Weapon detection

After extensive cooperative research and development between the two companies, Point Blank Enterprises and First Tactical are pleased to announce the launch of the public safety industry’s first-ever fully integrated apparel and armor line, the V2 Pro Performance System. This innovative solution allows law enforcement agencies to purchase a fully-integrated system featuring the V2 Pro-Performance armor carrier with NIJ compliant ballistics, shirt and pants. The innovative V2 Pro-Performance material is lightweight, breathable and engineered for on-the-job comfort with fabrics that are stain resistant and maintain a professional look no matter the conditions. When it comes to safety, performance and professional functionality – nothing else compares. Body armor systems Point Blank and First Tactical will introduce a line of integrated products desperately needed by public safety professionals First Tactical opened in late 2015 and has been steadily growing in the industry since. Founded by Dan Costa, a proven industry pioneer, First Tactical strives to meet the needs of public safety professionals with new, innovative ideas in apparel, footwear and accessories. Point Blank Enterprises is currently the premier source of body armor systems in the world, with 45 years of experience providing innovative personal protection products to the public safety community and military. Together, Point Blank and First Tactical will introduce a line of holistically integrated products desperately needed by public safety professionals. These products shall be designed with Officer Safety as the priority along with the quality and image of the personnel being in the forefront in today’s demanding environment. Ballistic options will include over thirty NIJ certified solutions, including Alpha Elite armor which is worn by more Officers today than any other package in America. Personal protection equipment Michael Foreman, Executive Vice President at Point Blank Enterprises said, “As the leader in personal protection equipment we continue to lead the way in providing public safety personnel the latest design and highest level of protection at the lowest possible weight. The creation of the V2 Pro-Performance System will provide for the next generation integrated system that will maximize protection, optimize wearing comfort, and promote the image of public safety personnel today and into the future.”

Aeroturn LLC, global turnstile manufacturer that offers 100% Made in The USA turnstiles, has announced that the company will be returning to the ISC East 2019 show once again to showcase its groundbreaking turnstile solutions to the East Coast in booth #550. The show will take place at the Jacob Javits Center on November 20th and 21st 2019 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ISC East is the Northeast’s largest security trade show where over 7,000 security and public safety professionals convene in New York each year to meet experts from over 300 leading security brands. The combination of one-on-one conversations with the industry’s top innovators, special events, and cutting-edge education makes ISC East the security industry’s most comprehensive east coast event; making it a perfect venue for Aeroturn to continue making its mark on the security industry. Optical portal turnstiles Aeroturn recently joined forces with IPVideo Corp to deliver a one-of-a-kind security solution At the show, attendees will be able to view live demonstrations of Aeroturn’s Optical portal turnstiles with forced entry resistant glass along with a brand-new self-service security screening solution at booth #550. Aeroturn recently joined forces with IPVideo Corp, global manufacturer of audio/video recording, passive weapons detection systems and IOT sensor technology, to deliver a one-of-a-kind security solution that allows visitors/employees to be fully screened for weapons without a physical guard. Once a person enters IPVideo’s ViewScan metal detector and is cleared for entry, the Aeroturn X-Wing turnstile opens automatically and allows access. AeroScan remote integrated metal detector and turnstile “We are looking forward to not only bringing our individual turnstile solutions to the show floor; but introducing our new joint solution with IPVideo Corp. - the first remotely operated all-in-one integrated metal detector and turnstile solution called AeroScan,” states Michael Stoll, VP of Technical Sales & Marketing. He adds, “Aeroturn is proud to have joined forces with such an innovative company as IPVideo Corp. and looks forward to pushing the envelope even further with this new security screening solution.” In addition, Aeroturn will continue the tradition of giving away its complimentary Aeroturn hats in booth #550 at the ISC East 2019 show in New York till supplies last. Aeroturn turnstiles Aeroturn has built a solid reputation by gaining recognition as the industry standard when it comes to quality turnstilesOver the past 15 years, Aeroturn has built a solid reputation by gaining recognition as the industry standard when it comes to quality turnstiles. What makes Aeroturn turnstiles unique is the fact that it can accommodate forced entry resistant glass, which has become extremely important to schools. Moving forward, more and more schools and businesses will be implementing bullet resistant glass at entry points. At this year’s ISC East show, attendees will be able to see first-hand at booth #550 how Aeroturn’s optical portal mantrap turnstile can be used at critical checkpoints and implemented with a full height school guard glass set of moving panels. Self-service security screening  A huge benefit of a single or dual portal mantrap turnstile is the engineered flexibility in creating customized solutions that are able to be integrated with metal screening technologies in high throughput locations. There are many options out there for turnstiles; however none offer a dual front door forced-entry resistant passage mantrap that can be fully integrated with metal detectors. The future of self-service security screening is here with one integrated security system working together to protect people and assets. Based out of Oxford, Connecticut, USA, Aeroturn LLC has been offering integrators and end users this century’s turnstiles that include a comprehensive range of turnstile products.

