Page 36 - Campus Security & Life Safety, May/June 2019

cal security, will be a game-changer for protecting the lives of students, by preventing threats before they happen.
Artificial intelligence (A.I.) is based on an Artificial Neural Net- work and works like the human brain. Just as humans have senses to see, hear, smell, taste and feel—so too does an artificial neural net- work. Like the human brain, it takes in a wide variety of inputs and data over time and constantly evaluates it to discover, predict, and make decisions based on machine learning. The more connections and integrations it has with security systems and non-security appli- cations and data, the more informed and accurate it becomes.
Already, forward-thinking schools are experimenting with various forms of A.I., beginning by monitoring students and behaviors through new technologies. For instance, school safety apps monitor student attendance on buses, take in information about student behavior from bus drivers and track important markers such as stu- dent fights, bullying, or misbehavior. Data on students is collected, reported if needed, and goes into a larger system.
Teachers can monitor and record daily behaviors, such as did the student act up, were the parents notified, is there a problem at home, did he see the counselor or principal? Did the parents respond? Col- lecting data overtime can create a risk score for students, and deter- mine if threatening behavior is increasing or suspicious, if a student needs attention and can potentially alert school officials before a big- ger problem arises.
Schools are also employing other A.I. applications that scan and monitor emails, texts and social media to look for and flag signs of violence, depression, drug and alcohol use. “See something say some- thing” apps, allow users to report tips on suspicious activity to their school district, school system and law enforcement all at once.
There are usually telltale signs of trouble before a mass shooting occurs, but it must be detected to be acted upon. While the apps are a tremendous improvement and in many cases spot threats before they arise, data in isolation is not effective. School safety administra- tors must make it a priority to tie all the data together and connect all the dots in order to make the most intelligent safety decisions and have the ability to prevent or mitigate in active school shooter situa- tions as early as possible.
Acting Quickly to Protect What Matters
Most with Risk-Adaptive Access Control
Tools now exist through A.I. assistance and integration allowing schools to automatically detect "people of interest" as they approach a campus and respond accordingly through access control, video sur- veillance, mobile applications and mass notification.
Currently most traditional physical security and access control sys- tems are role-based systems that do not adapt dynamically to risk or threatening situations as they emerge in real-time. These systems can allow the wrong people or high-risk students into schools when they shouldn’t be allowed in, or conversely, keep the right people, such as law enforcement and first responders, out when they’re needed the most.
Intelligent physical security and access control systems can adapt to situations as risks increase. For instance, normally outside author- ities do not have access to school cameras and video surveillance systems, or the ability to enter a school without permission.
With an intelligent system, when an active shooter situation occurs, access to view the facility can be opened to law enforcement and first responders with a smart device and proof of identity. Police nearby can communicate to look at school cameras to get eyes on and assess situations, and gain access automatically to go inside a school and respond to active threats. Furthermore, in an elevated risk situa- tion, intelligent access control systems can prevent students and teachers from going into more dangerous areas.
In the case of an emergency, intelligent systems have mobile muster apps that make it possible for students to say if they are safe and where they are. Additional access intelligence can direct students and teach-
ers to safe zones and areas out of harm’s way. Emergency assist apps can also help students communicate with law enforcement and first responders in the event of an emergency improving time to action.
Modern physical security systems integrated with A.I. can recog- nize high-risk individuals before they enter buildings. In the case of any school shooting, we must ask, could this have been prevented or at least mitigated? The answer is yes.
A.I. integrated with modern physical security can determine if someone is high-risk and help monitor them throughout the day or stop them at the door before causing any harm. Schools can be alert- ed when a high-risk student is in the building, they can advise safety officers that there’s a suspect or student in the building that’s worri- some, watch over them throughout the day, initiate active shooter protocol, and get law enforcement officers or first responders on the scene and inside the building much faster.
Keys for More Intelligent and Proactive Security Systems
When considering modernizing physical security systems, campus administrators should look for comprehensive safety solutions that detect early warning signs, assess and manage threats, and offer com- munication and coordination for faster response times within the school walls and with outside authorities to mitigate threats, while keeping parents informed of student safety.
The following capabilities should be considered when moderniz- ing a physical security system:
Integration platform to make sense of it all. Go beyond a cen- tralized monitoring interface and move to true integration. Modern physical security systems should have the capabilities or interopera- bility built in to integrate with outside technologies and data input sources including gunshot detection alerts, access control, facial rec- ognition, license plate recognition, mobile devices, object detection, mass notification, real-time location, video management and other outside data inputs and sources.
A.I. assistance. Automatically detects "persons of interest" along dif- ferent pathways to violence, which triggers user-defined system responses. Modern systems should no longer rely solely on active mon- itoring to detect evolving threats or initiate emergency procedures.
Sharable mobile operations. Create and share a common operat- ing picture with local law enforcement, simplifying coordination and increasing visibility when it matters most. Users can manage dynam- ic situations on the move in real-time.
Mobile upstander alerts. The “See Something, Say Something” app empowers staff to centrally manage suspicions, as well as initiate emergency response from mobile devices. These technologies trans- form staff from bystanders into upstanders, so nothing slips between the cracks.
Mobile muster notifications. This capability helps ensure student safety. Once a staff member initiates an active shooter alert, push notifications arrive on each student’s mobile device prompting a sim- ple “Safe/Not Safe” response. Each student response pushes their GPS coordinates to operators and parents, ensuring quicker response, while providing peace of mind.
A Painless Path to a More Prepared, Safe Campus
Implementing and integrating A.I. into physical security systems does not require starting over or complete ‘"rip and replace" over- hauls. In many cases, A.I. and next-gen access control systems can augment existing security and access control systems, and be config- ured according to school district risks, privacy concerns and needs.
School violence has too frequently been in the headlines. Fortu- nately, legislation and technology are coming together in new ways to give schools the funding and tools they need to proactively fight back, arming everyone, with as much as possible, to improve the life safety of our students, children and teachers.
John Carter is the co-founder, president and CTO of ReconaSense.
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campuslifesecurity.com | MAY/JUNE 2019