UK Police just announced that crime has fallen by 28% over lockdown, in fact from 12th April there has been a 37% drop in burglaries. As well as the financial worries lockdown prompted, we were also worried about our office and storage spaces, as we didn’t know how long they would be left unattended. Of course, working in security and safety we made sure specific measures were in place to help prevent vandalism, theft, arson or property damage. However, it appears that many businesses are left susceptible to such crimes, by not having many or sometimes any security measures in place.
In the event of a critical situation or emerging risk, for example, a terrorist incident or a local COVID-19 outbreak, rapidly delivering crucial information to the right audience is imperative. Here we explore a few mass notification solutions available that can help communicate and collaborate during global and critical events and emergencies.
The Department of Justice announced that six men have been arrested and charged federally with conspiring to kidnap the Governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer. According to a complaint, this group used operational security measures, including communicating by encrypted messaging platforms and used code words and phrases in an attempt to avoid detection by law enforcement.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced the launch of this year’s Stop. Trains Can’t. public education campaign, which will run through November 8. This national $6.6 million safety campaign will run on radio, digital, and social media, educating drivers not to gamble with their lives at rail grade crossings. The campaign will also target high-risk highway-railway crossings in Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Indiana, Tennessee, and Texas.
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F. Wolf released the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Homeland Threat Assessment (HTA). This first-of-its-kind report synthesizes threat information across DHS including intelligence and operational components.
Amid ever-changing technology, embracing modern security solutions and capabilities can be a challenge for many, especially those who have spent years accustomed to tried-and-true products, like the traditional keyed padlock. Today, decision makers working in the security sector are tasked with sorting through the blitz of new technology offerings and introductions.
The University of Florida Police Department is installing license plate recognition technology on campus and will partner with the Gainesville Police Department and Alachua County Sheriff’s Office that is currently using the technology to share information for aiding in investigations, responding to incidents, etc.
Independent polling firm Schoen Cooperman Research recently conducted a nationwide poll on Americans’ views of facial recognition technology. The survey of 1,000 adults found that most Americans support the use of facial recognition across a wide range of applications with 75% supporting facial recognition technology at airports.
The Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Albany International Airport is now using new technology that confirms the validity of a traveler’s identification and confirms their flight information in near real time. This technology will enhance detection capabilities for identifying fraudulent documents at the security checkpoint.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has launched a crowdsourcing challenge to spur new methods to ensure that important public safety data sets can be de-identified to protect individual privacy. The Differential Privacy Temporal Map Challenge includes a series of contests that will award a total of up to $276,000 for differential privacy solutions for complex data sets that include information on both time and location.
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