The new H.265 Wisenet XNB-H6461H Pinhole Height Strip camera from Hanwha Techwin offers users the opportunity to covertly capture an image of a person’s face, and when used in conjunction with another camera, establish the approximate height of the person. Ideal for banks, petrol stations, convenience stores and other retail type applications, the Wisenet IP network Pinhole Height Strip camera is able to support face recognition analytics and designed to be installed at an exit door. Positioned at eye level and looking in, it is able to capture clear frontal images of faces which can be recorded and used as evidence to prosecute anyone arrested for theft or fraudulent activity. IP network cameras The Pinhole Height Strip camera enables covert capturing of image of the culprit on their first visit to the store" “Loss prevention managers have told us that it is not unusual for a thief to ‘case out’ a store before attempting to steal anything,” said Uri Guterman, Head of Product & Marketing for Hanwha Techwin Europe. He adds, “Having taken a close look at where the store’s video surveillance cameras are positioned, as well as the level of staffing, the thief then leaves the store only to return shortly afterwards with a cap or hat covering their face from the view of cameras which are normally installed on a ceiling looking down. The Pinhole Height Strip camera provides the opportunity to covertly capture a clear image of the culprit on their first visit to the store.” Wisenet XNB-H6461H Pinhole Height Strip camera The 2 MP Wisenet XNB-H6461H pinhole camera comes equipped with a 4.6mm fixed lens that provides a 73° field of view. It also benefits from enhanced Wide Dynamic Range (WDR), which performs at up to 120dB, to produce clear images from scenes containing a challenging mix of bright and dark areas. This is quite often the case at entry/exits points of a building and normally results in overexposed or underexposed images. In addition, built-in Highlight Compensation (HLC) technology solves the problem of overexposure created by the presence of strong light sources, such as from store spotlights. The camera’s Hallway View provides a highly effective way to monitor narrow vertical areas such as shopping aisles and corridors. This enables the Wisenet XNB-H6461H, which can generate images in the 9:16 and 3:4 aspect ratios, to work effectively in tall and narrow spaces, with the added bonus of minimizing bandwidth and video storage requirements. Other features of Wisenet XNB-H6461H include: Audio analysis which recognizes critical sounds such as raised voices, screams, broken glass, gunshots and explosions, and generates an alert to enable security personnel to quickly react to any incidents. A Dual MicroSD/SDHC/SDXC memory slot which allows video or data to be stored at the edge. Support for H.265, H.264 and MJPEG compression formats. WiseStream II, a complementary compression technology which improves bandwidth, efficiency by up to 99%, compared to current H.264 technology when combined with H.265 compression. Power over Ethernet (PoE) which negates the need to install a power supply and separate cabling for the camera. A USB port which helps reduce the time installers have to spend on site by enabling them to remotely check via Wi-Fi the Wisenet XNB-H6461H’s field of view and focus, from the convenience of a mobile device.

UVeye, global provider of top-tier solutions for automated external inspection of vehicles, has officially launched its UV Inspect threat detection technology. Developed to instantly detect threats – such as bombs, weapons, and drugs – stowed in the undercarriage of vehicles, UV Inspect is powered by deep learning computer vision technologies. UV Inspect threat detection UV Inspect meets the challenge of automating threat detection for new and unfamiliar vehicles. The pioneering UV Inspect algorithm analyzes each vehicle part separately, using the deep learning computer vision to identify every element on the undercarriage of the vehicle and detect threats within seconds. This advancement in detection capabilities is built on UVeye’s extensive work in training its deep learning algorithms to truly understand what each part of a vehicle is supposed to look like, independent of make or model or the need for previous examples on record. Examples of the depth of this research become evident in the UV Inspect technology’s ability to identify items like an exhaust pipe without having previously scanned the vehicle. UVeye is addressing the needs of border control operators and other security professionals" Secure vehicle scanning “As the first to offer a true first pass solution, UVeye is addressing the needs of border control operators and other security professionals tasked with examining non-repeat traffic to securely scan vehicles passing through their checkpoints,” says Amir Hever, UVeye’s CEO and co-founder. He adds, “Our team has developed a reliable method of identifying anomalous objects without the need for earlier reference points, using only the information captured in our high resolution images at the time of the scan.” UVcompare deep learning-driven system With this launch, UV Inspect joins UVeye’s arsenal of detection technologies, which includes UVcompare, the deep learning-driven system that monitors trends of repeat traffic to identify changes which could indicate a threat or issue for concern. This technology works by identifying trends on a specific vehicle over time, without the need to compare the image to a model from the manufacturer. In the coming months, UVeye plans to expand the implementation of the UV Inspect technology to further support its global customers across the security market. UVeye’s technology is currently deployed all over the world at high security facilities such as banks, embassies, prisons, military bases, airports, and more.

Aegis AI, a venture capital-backed AI startup, which provides computer vision software to turn any security camera into a threat-detecting smart camera, has announced that it is rebranding as Actuate and launched new AI threat-detection features included in it.  After careful analysis of the company’s market positioning, Actuate leadership decided to adopt the new brand name in alignment with its new features, which expand the firm’s offerings beyond gun detection. Intruder- and threat-detection AI solutions Our new intruder- and threat-detection features help make our customers safer" The new features include intruder- and threat-detection AI solutions. The Actuate system can now alert customers to unauthorized entry to customer facilities and catch individuals acting in a threatening manner even before weapons are fully visible. “Our new intruder- and threat-detection features help make our customers safer,” said Ben Ziomek, Actuate chief product officer. “We’re excited to offer them to the market as we debut a new brand that highlights our expanded scope.” Vertical-specific marketing content Actuate is also launching new, vertical-specific marketing content that targets healthcare, education, corporate, and public-sector customers as part of the rebrand. The new Actuate logo modernizes the brand while maintaining the key colors and look-and-feel that defined the Aegis brand. It moves the brand from a focus on its defensive posture to a more general, enterprise-ready brand that opens the door to Actuate’s use as a building-management platform. Deep data science and AI Actuate was founded in early 2018 by University of Chicago MBAs Sonny Tai and Ben Ziomek. Tai is a former Marine Corps captain who spent his formative years in Johannesburg, South Africa, where gun violence rates are some of the highest in the world, while Ziomek brings deep data science and AI expertise gained from his time as a program manager at Microsoft. “This rebrand recognizes that we’ve grown as a company,” said Tai, Actuate’s chief executive officer. “I’m thrilled to announce new intruder- and threat-detection features, which we feel strongly, contribute to our central goal of making society safer.”

