Volume 6
ALPR: A Formidable Weapon in the War
Against Crime and Terror
July-Aug 2016 Edition
is that it can only provide evidence after the fact.
As a result, the security-minded have increasingly
turned to the relatively new technology of video analytics to fill the gap. Video analytics puts a computerized “brain” behind the “eyes” of security cameras.
Using advanced algorithms, the computer attempts
to analyze the video feed and detect objects or suspicious behaviors in the frame, alerting designated
security personnel in the event that something is
detected. Some examples include facial recognition and so-called “shot-spotter” technology, which
is designed to detect gunshots via not only video
but also audio.
The Evolution of Video Analytics
John Chigos, CEO of PlateSmart Technologies
With any luck, most of us will never directly experience the horror of being a victim of crime or terrorism. In the United States particularly, we like to
feel that we lead charmed lives that are free from
the atrocities that those in other parts of the world
witness daily. It is a mistake, however, to think that
these dangers can’t touch us in the West; just ask
the victims of San Bernardino, Paris, Brussels, Orlando, or a myriad other attacks. Recent years have
brought us these events, as well as school shootings, the on-air shooting of a TV reporter in Virginia,
attacks against military and government facilities,
and many others. These sensational media stories,
furthermore, do not even begin to encompass other
types of crimes against persons and property, such
as child abductions.
The steadily escalating nature of these threats has
resulted in an increased demand for perimeter security. Traditionally, the solution to this demand has
been to hire more professional security personnel.
While this kind of human intelligence is certainly a
necessary component of any good security solution, it is important to remember that even the best
trained and most dedicated human beings have
limitations. Chief among these is that they can’t
be everywhere at once, which gives rise to the necessity of video surveillance. Even that, however,
comes with major drawbacks, not the least of which
The earliest versions of video analytics technology
were usually more trouble than they were worth,
the expensive systems often producing an overwhelming number of false alarms and only rarely
detecting actual threats. Recent years have seen
some improvement in this situation, although it has
not been as dramatic as many had hoped.
There is one video analytics technology, however,
that stands out over the others for its reliability and
accuracy. That is video analy