James Kelly, pictured, Chief Executive of the British Security Industry Association trade body (BSIA), discusses the newly adopted security measures to protect the UK public.
CCTV is one of the UK’s most popular methods within technical security. Technical innovations in the CCTV sector are leading to a number of interesting applications. Even though there is still a demand for increased guarding-manpower within the UK border control agencies, the collaboration of CCTV and guarding is enhancing security overall.
A key feature included in a majority of CCTV products is video analytics (VA). Its key function is to identify specific objects. It is able to detect motion and eliminate any unwanted detail. VA differs significantly from other methods of detection ie. motion detection, infra-red and seismic detectors. VA uses recognition and classification to decide whether the object is a threat or not. For example, normal detectors would pick up the presence of wildlife and trigger an alert as all it knows is that there is something moving whereas video analytics can detect the object and recognise whether it is a human being. This ensures that alerts aren’t sent for false positives such as trees moving in the wind or birds, for example.
Video analytics’ other features include motion tracking – following the moving object; direction flow – identify the direction in which the object is moving; loitering – alert if object is stationary for longer periods of time; left and removed objects – alert if suspicious items have been left and removed; face detection and crowd counting.
One really interesting application that is showcased frequently within the CCTV sector is facial recognition software (FRS) which is an extremely powerful tool for our border control agencies. The emergence of FRS has already demonstrated its value in real world applications. It is already being widely used in airports and has transformed the way that people pass through security checkpoints by linking to biometric security gates. The technology could now become a vital tool in the fight against terrorism.
FRS is linked to a database of dangerous individuals; this helps CCTV control room personnel to flag up anyone who could be a potential threat entering our airports premises. It is able to compare up to 46,000 facial points and match any image from the database. One of the major benefits of using facial recognition technology lies in its non-invasive nature; it is a passive method of detecting a threat, which can save hundreds of people. By not alerting a suspected terrorist that you have identified them, security officers are able to quickly apprehend them.
Advanced Passenger information System (APIS)
International airports are forced to tighten up security, introduce new standards and follow enhanced protocols. They now rely heavily on APIS – Advanced Passenger Information System. APIS was introduced ten years ago in March 2006 by the US government. It is now a national legislation which means that airlines flying to certain countries listed in the legislation must provide various details about each customer. In some cases, aircraft will not be able to land if they have passengers on board where these details have not been provided in advance. Most airlines request this information completed 48 hours before you are due to fly, with some exceptions allowing you to complete the needed information two hours before flight check in.
There are 16 countries in which these rules apply; USA, Canada, Mexico, China (except Hong Kong), Japan, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, South Africa, Spain, Pakistan, Jamaica, Kenya, Algeria, Iran, Syria, Morocco.
Information required is usually designed to match the details on your passport including – passport number, issuing country, citizenship, date of birth, gender, passport expiry date and full name. USA government requests more detail when entering their country including; country and city of current residence and address of accommodation whilst staying in the USA.
This information is forwarded to the border agency which can perform basic background checks using passport details before allowing someone into the country.
Suppliers
The European security sector recognises the pressing requirement to produce a framework that can help governments and border agencies across the continent to ensure that they have the right measures in place to provide a sufficient level of protection to all its citizens.
To find out more about the products and services offered by BSIA members, visit www.bsia.co.uk.