ShotSpotter, Inc., a pioneer in solutions that help law enforcement officials identify, locate and deter gun violence, announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted ShotSpotter U.S. Patent No. 10,424,048 entitled “Systems and Methods Involving Creation and/or Utilization of Image Mosaics in Classification of Acoustic Events”. ShotSpotter’s real-time gunshot detection solution uses a two-step process that employs both machine classification and human review. The system is able to distinguish with high accuracy whether a loud, impulsive sound detected by its acoustic sensors is a gunshot or a non-gunshot incident, such as fireworks, in less than 60 seconds. The innovation behind this 33rd patent granted to ShotSpotter covers the conversion of multiple features of the audio event into a set of visual displays that are combined into a single image mosaic. This enables the system to leverage “deep learning” neural networks that typically identify and classify images, not sounds. Innovation in AI efforts We continue to advance our solutions so that our customers are provided best gunshot detection solution” Since its implementation, this approach, along with the ability to train the system using ShotSpotter’s proprietary database of over 14 million gunshot and non-gunshot incidents, has resulted in significant improvements in machine classification accuracy. Events that are machine-classified with high confidence as non-gunshots can now be excluded from the human classification step. This allows more focused expert review of probable gunshots in ShotSpotter’s Incident review Center (IRC) prior to notifying patrol officers digitally about the gunfire incident location. Additionally, the company expects to benefit as its customer base grows by being more efficient in the staffing of the IRC. “Despite having no direct competitors for our wide-area municipal gunshot detection service, we continue to invest in R&D to extend our platform and improve the associated technology. This patent represents another important innovation in our AI efforts,” said Ralph A. Clark, President and CEO of ShotSpotter. "We will continue to advance our solutions so that our law enforcement customers are provided the highest-quality gunshot detection solution to help keep their communities safe.”

The physical security industry is moving fast. Evolving risks, new technologies and business changes all converged and had a profound impact on the industry in 2019. Looking back at our top articles of the year – as measured by those that received the most “clicks” at our website – provides a decent summary of how the industry evolved this year. Timely and important issues in the security marketplace dominated our list of most-clicked-upon articles 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 articles we posted in 2019 that generated the most page views. They are listed in order here with a brief excerpt. 1. Schneider Electric to Sell Pelco to Private Equity Firm Schneider entered exclusive negotiations with Transom Capital Group, a U.S.-based private equity firm, to sell the Pelco business unit. Pelco is a security industry stalwart and global specialist in the design, development, and delivery of end-to-end video surveillance solutions and services including cameras, recording and management systems software. 2. High-Tech Drones, Robots and Counter-Drone Solutions on Display From robots to drones to counter-drone solutions, a range of new technologies [was] displayed at ISC West 2019. The Unmanned Security Expo [included] a dedicated complimentary education theater for attendees offering sessions on a range of topics. Also included [were] demos of the best UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), UGVs (unmanned ground robotics and vehicles) and autonomous systems on the market. 3. Hikvision and Dahua Banned from Buying U.S. Exports In effect, inclusion on the “entities” list restricts the export of equipment to the two companies because of their alleged involvement in “human rights violations and abuses” related to a Chinese government campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, and high-technology surveillance against minority groups. Hikvision and Dahua have contracts to sell equipment that provides video surveillance capabilities in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China. 4. The many faces of today's facial recognition technology Used proportionately and responsibly, facial recognition can and should be a force for good. It has the ability to do a lot more to increase security in the future. From street crime to airport security, all the way through to helping those battling addiction, the technology can take security and operations to new heights. 5. Security Industry Trends to Be Led by Focus on Cyber Security In 2019 With a more open, connected environment come cyber-risk and data privacy concerns – which is why, in the Security Industry Association’s 2019 Security Megatrends, cybersecurity’s impact on the physical security industry ranks number one on the list. Cybersecurity is affecting all areas of the industry landscape, from security implementation to attracting top talent to the workforce. 6. Open Supervised Data Protocol (OSDP): The Gold Standard for Access Control Installations The Open Supervised Data Protocol (OSDP) is now the industry’s gold standard for physical access control installations. It was designed to offer a higher level of security with more flexible options than the aging, de facto Wiegand wiring standard. OSDP, first introduced in 2011 by the Security Industry Association (SIA), continues to evolve with significant manufacturer input. 7. Honeywell Embracing AI, Reinvesting in Video Portfolio Although uses for artificial intelligence (AI) are still emerging in security, Honeywell sees an important role for AI in building a connected system to ensure the safety and security of a building, and more importantly, its occupants. AI allows end users to go beyond monitoring activity on a surface level to really understand the scene – from who exactly is in the area to what they might be doing. 8. A Secured Entrance Is the First Defense Against an Active Shooter What the majority of venues [of recent active shooter incidents] have in common is they all have a front entrance or chokepoint for anyone entering the facilities, which is why any active-shooter plan must include a strategy to secure that entry point. 9. Debunking the Myths of the Security of Access Control Systems One of the areas where we see continued confusion is around access control systems (ACS) that are deployed over networks, particularly in relation to mobile access, smart cards, and electronic locks. These technologies are often perceived as being less secure and therefore more vulnerable to attacks than older ACS systems or devices. In the interest of clearing up any confusion, it is important to provide good, reliable information. 10. At Chubb Fire and Security, Ethics is a Core Concept with Practical Impact Ethics discussions begin for employees at Chubb when they join the company; clear instructions about ethics are included as part of employee induction. There are nine modules of ethics training during employee orientation, and a discussion with an Ethics and Compliance Officer is part of the onboarding process.

