The ISIS-inspired terrorist attacks in Paris in January and the threats against shopping malls in the U.S., Canada and the UK by Al-Shaabab highlight threats that call for more fully integrated surveillance solutions to enhance security. The horrifying Paris attacks demonstrated that, while various forms of video were available to record the attackers’ movements during and after the attack, the video wasn’t being made available in real time or near real time to help law enforcement’s response to the attack.
If an active shooter goes on a rampage at a local shopping mall, law enforcement will most likely not have access to video feeds from surveillance cameras in the mall. Nor would they have access to radio communications to the private security forces inside the mall that might give them critical intelligence. The common smartphone will still be the only way this information is likely to be made available to law enforcement, and that is purely dependent upon luck and someone communicating with the police during an incident. Depending on luck as a key component for preparation and response is simply unacceptable in this age of constant communication.