Crime prevention - Security beat

Transit security challenges include crime and the lingering impact of COVID

Clean, safe mass transit systems benefit everyone. Today’s transit operators face tremendous challenges, including declining revenue due to work-from-home policies, concerns about disease prevention, and high crime environments. Among these concerns, difficulty recruiting and retaining police resources has been exacerbated by the ongoing mental health crisis that disproportionately impacts public transportation networks. Mass transit systems Safe cities require an operational environme...

Shoplifting today is more sophisticated, and so are the tools to fight it

Shoplifting is often viewed as petty theft by individuals, but that is not always the case. Overall, shoplifting is becoming more sophisticated and coordinated. Sometimes, retail crimes are strategic and expertly choreographed. Every step is carefully thought out — from the brand to the location to the items that are taken. Shoplifting, a major safety concern Also, the violence that accompanies these events is rising. Shoppers are rightly concerned about their safety while shopping, and...

ISC West 2022 promotes innovation, reflects resilience and dedication

Technology is driving new opportunities in the security industry. Innovation trends include artificial intelligence (AI), edge-based systems, mobile systems, a greater focus on software, and efforts to simplify operation of security systems, even as capabilities become more complex. ISC West 2022 reflected these changing trends. “In addition to emphasising technology innovation, ISC West also reflected an industry that is resilient, dedicated and passionate,” said Mary Beth Shaughne...

Baltimore is the latest U.S. city to target facial recognition technology

The city of Baltimore has banned the use of facial recognition systems by residents, businesses and the city government (except for police). The criminalisation in a major U.S. city of an important emerging technology in the physical security industry is an extreme example of the continuing backlash against facial recognition throughout the United States. Facial recognition technology ban Several localities – from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco, from Oakland, California, to Boston &n...

Disruptive innovation providing new opportunities in smart cities

Growth is accelerating in the smart cities market, which will quadruple in the next four years based on 2020 numbers. Top priorities are resilient energy and infrastructure projects, followed by data-driven public safety and intelligent transportation. Innovation in smart cities will come from the continual maturation of relevant technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), fifth-generation telecommunications (5G) and edge-to-cloud networking. AI and computer...

When hiring drivers, proper vetting is vital for safety and compliance

Many employers faced a need to ramp up hiring of drivers to meet a higher demand for product deliveries and transportation logistics during the COVID-19 pandemic. To meet the demand for drivers, employers had to make quick hiring decisions while also ensuring products were still being delivered in a timely fashion.  Safe work environment Businesses have a duty of care to provide a safe working environment for their employees and contractors. It is therefore important to limit exposing dri...

Working from home creates new security concerns for companies

The global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus is changing work environments to an unprecedented degree. More employees than ever are being asked to work remotely from home. Along with the new work practices comes a variety of security challenges. Without the proper precautions, working from home could become a cybersecurity nightmare, says Purdue University professor Marcus Rogers. “Criminals will use the crisis to scam people for money, account information and more,” he says....

Q&A: how the ‘secret service of Hollywood’ protects celebrities

At a major music festival, a fan in the crowd aggressively leapt over a barricade to approach a famous artist. Personnel from Force Protection Agency immediately implemented extrication protocol to shield the artist from physical harm, quickly reversed course and calmly led the client away from the threat. Force Protection Agency (FPA) personnel intentionally did not engage the threatening fan in any way, as local venue security personnel were present and tasked with apprehending the rogue fan....

UK Government releases strategy to tackle growing security threat of drones

The UK Government has been working to reduce the risks associated with illegal drone use since a high-profile incident at UK’s Gatwick Airport in December 2018, when a drone sighting triggered a three-day shutdown of the UK’s second busiest airport, disrupting the travel plans of 140,000 people and affecting 1,000 flights. To address growing security threats by drones, the UK Government has released its ‘Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Strategy’. ‘Counter-Unmanned Aircr...

Assessing the risk of violence and designing workable solutions

The task of protecting shared spaces, such as offices and schools, has become increasingly complex, particularly with ever-rising political tensions and the difficulties of assessing threats for schools, workplaces and law enforcement. Given the randomness of when and where a violent person may strike, those who manage facilities need an emergency plan, as well as robust training, detection and awareness. To gain more insights into dealing with such threats, we interviewed John Torres, Presiden...

