Last year’s tragic events at the Boston Marathon are a signature of our times. There is threat and peril in unexpected places. This year’s Marathon was a testament to the fact that technology and vigilance are the answer to such threats.
“All businesses are running a Boston Marathon every day,” says Ken Hantman, President of Perimeter Protective Systems, Inc. “Every business owner, manager and hard-driving employee can attest to that.” In an environment where people are striving all-out for success, and facing enough natural challenges, the sudden appearance of crime is a shock to the system that is rarely anticipated. Victimization by crime is the leading cause for new businesses to fail and indeed many decades-old businesses succumb to the same thing.
“Fortunately, subsequent to 9-11, a new technology emerged which can totally turn the tables on opportunistic thieves, vandals, and saboteurs,” said Hantman, whose company offers the technology to companies and institutions anywhere in the country, on a for-purchase or affordable rental basis. His company has been in business for 38 years and has evolved from general physical security to its present technology focus. As well it provides consultation in all areas of loss prevention from multiple sources.
“The government came to the security industry following 9-11 and said they want something that will stop intruders in real time, not simply leave a video recording to be reviewed after the fact and after the damage or wreckage is already done. Scientists working on artificial intelligence for computers for machine vision, so machines could see and to a degree think the way we do, applied that to this security application.”
Far superior to humans at vigilant surveillance of large outdoor areas, and capable of discerning intruders where rain, glare, fog or darkness would hide them from a human guard, the enhanced computer vision reliably detects them. It then, within seconds, relays an alert to human guards who need not sit there all day staring at an incredibly boring monitor screen, of, for example, empty parking lots or rooftops or whatever.
The monitoring officer then “talks down” over a high quality public address system, talking directly to the intruder. “They explain that the intruder has broken the law and is being video recorded and that police are being notified,” explained Hantman. “Nearly every intruder leaves immediately, recognizing that a real person is watching them and talking to them. Otherwise police are dispatched and they know this is a real, verified crime-in-progress, to which they give their highest priority response.” Hantman said that police give very low priority response to regular burglar alarms since nearly all are false alarms. He cites Lt. John Gannon of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Dep’t who said that from 98,000 burglar alarms they only got five arrests.
The results with the video analytic, computer artificial-intelligence-detected and human verified reports are entirely different. Initially the technology was used by Homeland Security, Naval Investigative Services, LAX Airport, Port of Boston…places of that sort. Then it was next adopted by leading Fortune 500 companies. “But the cost has come down over the past seven years so greatly that a small construction site, a car dealer or a small business can readily afford it and in fact, studies have shown the amount of petty theft and vandalism prevented. Is more than the monthly rental cost so there is immediate return on investment from day one. It can save lives, prevent arson and save businesses,” said Hantman who has counseled prisons, military, industry and insurance companies.
His company’s informative website is: http://PerimeterProtectiveSystems.com. His direct phone for contact is (877) 865-8886.