1. A surveillance system having at least one camera adapted to produce an IP signal, the IP signal being transmitted over an IP network, the system comprising: the at least one camera having an image collection device configured for collecting image data; the at least one camera having an analog to digital converter in communication with the image collection device for convening collected image data from analog format to digital format image data; the at least one camera having at least one facial processor in communication with the analog to digital converter for receiving the digital format image data, the at least one facial processor being configured to execute with the digital format image data at least one facial recognition algorithm, execution of the at least one facial recognition algorithm with the digital format image data detecting faces when present in the digital format image data, execution of the at least one facial recognition algorithm providing for each detected face at least one set of unique facial image data; the at least one camera having at least one compressor in communication with the analog to digital converter for receiving the digital format image data, the at least one compressor being configured to execute with the digital format image data at least one compression algorithm, execution of the at least one compression algorithm with the digital format image data providing at least one set of compressed image data; the at least one camera having a network protocol stack, the network protocol stack being configured for transmitting to the IP network for each detected face the at least one set of unique facial image data, the network protocol stack being configured for transmitting to the IP network the at least one set of compressed image data; and at least one facial signature processor in communication with the IP network, the at least one facial signature processor being remote from the at least one camera, the at least one facial signature processor being configured to receive from the IP network for each detected face the at least one set of unique facial image data, the at least one facial signature processor being in communication with at least one facial recognition database, the at least one facial signature processor being configured to compare with the at least one facial recognition database the at least one set of unique facial image data of each detected face; wherein the at least one set of unique facial image data for each detected face is provided from the at least one camera to the IP network, such that the at least one set of unique facial image data of each detected face is received by the at least one facial signature processor to be compared with the at least one facial recognition database without preceding transmission of the digital format image data from the at least one camera over the IP network.