe-Guard stands as a shining example of a proactive approach to safeguarding customers and the public in shopping centres. The collaboration with Axis Communications and Milestone Systems in implementing smart surveillance technology has significantly enhanced safety measures. As QIC continues to evolve and refine this program, the focus remains on providing secure environments for all visitors to its shopping centres across Australia.
For more detailed insights into the innovative safety initiative and the positive impact of Project Safe-Guard, we encourage you to click through to read the full article.