It would be virtually impossible for a modern police organization to work without safe data networks and data centers. But in many cases, administrators are still monitoring network operations «manually». Experience shows that not all connections can be monitored one hundred percent 24/7. Over time, ports get forgotten about, and then errors can start to occur during patching. Risks increase and could lead to security forces not being fully operational when it comes to the crunch.

Long-term planning

The police in Poznan have left this risk behind them. They took advantage of the modernization of their important site in the significant old town to install state-of-the-art network technologies. The police headquarters of the western Polish region of the Greater Poland Voivodeship had been pursuing this project for some years.

The aim is to prepare the precincts in Poznan, and fact in the entire region, for the security tasks of the future. The modernization program has been running since 2017 and is due to be completed in 2020. Together with the city administration, the police invested 6.2 million euros in the precinct in the old town of Poznan alone. Mariusz Wiśniewski, Deputy Mayor of Poznan, justifies the city’s financial investment as follows: «We want the police to have the best working conditions possible. That is also important for the safety and security of the town.»

The police commissioned their new data network in June 2019, when the renovated building was re-opened. Since then they have enjoyed the advantages of the automated infrastructure management system (AIM).

Monitoring with R&MinteliPhy

The sensors of the AIM system R&MinteliPhy monitor the physical infrastructure with 30 distribution cabinets and 500 ports. They recognize the RFID chips on the copper and FO connectors and communicate in real-time with the analyzer and the central server. This is how R&MinteliPhy always knows which ports are occupied, whether cables have been connected correctly or whether someone has manipulated the link. When service technicians have to patch, R&MinteliPhy leads them to the right port. The sensor strips indicate where cables have to be plugged in.

But R&MinteliPhy can do even more. It provides a uniform database for network administration. Nobody has to maintain tables or write notes. R&MinteliPhy visualizes the entire infrastructure, supports plans for extension or changes to the network.

The modernization of the precinct started in the fall of 2016. The neoclassical building on the Aleje Marcinkowskiego Unit in the shade of the Karol Marcinkowski monument is under a preservation order. It was built between 1882 and 1884 based on plans by Heinrich Koch under the direction of master builder Otto Hirt. After its renovation, it was restored to its former glory and is now the pride and joy of the old town police.

Pioneer in Poland

Polish media reported with great interest in the new infrastructure and the «safe and efficient» data network consisting of OS2 fiber optic and shielded Cat. 6A copper cabling. The news agency WTK wrote: «This building was equipped with a system for automatically managing and monitoring the entire network infrastructure. All copper and FO connections of the horizontal and vertical cabling are monitored for security, analysis, documentation, and any changes made during network use. It is the first police institution of this kind in Poland to have an AIM system installed.»

The Police Headquarters in Poznan already defined the general requirements for the structured cabling system at the design stage. R&M Poland has supported the planning agency since 2015 as a technical consultant for structured cabling. The R&M certified installation partner of IT company Helpdesk Sp. Z o.o. carried out the work with great expertise. The 25-year system warranty issued by R&M underlines that the installation fulfills all standards and quality guidelines.

Future-ready

Over the past few years, R&M Poland has provided structured cabling solutions for several buildings of the police in western Poland. The first joint installation project started in 2013. That was when the police station in Komorniki was given a new network. It is based on the R&Mfreenet cabling of category Cat. 6A ISO. The AIM sensors can be retrofitted at any time. Everything is prepared for the use of R&MinteliPhy.

Installations followed every year after. The precincts in Jarocin, Pleszew, Kłodawa, Lubon, Pniewy, Dopiewo, Grodzisk Wlkp, and Kalisz were all fitted with new networks which can be retrofitted with R&MinteliPhy at any time. In the future, the police authority in the region of the Greater Poland Voivodeship will be able to manage its network infrastructures from a central site.

R&M provides technical training for the IT experts of the police stations regularly. With their specialist knowledge of R&M products, they are fully familiar with network operations and automated infrastructure management. This means the police in the region of the Greater Poland Voivodeship are perfectly prepared for the future of secure data transmission.

The Police in Western Poland

When it comes to the physical infrastructure of their data networks the police headquarters of the western Polish region has been collaborating with R&M Poland since 2012. The authority, based in Poznan, runs 27 district precincts, four civic police headquarters, 57 precincts, and 40 station houses.

Their main duties are to prevent offenses and white-collar crime, find offenders, guarantee safety in public places, monitor traffic on the roads and water as well as carry out preventive measures.