According to the reports of not-for-profit organization Gun Violence Archive, the year 2018 has seen 323 mass shooting incidents as of November 28 in the United States. This number is 346 for the year 2017 and 382 for 2016 (more statistics are available here), with “mass shooting” defined as cases where four or more people are shot or killed in the same time period and location. While definitions of mass shooting vary with organizations in the US, the count of over 300 incidents per year, or about once per day on average, is simply alarming. It raises public safety concerns, ignites debates and protests, which in turn lead to public unrest and potentially more violence, and increases costs for governments from the regional to federal level. Most importantly, the loss of lives demands not only improvement in post-incident handling and investigation, but also new prevention technologies. Gunshot Detection Solutions AI weapon detection offers a more efficient alternative to prevent active shooting There are several gunshot detection solutions in the security market, commonly used by law enforcement agencies to detect and locate gun fires. These systems function based on acoustic recordings and analyses and often in combination with signals detected by sensors of the optical flash and shockwave when a gun is fired. However, gunshot detection by nature dictates that the law enforcement can only react to a shooting incident that has occurred. With fast action, law enforcement can prevent the incident from escalating, but lives that are lost cannot be recovered. With the development of artificial intelligence in object recognition, AI weapon detection offers a more efficient alternative to prevent active shooting: AI can visually detect guns based on their shapes before they are fired. The AI is trained to recognize firearms in different shapes, sizes, colors, and at different angles in videos, so that the AI weapon detector can be deployed with existing cameras systems, analyze the video feeds, and instantly notify security staff when a gun is spotted. Comparison of the advantages for law enforcement and public security agencies Legacy gunshot detection using sensors AI weapon detection Reactive measure: detect after guns have been fired Proactive measure: detect before guns are fired Time to action: within 1 second Time to action: within 1 second Unable to provide visual data about shooter(s) Can provide data about shooter(s) based on the camera recording: clothing, luggage (backpack, handbag, etc.), facial features, vehicle Unable to track the location of the shooter(s) before and after shooting because of the lack of sound Can track the shooter(s) using AI Person & Vehicle Tracking, AI Face Recognition, and AI License Plate Recognition False detection caused by similar sound such as fireworks and cars backfiring Minimal to no false detection, as AI can distinguish different types of handguns and rifles from normal objects (umbrella, cellphone, etc.) Require physical deployment of gunshot detection sensors Can be used with existing camera systems, do not require special hardware Complicated to deploy, require highly trained professional Easy to deploy as an add-on to existing video surveillance system - Can integrate with gun-shot detection to create a “double knock” audio and video active shooter alert system Gun-Shot Detection Advantages In addition to advantages for law enforcement and public security agencies, this type of visual-based pre-incident detector has three-fold advantages for the public: Save lives by spotting the shooter before the shooting event. Minimize the chaos entailing an incident: panic and chaos caused by a shooting incident often adds to injury, as people run, fall, trample on others… With an AI weapon detector, when a gun is spotted, the system sends an alert to security staff, who can quickly control the situation in an organized manner and apprehend the intending shooter. Can be added as a SaaS (Security as a Service) component to small business and home surveillance systems, e.g., intrusion detection alerts (home invasion incidents with firearms number over 2500 per year nationwide). For a complete active shooter detection system, video-based AI detector can operate in conjunction with gunshot detectors for enhanced security. Traditional X-ray based weapon detection or metal detection entrance systems are complicated and expensive; with AI video technology, active shooter detection system can be cost-effective, and after all, what price tag can one put on a life? Written by Paul Sun and Mai Truong, IronYun

The unfortunate reality in today’s world is that everyday places in our communities that were once thought of as safe – hospitals, schools, shopping malls and office buildings – are now places where people are at an increased risk for being injured by gun violence. Increase In Gun Violence Shocking incidents of active shootings have become all too common where we work, learn, relax and recuperate.  In the wake of the Orlando Pulse shooting, it’s hard to forget that many tragedies have occurred, such as at schools (Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech), hospitals (Brigham and Women’s Hospital), in malls (New Jersey and Pennsylvania) and in offices (San Bernardino, California). In all types of facilities across the country, administrators and security professionals are having to step up their efforts to be better prepared and it has become critical to have a comprehensive security strategy and response plan in place that factors in active shooter events. Role Of Security Professionals Active shooter research, including studies by the FBI, shows that active shooter incidents have jumped from 6.4 per year between 2000 and 2006, to 16.4 per year between 2007 and 2013. In addition, between the years of 2000-2013, 45% of active shooter incidents included commerce buildings with businesses with pedestrian traffic, businesses without pedestrian traffic, and malls. As these events have become more frequent, we have learned from the data that response time by first responders is a critical factor in saving lives. Further research shows that the average active shooter incident lasts 12 minutes and the first calls don’t come into 911 for a full 3-5 minutes. Fast action is required and having the information to know precisely where to respond and focus first responder resources is critical. This means shortening response time should be the primary aim in dealing with the active shooter threat, second only to prevention.  Security professionals must be part of both of these areas, working in partnership with relevant administrators, local government, law enforcement, first responders and the community to help prevent and better respond to gun violence. In addition, active shooter events -- large or small -- are almost always sudden and unexpected, which places a huge burden on security personnel to manage these risks without creating a prison-like environment.   Innovative technology platforms, such as acoustic gunshot detection can notify first responders and security personnel on-site about the nature and location of the incident Technology Saves Valuable Response Time Innovative technology platforms, such as acoustic gunshot detection, can offer tremendous benefits in mitigating active shooting incidents occurring in a public facility or commercial environment. Recent data shows that active shooter attacks often begin outside a building and then progress indoors. Thus, the first line of defense for security professionals lies outside a facility, in a zone of protection surrounding it or comprising the entire outdoor area of a larger facility of many buildings. A combination of both indoor and outdoor gunshot detection is optimal. An indoor/outdoor active shooter alarm system, functioning much like a fire alarm system, integrated into a comprehensive site-based—police-fire-medical response system and/or protocol, significantly increases the likelihood that active shooter threats will be identified quickly and certainly improves the chances that notification to first responders will occur far more quickly than would an event reported manually by persons on-site. As an integral component of such a system, gunshot detection technology can notify both public safety responders and security personnel on-site about the nature and location of the incident within a given facility within seconds. Internal actions can immediately be taken to ensure that designated on-site security staff can swiftly implement emergency protective measures. Advanced Gunfire Detection Is Critical "Most people simply do not have the practical, real-world experience with firearms discharges to make an immediate, experienced assessment of the threat" One of the most intractable problems in developing responses to active shooter scenarios is the inability for most people at any given facility to recognize the sound of gunfire when it first happens. Especially when surrounded by building walls which attenuate sound, most people simply do not have the practical, real-world experience with firearms discharges to make an immediate, experienced assessment of the threat. New gunshot detection technology utilizes a network of both indoor and outdoor acoustic sensors to detect the precise location of gunfire in seconds, eliminating that ambiguity. In addition to verified gunfire alerts, a monitoring center can provide additional contextualized information that is invaluable to first responders. By understanding sound and reviewing incidents frequently, acoustic gunfire experts can often share such details as number of shots fired, number of shooters or if the shooter is using an automatic weapon − critically important information for first responders rushing into a scene. Given the acuity of the sensor and the speed of the reviewer, the sounds can be identified and provided to first responders as verified gunfire in a specific location within seconds. Smart Planning And Preparedness Pay Off Unfortunately, there is no way to accurately pinpoint when a troubled person might attack your facility and to know what weapon they would use.  Fortunately, there are tools that can help mitigate and manage these risks.  Coupling available cutting-edge technology and smart, well-prepared staff can save lives and this type of preparation is already working successfully across the country in many forward-thinking schools, malls, offices and malls.  We can work together so that the people of our communities can continue with their everyday routines and enjoy going to the places that make their lives better each and every day. Infographic: How To Prepare For Active Shooter Incidents  