Registering private video systems provides new crime-solving tool for police

Private video systems are offering new sources of evidence for police investigations. Growing popularity of private camera registration schemes are facilitating police department access to video captured by cameras in homes and businesses for use in their investigations. Camera registration programmes are organised locally by individual police departments but have common features and operation. By registering their camera systems, citizens and business people provide information to a confidenti...

Emergency response and notification systems: Crucial for improving hospital security

When violence or a life-threatening incident occurs, hospitals and other healthcare institutions are often in the crosshairs. Hospitals increasingly face a reality of workplace violence, attacks on patients, and threats to doctors and other support staff. And even if violence happens outside a hospital – such as an active shooter at a public place – the local hospital must be prepared to respond to an influx of injured victims. When conflicts arise inside a hospital, there is an urg...

Fast-growing ADT Commercial adapts solutions for each customer

ADT Commercial have grown organically in double digits since 2016, in addition to growing through 15 acquisitions completed since the merger of ADT and Protection One. Acquisition of integrator companies such as Red Hawk Fire and Security and Aronson Security Group have expanded ADT Commercial’s presence geographically to more areas of the country. Most of the employees of the acquired companies have stayed with ADT and “helped to create a corporate culture and a good place for emp...

Deal/no deal uncertainty: Impact of Brexit on the security marketplace

As the deal/no deal prospects of Brexit are tossed in a whirlwind of UK and EU politics, the uncertainty of the back-and-forth has broadly impacted general economic trends, and by extension, the physical security market. The new deadline for a Brexit agreement is October 31, already postponed six months from the scheduled April 12 departure date. Numbers show that Britain’s GDP shrank in the second quarter, possibly reflecting fewer exports because of Brexit uncertainty. And beyond the cu...

Actuate software detects gun threats and provides real-time alerts

During the Parkland, Florida, school shooting in 2018, the shooter was caught on a security camera pulling his rifle out of a duffle bag in the staircase 15 seconds before discharging the first round. However, the School Resource Officer didn’t enter the building because he wasn’t confident about the situation, and the Coral Springs Police Department had no idea what the shooter even looked like until 7 minutes and 30 seconds after the first round was fired. If the video system had...

Not all police use of facial recognition should be controversial

As police use of live facial recognition (LFR) is called into question in the United Kingdom, the concerns can overshadow another use of facial recognition by police officers. Facial recognition is incorporated into day-to-day police operations to identify an individual standing in front of them. This more common usage should not be called into question, says Simon Hall, CEO of Coeus Software, which developed PoliceBox, a software that enables police officers to complete the majority of their...

Gunfire detection solutions and AI technology to address the growth in mass shootings

According to the reports of not-for-profit organisation Gun Violence Archive, the year 2018 saw 323 mass shooting incidents as of November. This number is 346 for the year 2017 and 382 for 2016, with ‘mass shooting’ defined as cases where four or more people are shot or killed in the same time period and location. A variety of gunfire detection solutions and other technology approaches seek to address the problem. ShotSpotter SiteSecure and ShotSpotter SecureCampus provide critical...

Summer of mass shootings: US Secret Service report looks for answers

A week of mass shootings this summer has again spotlighted the horror of gun violence in public spaces. A 19-year-old gunman opened fire at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California on July 28, injuring 13 and killing four (including the gunman). In El Paso, Texas, less than a week later, a lone gunman killed 22 people and injured 24 others. In Dayton, Ohio, a day later, a gunman shot 26 people during a 30-second attack, killing 9 and injuring 17. Rising active shooting incidents Beyond the gri...

Gunshot detectors shorten response times and make cities safer

Gunshot detectors use digital microphones installed on (or in) buildings or along streets that listen for evidence of gunshots, provide near instantaneous notification, triangulate the location of shooters and direction of a shot, detect the type of gun and ultimately aid in catching fleeing suspects and solving crimes. Gunshot detection is just one technology playing a role in the larger trend by city agencies to improve core city services. Cities are turning to what are referred to as ‘...

Future uncertain for live facial recognition in U.K. law enforcement

Police in the United Kingdom have been testing the effectiveness of live facial recognition (LFR) for several years now, but future uses of the technology have been called into question. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), an independent authority that seeks to uphold information rights in the public interest, has weighed in on issues of data privacy related to LFR, and Members of Parliament (MPs) have called for a moratorium on uses of the technology. The big question is whether...

