UK security manufacturer ITS Products has released new stainless steel versions of its high security CMD cameras. With their unique angular design, the cameras are instantly recognizable to anybody working to the principles of Safer Cells and Safer Detention and Handling of Persons in Police Custody standards. The CMD is now available in a choice of finishes and as an IP or analog unit.

The CMD series was originally developed for the police custody market with many features specifically for the challenges of detention facilities. The unique angular design ensures that the camera presents no ligature point for the room occupant. Using a combination of specific wide-angle lens technology and a triangular geometric design, the camera also delivers maximum room coverage which a regular dome camera can never achieve. The high-power low-energy covert LED infrared lighting allows the room to be monitored regardless of lighting conditions without disturbing the occupant.

Stainless Steel CMD Camera

The CMD range has a scratch-proof, vandal-resistant screen that protects the camera view from both attack by the room occupant and the attention of over-enthusiastic cleaners.

Martin McCarthy, a director of ITS Products, said: “We’re constantly listening to feedback from our users in the custody market worldwide. More and more enquiries were being received about the possibility of a stainless-steel option. Traditionally, the range was offered in a high-gloss white finish but having it in stainless steel now allows customers to overcome both aesthetic and practical challenges.”

Crime Prevention And Incident ManagementHe continued: “Any detention facility presents unique demands on security products, and cameras designed for more general applications simply don’t achieve the required results. Our customers are under pressure to deliver solutions compliant with the standards set by bodies such as ACPO and the Ministry of Justice. The CMD range is a key part of video security system design since alternatives such as domes can’t achieve the same level of compliance.”

ITS Products’ CMD cameras are also used extensively at secure healthcare sites. Facilities caring for people with mental health issues can face the same difficulties that confront police custody centers. These units are strong enough to resist attack from occupants while at the same time present no risk to a person who is prone to attempts at self-harm.

Over the past decade the rate of deaths in UK police custody has fallen significantly; in the last two years alone the numbers have halved with procedural change and improved technology playing a part in this progress. However, in a period of shrinking budgets, police officers are expected to deal with mental health cases as well as traditional criminal ones. This means that cells have to be both secure and as safe as possible for the occupant.

Cases of allegedly excessive restraint (notably in youth detention centers) and several deaths that have been the subject of review mean there is a pressing demand for cameras developed exclusively for custodial or mental health usage with both optics and structure optimized for this environment.