As security embraces IT-centric solutions, it can provide business value over and above security. Now in charge of managing a variety of data – e.g., from video platforms – a company’s security function has access to a range of new metrics. While security may use video to analyze a security event, machine learning can analyze the same data for other business capabilities, such as quality control or when a policy has been breached. “It’s the same camera, but with dual purpose,” says Matt Kushner, President of STANLEY Security. STANLEY Security, one of the largest integrators with a global footprint, has positioned itself at the center of the industry’s transformation by information technology (IT) and the Internet of Things. “Security will become an expanded business partner with corporations,” Kushner comments. In response to the trend, STANLEY is hiring more IT-oriented technicians and salespeople within the IT community and who can “speak at the C-level,” Kushner comments. Sonitrol is the most recognised brand by law enforcement for verified response Data centers, higher education and logistics STANLEY manages very large, multi-national clients. As a consequence, the STANLEY security organization has some of the best and brightest minds for enterprise-class security. To maintain that level of talent, STANLEY is committed to education. “We bring them into the family and focus on education, such as IT and IoT training. That’s critical in a world where unemployment is less than 3%. Finding good people, growing good people, and retaining good people – we do that exceptionally well at STANLEY,” says Kushner. STANLEY’s strong vertical markets including data centers, higher education, and logistics. They are also strong in multi-location installations (such as banking.) STANLEY has a big footprint throughout North America and Europe.  PACOM access control and 3xLOGIC cloud-based solutions In addition to STANLEY’s core integrator business, the company also manages several manufacturing brands such as PACOM access control and 3xLOGIC cloud-based solutions. Mergers and acquisitions have been commonplace in the integrator spaceBeyond its company-owned integrator locations under the STANLEY brand, the company also owns Sonitrol, the strongest brand in the market for verified response with 65 franchises in North America. Sonitrol is the most recognized brand by law enforcement for verified response. Mergers and acquisitions have been commonplace in the integrator space, and Kushner says that STANLEY is “open and actively looking for properties that fit our commercial growth strategy.” He notes that STANLEY focuses on the commercial side of the market, where there are good margins and continuing growth. They pay less attention to the residential side which is “being heavily disrupted.” Strong partnerships with manufacturers STANLEY has strong partnerships with several manufacturer partners, through which they bring new breakout technologies to market from emerging companies. An example is Evolv Technology, a manufacturer of gun and bomb detection technology. “We see them as a leading provider of the technology, and they are, in my mind, a very disruptive provider,” says Kushner. STANLEY is also collaborating with a company – to be announced – that provides a unique gunshot detection technology, he says. STANLEY is also cooperating with dormakaba to implement Switch Tech, a Bluetooth wireless core that can replace any standard mechanical lock core. Existing locks can be transformed into electromechanical locks in minutes. STANLEY is also developing a tight integration with Lenel’s mobile credentialing system. STANLEY is also cooperating with dormakaba to implement Switch Tech GSX 2019 and ISC West 2020 At the recent GSX 2019 show in Chicago, Kushner says STANLEY heard a lot about cybersecurity, especially customers wanting to make sure they are investing in cyber-hygiene and who are looking to expand into providing cyber protection. “In concert with cyber-hygiene, they are looking for health monitoring or assurance that network devices are operating properly,” he says. “They want to ensure their security platforms are cyber-secure and up to date with the latest software versions.” STANLEY is also a big proponent of cloud offerings, and Kushner hints at a big announcement at the upcoming ISC West show in Las Vegas of additional cloud offerings and/or partnerships. “There will be a variety of new solutions to be introduced, including hosted solutions and applications that benefit both security and that add new value to businesses overall.”

In addition to providing the Northeast’s largest security trade show, ISC East will include free conference sessions and keynote speeches right on the show floor and several paid workshops. The Nov. 20-21 event at New York’s Javits Center will also include vendor solution sessions from Axis Communications, Hikvision and NAPCO. Wide variety of paid workshops An advantage of the International Security Conference & Exposition in New York is that much of the programming is complimentary to registered attendees, and location of the sessions on the show floor means attendees don’t have to leave the exhibition to take in a session. The paid workshops include technology sessions about cyber terminology for physical security integratorsThe paid workshops include an Active Shooter Workshop and technology sessions about cyber terminology for physical security integrators; and basic installation and configuration of video surveillance solutions. An OSDP (Open Supervised Device Protocol) Boot Camp Short Course will also be offered. As a smaller show, the topics of ISC East conference sessions are broader and of more general interest, rather than organized into focused “tracks” as at ISC West. Attendance at sessions can provide continuing education (CE) credits with organizations that partner with ISC East – one credit for each hour-long session. Attendees can use their Certificate of Attendance from any session to self-report their education hours to relevant industry bodies: ALOA (AEU education credits), ASIS (CPE continuing professional education credits) and NICET (CPD Continuing Professional Development points). An advantage of the International Security Conference & Exposition in New York is that much of the programming is complimentary to registered attendees Keynote sessions at the Main Stage The Main Stage will be the venue for keynote sessions delivered by Deanne Criswell, Commissioner, New York City Emergency Management (on Day 1 – Nov. 20); and Angela Stubblefield, Chief of Staff at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (on Day 2 – Nov. 21). The two SIA Education@ISC East educational theaters on the show floor will be booked up both days with a variety of interesting topics. A new session covers penetration testing for physical security, presented by Michael Glasser of Glasser Security Group. A session on LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors will be presented by Frank Bertini, UAV and Robotics Business Manager, Velodyne LiDAR. Another popular topic is Safe Cities, and FLIR will present a session on moving from secured to smart cities with intelligent, connected systems. New addition is Active Shooter Workshop  The Active Shooter Workshop is a new addition to the ISC East program. It has been a popular session at ISC West for three years now. At ISC East, presenters of the workshop will be David LaRose, System Director Public Health, Lee Health; and Ben Scaglione, Director of Healthcare and Security Programming, Lowers and Associates. At the end of the workshop, an additional hour of programming will be the “Stop the Bleed/Save a Life” session presented by Jerry Wilkins, Co-Owner of Active Risk Survival. The Main Stage will be the venue for keynote sessions delivered by Deanne Criswell, Commissioner, New York City Emergency Management, and Angela Stubblefield, Chief of Staff at the Federal Aviation Administration Woman in Security event A Women in Security Forum breakfast event will be held on Nov. 21 (Thursday). It’s the second annual event and this year will focus on diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace of the future. Valerie Anderson, President of Boon Edam, will lead a discussion on “Diversity 2.0: Next Steps for Creating an Empowered Workforce”Moderator Valerie Anderson, President of Boon Edam, will lead a discussion on “Diversity 2.0: Next Steps for Creating an Empowered Workforce.” Panelists are Lisa Terry of Allied Universal, Andrew Lanning of Integrated Security Technologies, Elaine Palome of Axis Communications and Dawne Hanks of Milestone. The Women in Security event is likely to attract up to 100 attendees. SIA’s Women in Security is an active organization, with monthly meetings and a newsletter that recognizes prominent women in the security industry. “It’s really a group for both men and women,” says Mary Beth Shaughnessy, Event Director, ISC Events at Reed Exhibitions. “There are many programmes, recruiting efforts, and professional and networking opportunities. They are a robust group of people who are active in making a difference. It’s important to support women in the security industry, which is 95% male, and to develop a new generation of women to be a part of the industry’s future.” The keynote addresses at ISC East will also highlight two high-profile women.

