Page 16 - Campus Security Today, July/August 2024

VIDEO SURVEILLANCE
If video analytics detect a person entering after hours, perhaps local police should be alerted. However, if the same door repeatedly doesn’t close due to a maintenance issue, a facility team member could be notified. Likewise, the video may show students or teach- ers using a chair to hold open the door for their convenience. Your team could let them know this is causing an alarm.
VIDEO ANALYTICS FOR POWERFUL INSIGHTS
If there is a problem with vandalism after hours, consider video ana- lytics as a powerful tool to assess and deter problematic behavior. With today’s technology, you can program your system to ignore people who walk near an area but notify security if they pause for longer than a few minutes or cross a digital perimeter. The sys- tem may also trigger an announcement via a speaker to leave the premises or risk trespassing charges. Your security system can then track where trespassers go on campus and send real-time alerts if they enter high-security areas, if a weapon is detected, and so on.
Some schools are also adding gun detection video analytics. These can be used in combination with workflow automations in a unified software solution to alert police when a firearm is detected on campus. In an active assailant event, every second counts, and an early alert could be lifesaving.
A LAYERED APPROACH TO SECURITY
When you’re ready to upgrade your campus security systems, take an assessment of your needs and requirements. You don’t need to be an expert in security technology. Your integrators and technology partners can help you explore your options for software and hardware. What you do need to know before you start shopping is to determine what you hope to accomplish with your investment in technology.
It’s important to begin with a threat assessment so you have a clear sense of what risks you need to mitigate and what other requirements you have for your system. When you have a clear understanding of the challenges and risks you’re facing, you can work with technology partners and community stakeholders to explore the different ways to solve those problems.
A layered approach to security is ideal. This includes devel- oping policies and procedures that clearly describe the roles and responsibilities of all key stakeholders, including staff, adminis- trators, visitors, students, and community partners. Consider also how you’ll communicate these roles and responsibilities and what kind of training or practice drills you might need to implement.
Another layer of security to consider is the environmental de- sign around the perimeter of your campus. Are pathways well-lit? Are there any dark or hidden areas? Do cameras have clear lines of sight? Your perimeter protection measures could also include using sensors or video analytics to alert security when a person is detected in sensitive areas after hours.
Holistic planning also includes emergency management.
Whether you’re planning for natural disasters or other emergency events, your threat assessment team should consider how policies and procedures, training, environment, security technology, and community partnerships could play a role in protecting your campus.
WHY A UNIFIED SECURITY SOLUTION IS KEY
Departments are often siloed across campuses, which leads to redundant work and slower response times. A unified security solution gives campus police oversight across all facilities and the ability to efficiently respond to emerging threats.
With a unified solution, all aspects of your security system are managed in the same place, from video surveillance to access control, evidence management, and more. Data from all systems is gathered and combined to reveal new insights. Workflow automa- tions can include triggers and actions from any part of your system.
A unified security solution is different from one that merely in- tegrates different systems. An integrated system requires connecting, upgrading, and maintaining different systems. Sometimes those con- nections can break. A unified system, in contrast, is developed as one unit with different modules that can be switched on or off as needed.
To ensure your security solution meets tomorrow’s needs as well as today’s requirements, choose a non-proprietary, open ar- chitecture solution. This will give you the most flexibility to add new hardware as your needs change and technology evolves. A unified security platform that is built on open architecture means you can choose from a long list of hardware and software tools, which you can see and manage from a single interface.
When all your physical security activities, functions, and data originate from within the same system, you can harness the flow of data across your security activities. This makes it easier and more efficient to secure people, buildings, and assets while also sup- porting operational efficiencies.
Bruce Canal is responsible for developing and driving business strategy for the education vertical at Genetec. He brings over 25 years of education-related security experience. Bruce is the former director of physical security for the eighth-largest school district in the United States and previously served as an officer for the Indiana State Police.
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