Page 26 - Security Today, January/February 2019

Audio Security
Adding Sound and Safety
CJustoms checkpoint areas at JFK airport gets a little help from friends
ohn F. Kennedy International Airport is the sixth busiest airport upgrade their current security system with new, high-performing in the United States, handling more than 59 million passengers technologies. Immigration and law enforcement officers were in- last year alone, according to the 2017 Traffic Report by the Port terested in an audio monitoring solution that could produce clear
Authority of New York and New Jersey. Located in New York City, only 15 miles from Manhattan, JFK airport serves as a gateway to the U.S. for travelers coming from destinations across the globe.
A key part of facilitating safe travel is ensuring that dangerous people and substances do not enter the country. In July, immigration officials arrested a woman—a U.S. citizen arriving at JFK airport from Mexico—who had concealed more than nine pounds heroin valued at $300,000.1
At JFK Airport, immigration officers process hundreds of inter- national passengers per flight. With the continual influx of people combined with limited staffing, law enforcement personnel are in- creasingly looking for technologies to enhance their efforts to deter illegal entry or trafficking and aid in crime investigation.
The Need for Audio Clarity
In 2018, immigration checkpoint areas at the JFK airport needed to
audio. Previously, JFK Airport international terminal one had been outfitted with standard video surveillance and microphones. Much like any airport, the high noise levels caused complications for the audio equipment, which picked up ambient noise making playback challenging.
To troubleshoot the issue, immigration officers turned to systems integrator American Integrated Security Group (AISG). Based in College Point, N.Y., AISG is one of the security industry’s leading systems integrators, specializing in the design and deployment of open platform integrated systems for several industries including government, transportation and utilities. The integrator later called in audio security company, Louroe Electronics, to assess the termi- nal’s audio system.
The team did a full onsite evaluation of the current audio set- up and were able to identify the limitations of the current system, which were due to the type of microphone deployed and where they
GS4
GOVERNMENT SECURITY JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
By Richard Brent
travelview/Shutterstock.com