December 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 75

connection, for follow-up investigation. At the remote sports complex site in El Paso, the recording
warns individuals that they are in
a restricted area after hours. It instructs them to leave immediately
and informs them their photo will
be taken and forwarded to law
enforcement, if necessary. " Since
installation, we have not had one
incident, " Novak relates. " We have
found it to be very effective for its
type and limitations. "
In Novak's opinion, the biggest
advantage of the system is its portability. Because it doesn't require
hardwire infrastructure, it can be
moved from one location to another as needed. The city has also
had three playgrounds burned
by arsonists. After cameras were
moved to those sites, the incidences stopped. " It cost about $8,000
for one camera rather than the
$50,000 to $100,000 of a sophisticated live-video feed, " Novak explains. " It's not a one-size-fits-all
solution, but the QStar Flashcam
has its advantages. "

" Smart " Restrooms
For larger facilities, high-tech automated solutions may be the perfect fit. Take for example, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit
(MARTA), which recently piloted
a " smart " restroom at its Lindbergh Station. A " virtual room attendant " monitors activity from an
outside mounted overhead camera. After 10 minutes of inactivity, the " virtual room attendant "
contacts the patron to confirm all
is well. The " virtual room attendant " feature makes the restroom
loiter-resistant.
The fixtures inside the restroom
are break- and chip-resistant, as well

as vandal- and graffiti-proof. The
all-in-one sink basin includes a
touch-free sensor that provides
metered supplies and a hands-free,
self-cleaning experience. The single
unit dispenses soap, turns on the
water and activates the hand dryer
as the user moves from left to right.
While there is a significant investment in technology and equipment, the solution allows MARTA
to more effectively use staff resources. " The station agents were
spending a lot of time letting people into a bathroom. They would
have to standby and wait for the
person to finish, " says Remy Saintil, MARTA's director of facilities
maintenance. " We had to find a
better way to administer and monitor the restroom so the station
agent could focus on their job. "
The " smart " restroom provides a
safe and private experience and is
a cost-effective way to provide restroom services to riders. The pilot,
which included customer feedback,
was so well received that MARTA
plans on rolling out the concept at
all its locations in a two-phase implementation process. " It's easy for
any user. It's the press of a button
and instructions are in Spanish and
Braille, " says Jamyhl Howard, the
project manager. " It gives us a centralized platform to monitor and
track usage so that we're able to
maintain it better. "
The European-made automated, all-in-one fixtures were recommended through a consulting
project with Public Facility Services. MARTA had hoped to subsidize the cost of implementation
through Federal Transportation
grant funds, but the grant required
use of American-made products.
MARTA's efforts to find a similar

The Flashcam attached to this light
pole does not have to be hardwired, so it can be moved from one
location to another.

product that met the qualifications
were unsuccessful.
According to HG.org Legal Resources, in terms of camera placement, " Generally, cameras outside
are almost always fair game. That is
why many buildings, particularly in
very urban areas, have a number of
security cameras at every corner of
the structure. " However, where there
is an expectation of privacy, like in
a restroom, cameras typically are
considered illegal and raise privacy
concerns. It's probably a good idea to
have signage notifying users that cameras are in use. With the Flashcam
system, the pre-recorded message announces its use. In Atlanta, the camera and virtual assistant don't appear
until a user presses a button. In both
cases, it's obvious cameras are in use.
Establishing cost-effective solutions for deterring vandalism and
maintaining public facilities can
be a major challenge for park and
recreation agencies. However, the
availability of such structures will
always be a necessity, so it is important to include maintenance
and security costs in the overall
budget and share best practices of
innovative ideas.
Katie Navarra is a New York-based Freelance Writer
(katienavarra@yahoo.com).

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December 2018 - Parks & Recreation

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