Leading Edge Technology Helps Bay Area Police Catch Graffiti Vandals; Merlin Anti-Graffiti System Allows Rapid Response by Law Enforcement

Online, August 31, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Scotts Valley, Calif., -- Using leading-edge Merlin sensor technology developed by Scotts Valley-based technology innovator Broadband Discovery Systems, Inc., an East Bay police department has made 13 arrests for graffiti vandalism along Interstate 80 over the last six to nine months. Covert and compact, the Merlin Anti-Graffiti system transmits an alert when an act of graffiti vandalism is in progress. Police, now able to respond quickly, are catching vandals in the act.

"We caught a vandal on the first day that we installed a Merlin sensor for the Pinole Police Department. In the past, it's been really rare to catch someone in the act and now we're finally making progress," said Robert Songey, Delta Region Manager, Caltrans, who is coordinating anti-graffiti efforts among regional police departments. "Each year we spend approximately $32,500 cleaning up graffiti along the Contra Costa I-80 corridor in the East Bay. Graffiti is on the rise along Interstate 80 and cities like Pinole and Richmond are taking action with Caltrans to control graffiti blight."

The Richmond Police Department is deploying the Merlin Anti-Graffiti system in an effort to curb vandalism and clean up the city.

The Merlin system uses advanced heuristics and algorithms to recognize the "fingerprint" associated with a graffiti event. Reliable and accurate, the Merlin system can be seamlessly integrated into existing alarm infrastructures.

"We take great pride in the fact that the Pinole Police Department has achieved success with the Merlin Anti-Graffiti system," said Cory Stephanson, president of Broadband Discovery Systems. "We're excited about the advances in sensor technology that we're developing and we will continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies to create cost effective and reliable tools that can help them protect and safeguard their communities."

About Broadband Discovery Systems (BDS)
Broadband Discovery Systems is a technology innovator that develops and licenses software that significantly improves the performance of sensors, making them "intelligent". These intelligent sensors increase range of detection and provide actionable information to users within the commercial security, law enforcement and defense and military markets. BDS solutions significantly enhance the effectiveness of current sensor technology to meet the urgent and growing demands of global safety and security. BDS is a privately-held company based in Scotts Valley, Calif. More information is available at www.broadbanddiscovery.com.