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 included technology to recognize the gun threat in real time, alerts could have been sent to the security team. An announcement could have been made right away for all students and faculty in Building 12 to barricade their doors, and law enforcement could have responded a lot faster to a real-time feed of timely and accurate information. Automatically recognizing gun threats Actuate offers such a technology, which the company says enables existing security cameras to automatically recognize gun threats and notify security in real-time. The technology is centred around a convolutional neural network (CNN) that aims to replicate how a human brain would process information. This neural network is trained to recognize what hands holding a firearm look like from hundreds of thousands of images in a proprietary data set. Over time, the system is able to mathematically calculate what a gun threat in a security camera feed looks like with a high degree of accuracy (well over 99% detection accuracy within the first 5 seconds), according to Actuate. “Active shooter situations are often marred by chaos and confusion,” says Sonny Tai, Chief Executive Officer of Actuate. “People are in fight-or-flight response and prioritize immediate survival instead of reaching for their phones and calling 911. When the 911 calls are made, callers often provide delayed, conflicting, and inaccurate information, inhibiting law enforcement’s ability to respond.” Enhances law enforcement response Tai says Actuate helps to clear up that chaos and confusion. “It provides visual intelligence of the location of the shooter, what they look like, what direction they’re heading, and what they’re armed with,” he says. “This real-time information enhances law enforcement response and enables building occupants to make critical decisions that maximize survivability." AI methods including deep learning enable high levels of accuracy in detecting weapons in real-time camera footage Tai is a Marine Corps veteran and a social entrepreneur who co-founded Actuate with the mission of addressing America’s gun violence epidemic. The start of the company stems from Tai’s upbringing in South Africa, where gun violence rates are some of the highest in the world. Growing up, several of his family friends were personally impacted, resulting in a lifelong passion for the issue of gun violence. In early 2018, Tai interviewed dozens of law enforcement leaders across the country and found that their biggest challenge in gun violence response was the lack of timely and accurate information. Actuate mitigates that challenge and enables both first responders and security staff to respond more rapidly, he says. More than 99% accuracy in detecting weapons Actuate is a software-only solution that plugs into security camera hardware and software, including VMSActuate's solution is completely AI-based, says Ben Ziomek, Chief Product Officer. AI methods including deep learning enable high levels of accuracy in detecting weapons in real-time camera footage. “Legacy, non-AI based solutions generally rely on older methods like motion detection, which is not reliable in differentiating between objects such as phones and firearms,” says Ziomek. “Our AI solution lets us achieve more than 99% accuracy in detecting weapons with an exceptionally low false-positive rate.” Ziomek runs engineering, data science, and operations for Actuate. Before joining the firm, he led teams of AI engineers and data scientists at Microsoft, leveraging AI to identify high-potential startups globally. Actuate is a software-only solution that plugs into existing security camera hardware and software, including video management systems (VMS). Existing capabilities of a customer’s VMS does initial, basic analysis and then routes the remaining video to Actuate’s processing units for AI analysis. Alerts can then be sent back however a customer wants, including through a VMS. Actuate can also feed information into a PSIM or command-and-control system if requested by a customer. Equipping customers with AI tools Our current focus for the company is to get our technology into the hands of as many customers as possible"As an early-stage company, Actuate is pursuing customers through multiple routes, including directly to end-users and via security integrators, distributors, and dealers. They are currently deployed at diverse customer sites including schools, office buildings, industrial facilities, and public buildings, says Ziomek. “Our current focus for the company is to get our technology into the hands of as many customers as possible,” says Ziomek. “We are working closely with customers across segments and industries to equip them with the tools they need to make their spaces safer. We’re currently working on educating the market on our offerings, as this technology is very new to many security organizations.” There are no privacy or compliance concerns because Actuate stores no customer data until a weapon is detected, and even then the data is not cross-indexed with any sensitive information, says Ziomek.

