Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn unveiled two new applications the city will use to keep businesses and residents up-to-date about trouble spots around downtown during the Republican National Convention in August.
Public-private partnerships in the security industry are nothing new. Private sector companies have paired up with law enforcement and government agencies for centuries as a business strategy to reduce risk and save money. But the number and size of private security companies and departments have grown exponentially over the past 25 years. Private security concerns, including mitigating terrorist threats, monitoring solutions, compliance issues, cyber security and communication, often overlap with public security problems and thus have increased the demand for protection against loss and liability.
On a Sunday late in May 2011, the campus of Missouri Southern State University, located in Joplin, Mo., was hosting the Joplin High School graduation. Within 30 minutes of the commencement’s conclusion an EF5 tornado took aim at the town. Although the regular students, usually numbering nearly 6,000, had gone home for summer break, the campus was still full of visitors for the graduation.
No doubt, too many choices can lead to confusion. Still, and obviously, the ubiquitous Web and mobile devices, to a lesser extent, have spurred hosted and managed services, remote intelligent monitoring, software-as-a-service and in-the-cloud solutions that impact access control, security video, mass notification and even security guarding.
Today, security is of utmost importance at the nation’s colleges and universities. Events such as the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 remind administrators, parents and students of the stark reality that considering the safety of all individuals who visit, work or attend classes at college campuses is essential.
Today, security is of utmost importance at the nation’s colleges and universities. Events such as the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 remind administrators, parents and students of the stark reality that considering the safety of all individuals who visit, work or attend classes at college campuses is essential.
