Volume 10
Feb 2017 Edition
Incidents of concern within a transit setting can take several forms , ranging from legitimate accidents or crimes to false claims such as faked fall down the stairs to potential and actual suicides .
Image Credit : Apollo Video
In some large metropolitan areas in North America where mass transit is well established , more than 20 percent of the area ’ s inhabitants get around via public transportation .
For transportation officials and their security providers , solving the mass transit security issue begins with determining the key concerns and then creating the proper responses via security systems , policies and procedures to mitigate the risks .
Although vandalism and graffiti are very visible signs of criminal behavior in mass transit settings such as bus stops and subway stations , this is not where transportation officials typically focus their energy .
Fences and gates can secure out-of-service buses and train cars , as can remote surveillance methods to keep such vandalism at a minimum . Instead , it is the day-to-day safety and security of transit riders and employees that should become the highest priority .
This begins with creating the safest environment possible that is highlighted with appropriate signage and , when necessary , audible warnings , and supporting that with technology , such as surveillance cameras , that will document what has happened if an incident occurs .
Security Monitoring the US Capitol Subway ( Image Credit : Wikimedia )
Bus and subway stations also have become magnets for homeless people who may put themselves and others in harm ’ s way by trying to access less secure public areas within a station as temporary shelters .
If someone is injured on a subway platform and the transit provider is held liable , it could be on the hook for hundreds of thousands , if not millions of dollars .
Suicides are a major concern for operators , with personnel now being trained to look for individuals who seem distressed , are loitering in the area or are intentionally putting themselves in a dangerous situation , such as standing too close to the edge of a platform .
The deployment of video analytics , which can be programmed to send alerts when certain pre-set actions occur , can help determine when such dangerous behaviors come into play .
Analytics can also be useful in alerting security about other suspicious behaviors at a transit
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