Patriot One, developer of the PATSCAN Multi-Sensor Covert Threat Detection platform, is pleased to announce a collaboration partnership with Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), part of Major League Soccer (MLS), to pilot its PATSCAN platform at Banc of California Stadium. Threat and intrusion detection “We are excited to announce this PATSCAN pilot deployment project with another U.S. major sport franchise,” said Martin Cronin, Patriot One CEO and president, adding “In the New Year, our installation team will begin work with the Los Angeles Football Club and Banc of California Stadium on this important game safety initiative. MLS fans will enjoy an added layer of security while attending their favorite team’s home games in Southern California”. Martin further said, “Our vision is to not only to create a world safe from acts of violence, but also to help save a way of life people have come to expect in their normal everyday lives, and that includes participating in professional sports and entertainment activities with their fellow fans.” PATSCAN Multi-Sensor Covert Threat Detection The PATSCAN Multi-Sensor Covert Threat Detection platform will ship in January 2020 to the security team at LAFC The PATSCAN Multi-Sensor Covert Threat Detection platform will ship in January 2020 to the security team at Los Angeles Football Club, where they will be joined by Banc of California Stadium security and Patriot One implementation engineers to begin the integration and pilot deployment project.  Specific location of the Platform’s deployment will not be disclosed. “Customer safety is our number one priority at Banc of California Stadium,” said LAFC Vice President of Information Technology Christian Lau. “We are excited to work with Patriot One to give customers an extra layer of security while attending events at our world-class venue in the heart of Los Angeles.” Stadium security Following the initial pilot deployment of the PATSCAN platform with LAFC at an undisclosed location within Banc of California Stadium, Patriot One will work with the team and stadium management to broaden deployment throughout the complex.

ShotSpotter, a provider of gunshot detection solutions that help law enforcement officials and security personnel identify, locate and deter gun violence, has announced that seven new cities have recently deployed ShotSpotter technology in their communities. The new cities include Cincinnati, OH; Jacksonville, FL; Louisville, KY; Newburgh, NY; Pittsfield, MA; Syracuse, NY and St. Louis County, MO – joining the more than 90 jurisdictions that already rely on ShotSpotter to ensure a fast, accurate response to gunfire incidents. Three existing ShotSpotter cities, New York City, Chicago and Birmingham have also recently expanded their coverage areas. Gunshot Detection ShotSpotter provides real-time alerts to law enforcement of detected gunfire so that they can arrive at the precise location of a shooting event safely and quickly. With the speed of response, officers can be on the scene to aid victims, interview witnesses, and collect forensic evidence. This improves the overall effectiveness of an agency in identifying and apprehending shooters, and taking illegal guns off the streets. “We are excited to be working with police departments in successfully implementing gunshot detection solutions as a critical component of their gun violence prevention efforts," said Ralph Clark, CEO of ShotSpotter. “Cities are seeing positive outcomes and improved community engagement as a result of their agency’s ShotSpotter adoption and integration with best practices execution. We are thrilled with all of our customer collaborations that are making a real difference in improved public safety for all, especially in those at-risk neighborhoods who also deserve community peace.” "ShotSpotter is already alerting us to specific addresses that we were not aware were inundated with random gunfire incidents" Positive Impact “After just four weeks of using ShotSpotter, we are already seeing a positive impact from the technology,” said Cincinnati Assistant Police Chief Paul Neudigate. “We have three square miles of coverage in one of our most problematic communities for shooting violence and have had over sixty activations in just a month’s time.” “ShotSpotter is already alerting us to specific addresses that we were not aware were inundated with random gunfire incidents,” Neudigate continued. “In addition, ShotSpotter works well with our established surveillance camera system; we recently caught a running gun battle on video that we would never have known about had we not received the alert. ShotSpotter technology holds great promise for helping to reduce gun violence in the City of Cincinnati as part of an overall gun violence reduction strategy.” Expansion To Coverage Areas According to Lieutenant Jim Cirillo, Louisville Metro Police Department, “ShotSpotter’s technology product has done exactly what they promised it to do.” In recent months, three existing ShotSpotter cities – New York City, Chicago and Birmingham – have undergone recent expansions to their coverage areas. New York City began implementing ShotSpotter in 2015 and currently covers 57 square miles, an increase of 17.8 square miles since the beginning of 2017. In Chicago, ShotSpotter was first deployed in the 7th and 11th districts, then in the 15th and 9th. In September 2017, their sixth district also went live with ShotSpotter and the 10th district will go live soon. The city of Birmingham doubled their ShotSpotter coverage from eight to 16 square miles. In addition, the University of Alabama (UA) Police Department has added ShotSpotter to help make its campus safer. UA becomes one of eight universities in the country to invest in the ShotSpotter gunfire detection technology.

The total new ShotSpotter coverage mileage is 118 miles for a total coverage area of more than 400 miles SST, a global leader in gunfire detection and analysis, announced that six new cities − including San Diego, California and San Antonio, Texas − have selected its ShotSpotter Flex technology to help the local law enforcement agencies prevent and reduce gun violence in their cities. SST also announced expanded coverage areas for eight cities already successfully using ShotSpotter gunfire technology, including New York City, Chicago, Miami-Dade County, and Birmingham, Alabama. Proven Solution Provider In addition to San Diego and San Antonio, the new cities that recently deployed ShotSpotter include Salinas, California; Hillsborough, Florida; Goldsboro, North Carolina; and Cape Town, South Africa. ShotSpotter is a proven solution provider with more than 90 installations across the United States and the world. Birmingham, Alabama, has been using ShotSpotter for nine years in an eight-square mile area of the city, and has recently expanded its gunfire detection area to cover a full 20 square miles. Critical Tool For Law Enforcement Operations “ShotSpotter is a critical tool in our law enforcement operations. In fact, the ShotSpotter system is now part of our DNA in regards to reducing gun violence and improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” said Chief of Police A.C. Roper of Birmingham Alabama. With the new mobile app, morelaw enforcement users will have access to the valuableShotSpotter service beyond the dispatch office or squad car Other cities expanding ShotSpotter coverage include: New York City, Chicago, Miami-Dade County, Fresno, Denver, Sacramento, and Riviera Beach. The total new ShotSpotter coverage mileage is 118 miles for a total coverage area of more than 400 miles. Reducing Gun Violence With Technology Innovation “We are proud to be chosen to partner with these new jurisdictions and are also gratified that so many cities we work with are seeing the tangible benefits of ShotSpotter by choosing to expand their coverage,” said Ralph Clark, CEO of SST. “We know we play an important role in assisting law enforcement with fast, accurate gunfire data that can save lives and reduce gun violence, and we are committed to maintaining our high customer service and continued technology innovation.” SST continues to innovate and offer new capabilities and expanded benefits to the ShotSpotter technology. The company recently announced a new mobile app designed to extend ShotSpotter with real-time gunfire alerts delivered anytime, anywhere on any iOS or Android mobile phone, tablet or desktop. With the new mobile app, more law enforcement users will have access to the valuable ShotSpotter service beyond the dispatch office or squad car. SST continues to leverage ecosystem partnership relationships with Amazon Web Services and GE Current Lighting organizations, further extending the ShotSpotter brand and enabling more cities to benefit from gunshot detection technology. Save

