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Flock Safety prides itself in the ability to help solve neighbourhood crime. In just the last few months, it has provided evidence in more than 10 investigations and has aided in the arrest of two criminals. While solving crime is the main objective, it ultimately wants the devices, the signature license plate reader, to prevent crime in the neighbourhoods they protect. Drop-in theft incidents Several months ago, the company installed Flock license plate reader cameras and signage in a s...

A crime occurred in one of Flock Safety’s neighbourhoods in Atlanta. One of the residents had her back door kicked in by two individuals. Her home security system was triggered but the culprits still had enough time to steal a drawer filled with jewellery. The resident filed a report with the police, then informed her neighbourhood’s Security Chair of the incident. Another neighbour’s doorbell camera provided a long-distance photo of the victim’s home in the correct time...

A woman was walking her dog down the sidewalk in Richmond, CA when she witnessed a bright red sports car burning out its wheels and doing donuts in the middle of the street. The witness posted about the incident on her neighbourhood social network page. Solution A simple Google-like search within Flock’s simple user interface help identify the vehicle’s license plate Fortunately, the neighbourhood had Flock Safety’s wireless security cameras installed in multiple locations t...

Flock Safety installed wireless security cameras in a neighbourhood. The team of engineers closely monitored the software to ensure that the system ran exactly as it should. Situation A neighbour noticed someone pulling on the handles of cars along the street, checking to see if any of them were unlocked. The suspect entered a black sedan with disabled plates and sped away. Solution Flock's machine-learning software automatically captured and categorised the license plate number In just minu...

Jon Alion, HOA Board Member for the Knightsbridge subdivision in Fort Mill, SC, advocated for his neighbourhood to install security cameras that read licence plates throughout the community. “Crime seems to be happening a little more often in our neighbourhood and in other neighbourhoods,” Jon said. Why choose Flock Safety? Flock outdoor security system captures licence plate even at night, uses solar power and comes with automatic upgrades Jon started doing some research on neigh...

In an Atlanta neighbourhood, a new neighbour moved in and within a week, his garage was broken into and his $3,000 road bike was stolen. He reported the crime to the police but with no actionable evidence to go on, the investigation appeared to be at a dead end. Solution Flock Safety wireless cameras designed to capture licence plates can be used by local police to investigate crime The neighbourhood had recently installed Flock Safety’s licence plate reading camera system. Equipped wit...

In a Flock Safety-protected neighbourhood in Fremont, California, there was a break-in early one morning in June. A resident had a private camera system in place that picked up a piece of information about the criminal’s vehicle — the colour, make, and a licence plate starting with “7.” Instant results Armed with the timeframe of the break-in and general vehicle information, the resident was able to search using Flock’s advanced software and located a useable ima...

Valsoft, a company specialised in the acquisition and development of vertical market software companies, is pleased to announce that it has acquired the assets of Cascade Software Systems, Inc. (‘Cascade’), a provider of enterprise software solutions and mobile applications for the local government market. Cascade delivers highly segmented and integrated end-to-end solutions designed to manage all facets of local government project cost accounting and operations. Minimising data en...

The Security Industry Association (SIA) looks forward to 2019, and it is apparent that physical security is moving into its most formative years. Changes presented by emerging technology, open systems and growing connectivity among devices and sensors will make a big difference for manufacturers, systems integrators/dealers and end users. With a more open, connected environment come cyber risk and data privacy concerns – which is why, in SIA’s 2019 Security Megatrends, cybersecurity...

Open Options, based in Addison, Texas, provides a truly open access control architecture that will strengthen the ACRE portfolio and increase the breadth of solutions offered by the global provider of security systems. The acquisition of Open Options is also an opportunity for ACRE to focus on growth opportunities in North America and “balance the scales a bit,” says Joe Grillo, CEO of ACRE, which significantly grew its reach in Europe, the Middle East and Africa with the acquisitio...

IHS Markit projects that the market for physical electronic access control solutions has grown to over $5.2 billion in 2018. The market has experienced stable and predictable growth rates that have hovered around 6 percent over the past several years. Electronic locks remain both the largest and the fastest growing product type in access control, representing nearly 40% of the global market size for all access control equipment. Impact of technological developments While market growth rates ha...

Milestone Systems, the world’s renowned provider of open platform video management software (VMS), has announced the release of Device Pack 10.1a, which supports all optical and thermal MOBOTIX Mx6 cameras, as well as the entire MOBOTIX MOVE camera range. Milestone Device Pack 10.1a Milestone Device Pack 10.1a also integrates MxActivitySensor, a software-based professional analysis tool Milestone Systems’ Device Pack 10.1a product also integrates MxActivitySensor, a software-based...

2018 was a good year for integrators and manufacturers across the board. The economy has been strong which manifested itself in many ways but in particular construction was booming. This was very good for the security industry, especially those integrators and manufacturers who provide services and products in the commercial space. Two of the most unexpected things that impacted the market, and will continue to impact it into 2019, are the trade war and the rapid rise of interest rates. I have...

Edward Snowden’s name entered the cultural lexicon in 2013, after he leaked thousands of classified National Security Agency documents to journalists. He’s been variously called a traitor, a patriot, a revolutionary, a dissident and a whistleblower, but however you personally feel about him, there’s one way to categorise him that no one can dispute: He’s a thief. There’s no doubt about it: Snowden’s information didn’t belong to him, and the scary truth...

Video surveillance equipment vendors report their 2018 revenue data to IHS Markit in the first quarter of 2019, which is when we calculate the rate the professional video surveillance market grew in 2018. However, we expect this rate will have been around 10 percent globally -- slightly higher than the 9.3 percent growth in 2017 and much higher than the 3.9 percent growth in 2016. Changing market trends Despite this healthy rate of growth, 2018 was not without its challenges and surprises. Cha...

