Public security - Expert commentary
Sports stadiums and leagues are constantly pushing for higher security standards & best practices to strengthen venues that may be perceived as "soft targets" Terrorism threats have focused the attention of sports security professionals like Paul Turner, Director of Event Operations & Security for AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on how to more effectively screen guests and ensure that fans and athletes are kept safe. It has made the sobering reality that stadiums...
Many people who decide to run, hide or fight during an active shooter event survive. John Matthews, a decorated law enforcement veteran and nationally known public safety consultant, studies this premise in his 2013 book: Mass Shootings: Six Steps to Survival. “To survive, you have to be mentally prepared,” Matthews says. “You have to know what to do the minute the first shots ring out.” For his book, Matthews researched 60 mass shootings that occurred between 1980 and...
Siklu further expanded its presence in the video surveillance market in 2015. The company released the world’s smallest outdoor Gbps radio to address the issue of densified coverage, which results in the need for high capacity connectivity in surveillance networks – a trend that has snowballed in past years. Growing Video Surveillance Networks Demand Greater Bandwidth Capacity Developments in video analytics and resolutions, requiring high-quality video at the surveillance ne...
The role of today’s security leader continues to evolve as they are faced with an ever-expanding risk environment that includes active shooters, crime, natural disasters, liabilities and cyber threats. Most recently, the terrorist attacks in Paris and the active shooter violence in California once again served as reminders of the threats organizations face on a daily basis. Intelligent Technologies For Proactive Security Management Over the past year, the increased fo...
As terrorism continues to rear its ugly head, we at Delta Scientific have been upgrading high-profile embassy and consulate facilities for several major counties around the world. 2015 was a strong year for us. We saw an increase in manufacturing output on our complete line of vehicle barricades and guard booths. 2016 shows no signs of slowing down. Increased global security measures for explosive-laden vehicles The Middle East is a particular hotbed for increas...
Cybersecurity is a fast-changing field and 2015 was no exception. The proliferation of cybersecurity issues continued to make headlines, including the very dramatic hacking of a vehicle to allow for remote control over steering, brakes, the transmission and other critical functions. There was also state-sponsored hacking that targeted government, defense and other strategic sectors of the marketplace. Staying on top of these breaches still remains a challenge. Securing The I...
The nature of risk has changed, and there is a blurring of lines between cyber, physical and online security. These changes are spurring organizational changes as well. Most recently, the unexpected attacks against Paris have escalated the importance of security worldwide – and there’s an even greater focus on leveraging even more sources of information in an effort to gain greater situational awareness to react faster, more efficiently and effectively. Changing...
Many of the most well-trafficked articles posted at SourceSecurity.com in 2015 were those that addressed timely and important issues in the security marketplace. In the world of digital publishing, it’s easy to know what content resonates with the market: Our readers tell us with their actions; i.e., where they click. Let’s look back at the Top 10 articles we posted in 2015 that generated the most page views. They are listed in order here with the author’s...
For high value individuals such as the Pope,agencies have access to unlimited publicresources in terms of money and people The Pope’s visit to the United States reminds us that protecting big-name executives, celebrities and dignitaries is a highly specialized security function. Public and private executive protection groups begin preparing for the visit of major world figures months ahead of time. “It is a task of massive proportions,” says Tom M. Con...
Preventive security measures and security training of personnel in the line of fire have improved dramatically Aviation security has significantly intensified since 9-11, and we’re making it more and more difficult for terrorists to get to us on the ground and in the air. In February the FBI arrested three men in Brooklyn plotting to hijack an airliner, and in the 14 years since the terrorist attacks of 9-11, officials have foiled dozens of plots against airlines, buildi...
9-11 caused a sharp refocus of attention on security assessment and risk management Fifteen to 20 years ago, security was a relatively sleepy, small-time business. Companies typically hired a guard or two to walk around the property, usually at night, sometimes during the day. If a guard spotted someone who wasn’t supposed to be there, he (it was usually a he) ran the person off. Larger companies had more sophisticated video and access control systems, but those systems...
Educational institutions and security firms must work together to develop preventive programs College and university campuses provide a perfect cauldron for non-stranger rape — also known as acquaintance rape and date rape. A U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) study looked at reported rapes from 1995 to 2013. In that study, females ages 18 to 24 had the highest rate of rape and sexual assault victimizations of any other age group. A significant proportion of women 18 to...
The ultimate goal is to predict violent incidents through analytical intelligence Potential deployments of video analytics, or my own preferred term “intelligent scene analysis,” are being worked on by some of the best minds at university campuses across the United Kingdom. Later this year I will visit Kingston University whose Digital Imaging Research Centre is one of the largest computer vision groups in Europe. Violence Prevention Through Analytical Intelligenc...
Security is a big concern for local government buildings, but there are measures that can make a difference Back in August of 2013, Rockne Warren Newell, armed with a rifle and a handgun, stormed a township meeting in the Ross Township Municipal Building in Saylorsburg, Pa. Witnesses say he fired through a wall into the meeting room and then burst into the room itself, guns blazing. Three people died, and two sustained wounds before citizens attending the meeting restrained hi...
To guide people under stress facing emergency situations, SchoolDude developed the CrisisManager smartphone app Last year, SchoolDude asked administrators at several hundred K-12 schools and colleges how they communicated their emergency and crisis management plans to administrators and faculty. Seventy-nine percent said they sent their emergency plans out in paper binders. Cary, N.C.-based SchoolDude, an education enterprise asset manager, conducted the study to see if there...
CPTED focuses on designing crime prevention into buildings and campuses In recent years, jurisdictions across the United States have enacted ordinances or codes requiring the use of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). Enforcement of these measures arises through required jurisdictional review and approval of CPTED measures in the design drawings. CPTED has emerged in recent years as an effective crime prevention and security technique that focuses on design...
The focus of Fusion Center is all about video - surveillance, analytics, verification, license plate recognition, VMS, wearable cameras and more Growing demand for surveillance that offers better quality video continues to fuel growth in the IP camera market. According to Transparency Market Research, the video surveillance market will realize a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19 percent by 2019, surpassing $42 billion in sales. High-definition video and network-connect...
When a recession leads to social unrest, governments usually reduce their spending on policing and camera surveillance With elections due later this year in the UK, Spain and Switzerland, attitudes to the prevailing political landscape of austerity are changing rapidly. Are physical security budgets in the public sector ever protected from cuts, and what is the outlook for our industry? Consider the landscape: A left-leaning party has come to power in Greece on an anti-auster...
Acquiring emergency phones is an effective way to improve security and safety Call boxes / emergency phones play a very important role in improving security. Not only are they important communication tools in the event of an emergency, but they can also serve as effective deterrents to crime or prevent security threats. In this article, Sam Shanes, Chairman at Talk-A-Phone, gives five valuable tips to significantly enhance the capabilities of the call box / emergenc...
Fiber optics enhances the operation and business bottom line of surveillance solutions Designers and end users of security systems, integrators and installers must consider and balance the functionality required of a video surveillance camera with its methods of transmission. This is the first of a 3-part examination by Mark Wilson, Marketing Vice President of Infinova, of how chief security officers (CSOs), directors and managers can understand the benefits of and...
