Background

The County of Sonoma is known for its proactive approach to community well-being and public safety, particularly through the work of its Department of Health Services. As part of its efforts to support vulnerable populations, the County recently launched a new transitional housing facility aimed at helping individuals stabilize and reintegrate into the community.

The Facilities Operations Manager for Sonoma County, led the initiative to secure the property with modern surveillance technology—ensuring residents and staff alike could feel safe and supported in the new space.

The Challenge

The transitional housing facility needed a reliable, discreet, and easily managed video surveillance system to monitor activity throughout the property without creating a punitive or institutional atmosphere.

Key requirements included:

• Comprehensive coverage of all common areas, entry points, and exterior zones
• The ability to store footage for more than 20 days, depending on camera location and risk level
• A cloud-based system that could be managed remotely without local servers
• A solution that could integrate cleanly with existing PoE switches and network infrastructure

Although the initial site visit proposed 18 cameras, further assessment revealed the need for broader coverage to support long-term safety and risk mitigation.

Why Safe and Sound Security

The County of Sonoma selected Safe and Sound Security for our expertise in deploying cloud-managed surveillance systems in sensitive government and social service environments. After conducting an on-site walkthrough, our team recommended a flexible, cost-effective solution using Rhombus cameras that offered powerful features and scalable storage options.

The final deployment included:

• 27 Rhombus cameras, strategically placed per site map
  • (2) Cameras with 40-day retention for key zones
  • (2) 12MP 360° cameras with 30-day retention for wide-area coverage
  • (23) Dome cameras with 20-day retention for general surveillance
• Integration with existing PoE switches to avoid additional network infrastructure costs
• Clean cable runs from all camera locations to the nearest MDF or IDF closets for centralized control

This setup provided flexible retention options based on location risk, minimized on-site hardware requirements, and ensured a secure, easily accessible video record.

Results

The newly installed Rhombus system now gives Sonoma County’s transitional housing facility a high-visibility, low-maintenance surveillance solution that meets both their security and operational goals.

• Coverage across the entire property ensures that staff can monitor activity in real time or review incidents after the fact.
• The cloud-based interface makes it easy for authorized personnel to manage footage from any device, without needing on-premise servers.
• By using existing infrastructure and tailoring camera types to specific needs, the County saved significantly on installation and storage costs.

With this system in place, Sonoma County is better equipped to maintain a safe, stable environment for residents and staff—supporting its broader mission of community health and reintegration.

Expansion and Continued Trust

After a successful deployment at the Department of Health Services’ transitional housing facility, the County of Sonoma chose to expand its partnership with Safe and Sound Security. Impressed by the quality of installation, project management, and the performance of the Rhombus camera system, the County awarded Safe and Sound an additional project at the Office of Vital Statistics.

For this site, Safe and Sound installed a Rhombus 5MP Video Intercom Reader at the building’s exterior door to improve visitor communication and entry verification. The system was designed as a standalone notification solution—providing video call functionality without integration into the County’s existing access control infrastructure. As part of this Prevailing Wage project, Safe and Sound also installed a dedicated PoE switch in the MDF and ran new cabling to support the device.

This expansion reflects the County’s confidence in Safe and Sound Security’s ability to deliver tailored, scalable security solutions that adapt to the unique operational needs of each facility.

Looking Ahead

With multiple successful installations now completed, Safe and Sound Security continues to support the County of Sonoma’s mission to create safe, accessible, and professionally managed public facilities. From surveillance systems in transitional housing environments to visitor verification solutions at administrative offices, our team is helping the County adopt cloud-based security technology that’s both future-ready and user-friendly.

As Sonoma County continues to modernize its infrastructure, Safe and Sound stands ready to assist with new deployments, system expansions, and ongoing support—ensuring every facility is equipped to serve its community with confidence.