We’re here again. The end of another calendar year, and a time when many organisations are assessing their performance over the past 12 months and finalising strategic plans for 2019. Taking time to reflect on where our industry is at – and what’s likely to happen in the future – is important for all organisations as they set out their long-term goals and tactics. Here are some of the key trends to watch in the months to come and some predictions on their potential to i...

When a leading English university sought electronic locks for its newest student accommodation block, it turned to Aperio to extend its installed Gallagher Command Centre access control system. The University of East Anglia (UEA) has relied on Gallagher access control for a decade. To extend their Gallagher Command Centre system to Crome Court—a student residence with 231 en suite rooms separated into flats for between 8 and 13 postgraduates—they needed the right wireless solution....

The University of Birmingham educates over 30,000 students, with more than 6,000 doors providing access to student accommodation. Gallagher’s integrated access control solution is responsible for providing operational continuity and creating a safe and secure environment for students. Access management system The University recently completed its new state-of-the-art student accommodation development, Chamberlain, which consists of a 19-storey tower and three low-rise blocks. An essentia...

It amazes me how in a few short years security systems have gone from simple, dumb cameras witnessing events to intelligent eyes, ears, speech and touch solutions that boost situational awareness far beyond human capabilities. It seems the only senses missing from the equation now are smell and taste. And who knows, someone might be working on those in a lab somewhere right now. But what’s really fascinating to me is how the Internet of Things (IoT) has opened a world of possibilities for...

Timely and important issues in the security marketplace dominated our list of most-clicked-upon articles in 2018. Looking back at the top articles of the year provides a decent summary of how our industry evolved this year, and even offers clues to where we’re headed in 2019. In the world of digital publishing, it’s easy to know what content resonates with the security market: Our readers tell us with their actions; i.e., where they click. Let’s look back at the Top 10 article...

Consolidation persisted in the physical security industry in 2018, and big companies such as Motorola, Canon and UTC continued to make moves. Also among the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) news in 2018 was a high-profile bankruptcy (that ended well), continuing consolidation in the integrator market, and the creation of a new entity called “LenelS2.” Here’s a look at the Top 10 M&A stories in 2018: 1. Motorola acquires Avigilon Motorola Solutions announced in Februar...

The security marketplace is talking about a lot of different subjects. Our website’s Expert Panel Roundtable discussions in 2018 reflected some of the “hot topics” in the industry.  The very most-clicked-on Expert Panel Roundtable discussion in 2018 was about privacy issues and GDPR’s impact on physical security systems. Other hot topics that made the Top-10 list of roundtable discussions included obstacles to adoption of mobile credentials, what’s new “...

In the wake of 9/11, the Federal Government’s secure-the-fort, big idea was to create an identity credential for all federal employees and contractors. Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-12 set it all in motion. Today, we know the smartcard-based credential that arose from HSPD-12 as the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card. The PIV card is meant to give employees/contractors physical access to federal facilities and logical access to federal information systems. While u...

As the world continues to become more connected, it’s becoming increasingly important to adjust security and safety procedures in the workplace. But today’s ever-evolving office environment can present unique safety and preparedness challenges. No two businesses are exactly alike, with some located in numerous buildings or spread out across campuses, while others have employees that frequently journey from different locations, work remotely or travel internationally. With this shif...

There is a new event on the calendar for the security industry in 2019: The Security Event 2019, 9-11 April, at NEC, Birmingham. For additional details and a preview of the new trade show and conference, we spoke with Tristan Norman, Founding Partner and Event Director, The Security Event. Q: It seems recently that some trade shows have been on the decline in terms of exhibit size and attendance. Why does the physical security industry need another trade show? Norman: I think there are numer...

Terry Gold of D6 Research has been giving “cyber in physical security” presentations at a variety of conferences, including ISC West and the Cyber:Secured Forum. We caught up with him for some insights about the intersection of cybersecurity and physical security. Q: Tell us a little bit about your background, specifically in the context of its relevance to cyber security in physical access. Gold: I started out in information security and then got involved in physical security al...

As buildings become more complex and smarter, the age-old traditional maintenance methods that are based mostly on hands-on human monitoring are becoming more and more inadequate. Instead, the world is fast adopting building automation as a key component of smarter and more proactive maintenance strategies. The aim is to free up maintenance staff and give them time to focus on other tasks while machines monitor the different systems that work together to make the facility functional. Specific...

Employee turnover is a problem for many companies, especially among younger employees who have not developed the philosophy of employer loyalty that was common in previous generations. Nowadays, changing jobs is the norm. The idea of spending decades working for a single employer seems almost quaint in today’s economy. However, excessive employee turnover can be expensive for employers, who are looking for ways to keep their brightest and best employees happily toiling away as long as poss...

School shootings continue, as does a search for answers. What solutions are there to prevent school shootings and/or to improve the response (and thus minimise the death toll)?  In the physical security industry, we like to think we have solutions that can help, if not “solve”, the problem, but realistically speaking, how effective are they at the end of the day? We like to think we have solutions that can help, if not “solve”, the problem: but how effective ar...

Belden Inc., a global provider in signal transmission solutions for mission-critical applications, announces a new team dedicated to supporting the connectivity needs of the global hospitality market. This team, specialising in cable and connectivity infrastructures, is comprised of experts in each of Belden’s four hospitality sectors: hotels and resorts, casinos, cruise lines and theme parks. In the hospitality market, facilities are constantly innovating to keep guests satisfied. As tec...