Video systems are more valuable than ever at education facilities

Video surveillance cannot address all the security challenges in education, but it is a valuable tool and among the least obtrusive options available. And the list of security challenges that video can address grows every day. Video systems can provide real-time monitoring of school premises and facilitate rapid response to incidents. New advances such as video analytics are currently underutilised in the education arena. Historically, video has been used as a forensic tool in the education ma...

Trackforce workforce management provides intelligence and data analytics

Workforce management systems gather and analyse information and anomalies from security officers in the field. The information ranges from direct observations entered via mobile or desktop apps by officers on duty to reports from cleaning staff, the maintenance department, and CCTV operators. Taken together, the information yields business intelligence and data analytics at no additional cost. Trackforce is a provider of workforce management solutions specific to the security industry and its...

Tips to ensure security at large-scale events this summer

A high majority of Americans (83%) are concerned about a criminal attack causing physical harm at large-scale events such as sporting events or concert festivals. More than one in five (22% of) Americans say they have cancelled plans or considered cancelling plans to attend large-scale public events due to concerns about physical attacks and the safety of their data. Across the pond, three in 10 Britons think twice about attending large-scale events due to data or physical security issues. Alt...

The Internet of Things is bringing new capabilities and vulnerabilities to cities

An area of technology that is shifting how we interact with our cities is the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT already accounts for swathes of technology and devices operating in the background. However, we’re increasingly seeing these come to the forefront of everyday life, as data becomes critical. The decisions that this critical data is attached to must be made quickly. A living, breathing city must constantly be monitoring, assessing and utilising data in order to ensure it keeps pe...

Facts and misconceptions about home security

Who is more likely to rob your home – a friend or a stranger? Is a burglary more likely to occur when you are at home or away? Does gun ownership contribute to more effective home security? What about a loud, barking dog? A recent survey by Reviews.org considered these and other consumer preconceptions about home security and how they compare with the facts. "Everyone wants to feel safe at home but not everyone knows which home safety measures will actually help protect them,” say...

San Francisco prohibits deployment of ‘Secret Surveillance’ technologies

The mindset behind a new law to prohibit the use of facial recognition and other security-related technologies by San Francisco police and other city agencies is obvious in the name of the new ordinance: “Stop Secret Surveillance.” Ordinance to stop secret surveillance The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed the ordinance 8-1 with two abstentions on May 14, and there will be another vote next week before it becomes law. We have an outsize responsibility to regulate the exces...

Can Knightscope’s security robots make America safe again?

Knightscope’s long-term mission is to “make America the safest country in the world,” says William Santana Li, Chairman and CEO. “The company was started six years ago as we had grown tired and horrified by the ongoing violence in our country and decided to do something about it.” But are security robots the solution to crime and violence in the United States? “There are 2+ million law enforcement and security professionals trying to secure 328+ million peopl...

OSSA creating an app-based platform to disrupt the security industry

In today’s technology-driven markets, a platform is a business model that connects producers and consumers in an interactive ecosystem. Some examples of platforms are Uber and Airbnb, which have disrupted and transformed traditional markets. Isn’t it time to deploy the platform model in the physical security industry? That’s the goal of the Open Security & Safety Alliance (OSSA), a non-profit organisation. Interactions and exchange The book ‘Platform Revolution&rsqu...

Affordable drone radar: how Echodyne is reinventing drone prevention

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, present a range of threats, from the careless and clueless to the criminal. While many incidents may seem harmless, the threat to any location at any time depends on a range of factors. Drones are inexpensive for criminals to buy or make, and there are continuously improving battery, airspeed, and payload capabilities. UAVs can also fly without an RF signal to jam or hack. Fortunately, sensor technologies including radar are available for security ag...

Sri Lanka bombings reignite threat of terrorism worldwide

Simultaneous suicide bombings at several churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on April 21 were of a scale, sophistication and level of coordination that hasn’t been seen since 9/11. Nine suicide bombers targeted three churches and three hotels on Easter morning, and the resulting casualties numbered 359 dead, including 45 children, and about 500 injured. The complexity of the attacks suggests the bombers received help from an outside organisation, likely the Islamic State (IS). Sadly, securit...

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