Milestone's system not only detects gunshots but is also able to differentiate between fireworks or backfiring vehicles Milestone Systems open platform IP video management software (VMS) has been integrated by EIA, Inc. with ShotSpotter gunshot detection and the Hawkeye Effect digital mapping to help the Nassau County Police Department fight criminal firearm activity. With the goal of driving down gun violence in the Roosevelt-Uniondale area of New York, the Nassau County Police Department wanted to leverage its Milestone XProtect video surveillance solution with its open platform technology for the next step in safety. To help deter gun crime and assist in quickly solving firearm-related cases, the department focused on enhancing the capabilities of its street cameras. This area of Nassau County had a large number of shooting incidents – both reported to the police and unreported. Authorities believed it would benefit the community immensely to use a new system that could prove cost-efficient to launch and monitor, to track gunshots and provide evidence and convictions of those committing crimes. How could the police department leverage surveillance camera video to actionable information for real-time incident response? “The key was to expand the functionality of our already deployed Milestone system with an integrated ShotSpotter solution. The HawkEye Effect was also integrated seamlessly with Milestone and we now have a scalable, reliable 24-hour police watch for a safer county,” states Detective Lieutenant Ken Strigaro, Nassau County Police. The solution uses ShotSpotter’s sensors to locate gunshots in the coverage area of the surveillance cameras, and the HawkEye Effect to triangulate the sensors, map the location, direct the cameras to the location and notify first responders while recording the video. The HawkEye Effect correlates a gunshot’s location and sends the information to Milestone XProtect, which controls the pan, tilt and zoom capabilities of the cameras. Milestone channel partner EIA Inc. designed and installed the system to meet the Nassau County Police Department requirements for automated gunshot detection, location, reporting and video verification. The flexibility of the Milestone XProtect Corporate video management software automatically adjusts the video recording rates to the maximum number of frames per second to capture incidents in the greatest detail. "By integrating mapping into the Milestone XProtect Smart Client, we can almost immediately have police eyes on a target through the very intuitive interface" The system not only detects gunshots, it is able to differentiate between fireworks or backfiring vehicles. Within 10 seconds it locates the gunshot, automatically plots the incident on a map, turns the surveillance cameras to the location and possible egress points, records the incident and notifies law enforcement personnel. Information retrieved from the camera and the location is processed through Milestone XProtect, available for evidence sharing during case development and prosecution. “By integrating mapping into the Milestone XProtect Smart Client, we can almost immediately have police eyes on a target through the very intuitive interface,” stated Jeff Blair, CEO for the HawkEye Effect. “Nassau County uses the HawkEye mapping technology, but all the camera interaction is handled by the Milestone platform.” ShotSpotter uses a series of sensors placed throughout the area to be monitored. The software triangulates a gunshot location as a GPS coordinate and provides the nearest street address. The HawkEye Effect translates this information and creates a series of polygons across the area where the shot was fired. The polygon graphics relate to either a camera preset position in Milestone XProtect or to an area that cannot be directly seen by the camera but may be a point of escape from the area where the gunshot was fired. If the coordinates of the shot fired are outside the camera view, it redirects to an area off a major avenue that is approximately where the shot was fired, to provide a view of the incident as it happens or pick up someone fleeing the scene. If a victim is injured, the authorities can see it in the video and report the injury immediately, speeding up response time. “Without Milestone this system wouldn’t have been possible,” states David Engel, CEO of EIA Inc. “The HawkEye gateway has a Milestone link service, via the Milestone Software Development Kit (SDK), for an integration that is able to communicate to the video management software, feeding it different presets to turn the cameras. We had to carefully map out the geography of the area and, using Milestone’s open program interfaces with the HawkEye Effect mapping, create an integration with ShotSpotter that would tell Milestone XProtect which cameras to move and where, when a gunshot was detected.” "Milestone’s open platform architecture is exceptionally easy to work with, providing the means, tools and resources to enable further innovation" “Milestone’s open platform architecture is exceptionally easy to work with, providing the means, tools and resources to enable further innovation. As Milestone constantly expands, the software provides the keys necessary to leverage the resources that customers have already invested,” adds Blair. “Milestone makes it easy for partners like us to code our technology in a forthright manner, allowing end users to benefit from the latest and greatest software and hardware integrations for comprehensive deployments such as this in Nassau County.” The ShotSpotter system sends coordinates and categorises information about the type of bullet and number of shots fired. When a shot is detected, 911 center operators are provided a pop-up video display on the screen with this vital information. At the same time, a copy of the information is sent to the HawkEye Gateway to determine the location, coordinating the camera views through Milestone XProtect. Gregg Rowland, Senior VP at ShotSpotter, says: “Any information, whether it includes longitude, latitude or time, can be used - in this case with Milestone XProtect, by programming exactly what you need. The cameras are geo-referenced by the HawkEye Effect, so if you say ‘Gunshot happened on this corner, send closest camera to that location,’ the PTZ directly lines up to where the event happened and turns every other camera to egress routes. There is a lot of creativity with what we do with the data.” The flexibility of the Milestone open platform allows customers to select a variety of applications developed by the members of the Milestone Solution Partner Program to meet diverse and changing needs. These solutions integrate video management with analytics for counting cars or people, with laser scanners for unique perimeter control, with access control or HVAC systems and RFID technology. The possibilities are endless with an open platform.

Public spaces provide soft targets and are often the sites of terrorist or active shooter attacks. Public spaces, by definition, require easy accessibility and unrestricted movement. Given that openness, what security technologies can provide real results? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How is technology innovation impacting the security of public spaces?