Axis Communications and integrator GTBM have won a 2026 Integration Award for Best Government project at the Rutherford N.J. Police Department’s security transformation built. The deployment moved the department from a deteriorating, unsecured facility to an integrated platform of Axis cameras, access control and analytics that support both public safety and daily operations near MetLife Stadium.
Key Takeaways
- Axis Communications and GTBM won Best Government Project for a comprehensive security upgrade at Rutherford N.J. Police Department
- GTBM deployed Axis cameras and access control across the facility, unified by AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry.
- AXIS Q63 PTZ cameras with ARTPEC-9 and the AV1 codec cover the Route 3 corridor near MetLife Stadium.
- AV1 cut bandwidth and storage by 20% compared with H.265 on two 4K streams at 30 frames per second.
- The AXIS Camera Station Smart Search tool lets officers search for people, vehicles, colors or objects across cameras to speed investigations.
What Made This a Best Government Project?
Axis Communications and GTBM won Best Government Project because the work solved both public safety and operational challenges in a single integrated platform. The department started from an old, retrofitted utility building with no access-controlled doors and no interior or exterior cameras. GTBM and Axis Communications replaced that gap with a comprehensive solution that covers the facility, monitors a major highway corridor and speeds investigations, all while lowering long-term costs.
What Was the Rutherford N.J. Police Department Facing Before the Project?
Rutherford Police Department was operating out of a deteriorating mid-20th-century facility with no surveillance cameras and no access-controlled entry doors. The department’s few legacy systems were outdated and uncoordinated, and the reliability of the data was poor.
Officers lacked standardized training on the tools they had, which kept adoption low and left information fragmented. As a result, investigations were largely reactive. When incidents happened, officers and detectives relied on door-to-door interviews, manual requests for private security footage and disconnected leads.
How Did Axis Communications and GTBM Secure the Facility?
Axis Communications and GTBM secured the facility by deploying Axis cameras to cover virtually every corner of the building along with Axis access control on every door. AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry powered the cameras and door devices as a single unifying physical security solution. As Rutherford Police Department saw the value and effectiveness of the system, the department expanded its investment to support more operational and public safety initiatives across the community.
Why Did the Department Deploy AXIS Q63 PTZ Cameras on Route 3?
The department deployed the AXIS Q63 PTZ Camera Series on the Route 3 corridor to maintain real-time visibility over traffic in an area known for heavy congestion. Rutherford Police Department sits adjacent to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., and oversees an area that hosts large-scale sporting events and concerts. Keeping a holistic view of traffic patterns during events and peak travel periods was a primary challenge. With the AXIS Q63 PTZ Camera Series, the department can monitor traffic flow and respond as conditions change.
What Role Does the AV1 Codec Play?
The AV1 codec plays a central role by reducing bandwidth and storage while preserving image quality. The AXIS Q63 PTZ Camera Series runs the latest system-on-chip technology, ARTPEC-9, and uses AV1 to process video at the network edge.
That approach delivers clearer images along Route 3 while easing the load on network infrastructure. Because AV1 compresses more efficiently, the department can retain more video for longer periods and reduce overall storage requirements, which matters as storage costs continue to rise.
How Much Did AV1 Reduce Bandwidth and Storage?
AV1 reduced bandwidth and storage by 20% compared with H.265, based on two 4K streams running at 30 frames per second. That efficiency translates into measurable savings across a large camera fleet.
“From our perspective, a 20% reduction in bandwidth and storage consumption from using AV1 versus H.265 translates directly into measurable operational savings,” says Richie Picolli, vice president of security at GTBM.
He continues, “For example, if a camera currently requires 1 TB of storage per month using H.265, a 20% reduction would lower that requirement to approximately 800 GB. Across hundreds or thousands of cameras, this significantly reduces storage infrastructure costs, cloud retention costs, and network bandwidth requirements.”
Picolli adds, “Beyond the direct cost savings, AV1’s improved compression efficiency enables higher image quality at the same bitrate, or equivalent quality at a lower bitrate. This is especially valuable for law enforcement and public safety applications where image clarity can be critical. With street cameras, AV1 enables a clearer and more detailed live video stream, improving the ability to identify people, vehicles, license plates, and incidents as they occur. Better image quality during live monitoring can help officers and dispatchers make faster, more informed decisions in real time, while also ensuring that recorded video retains greater evidentiary value for investigations.”
How Does Smart Search Speed Investigations?
Smart Search speeds investigations by letting officers search for specific people, vehicles, colors or objects across multiple cameras instead of manually reviewing hours of footage. The tool is embedded in AXIS Camera Station, and it lets law enforcement personnel locate evidence faster, track movements across an area and respond more efficiently. By changing how video evidence is analyzed and retrieved, Smart Search saves time and resources while improving overall investigative effectiveness.
How Are Officers Using the System Day to Day?
Officers are using the system easily because its intuitive design fits into their existing workflows. The Rutherford Police Department reports that the platform’s usability has driven strong adoption, a sharp contrast to the fragmented legacy tools it replaced.
“Watching how my personnel utilize the system reinforces my belief that I chose the right system,” says John Russo, police chief in Rutherford, N.J,. “It is by far the most user-friendly platform we have. My personnel actually enjoy sitting down to access videos and trying to enhance their investigation because it’s easy to use and the results are game-changing.”
Why Does This Project Matter for Integrators?
This project matters for integrators because it shows how a unified Axis Communications platform can address public safety and operational efficiency at the same time. GTBM combined advanced camera technology, AV1 compression, intelligent video analytics and an integrated security platform into one solution that scaled with the department’s needs.
The Best Government Project win at Rutherford Police Department is a model for turning a single facility upgrade into a community-wide system that delivers measurable cost savings and stronger investigative outcomes.
