Detention Center Secures Site With Morse Watchmans System

  • May 23, 2012

The Lubbock County Detention Center, one of the largest county detention facilities in Texas, says it feels secure using Morse Watchmans key control and management system.

The center has been using the electronic security and access control systems since opening in 2010.

“Tracking keys from one shift to another is an essential procedure for maintaining a secure environment and the Morse Watchmans system provides that capability for us in an automated, easy to use way,” said CChambliss, day shift vaptain and detention response team commander. “The biggest change from the way we did things at the old Detention Center is in accountability. The KeyWatcher system automatically lets us know if any keys are not accounted for at shift change or if they were returned by another user. It allows us to take immediate remedial action.

The system secures each individual key to a Smart Key locking mechanicsm with a built-in memory chip. Every time someone takes a key or returns it to the key cabinet, the system records it. System administrators have to approve who has access to the keys. Approved users have to enter the correct PIN code on the cabinet's built-in keypad to unlock the cabinet and remove the key.

LCDC has four KeyWatcher cabinets, all of which are connected to the network so guards can monitor, update and report activity online. The captain can see who has what keys for what areas and when they are scheduled to return them.

“The system is extremely secure, easy to use and administer,” Chambliss said. “We don’t have problems with unauthorized access or missing keys and the paperwork takes care of itself. In fact, with less effort we have more usable information.”

Featured

  • Security Industry Association Announces the 2026 Security Megatrends

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has identified and forecasted the 2026 Security Megatrends, which form the basis of SIA’s signature annual Security Megatrends report defining the top 10 factors influencing both near- and long-term change in the global security industry. Read Now

  • The Future of Access Control: Cloud-Based Solutions for Safer Workplaces

    Access controls have revolutionized the way we protect our people, assets and operations. Gone are the days of cumbersome keychains and the security liabilities they introduced, but it’s a mistake to think that their evolution has reached its peak. Read Now

  • A Look at AI

    Large language models (LLMs) have taken the world by storm. Within months of OpenAI launching its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, it amassed more than 100 million users, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history. Read Now

  • First, Do No Harm: Responsibly Applying Artificial Intelligence

    It was 2022 when early LLMs (Large Language Models) brought the term “AI” into mainstream public consciousness and since then, we’ve seen security corporations and integrators attempt to develop their solutions and sales pitches around the biggest tech boom of the 21st century. However, not all “artificial intelligence” is equally suitable for security applications, and it’s essential for end users to remain vigilant in understanding how their solutions are utilizing AI. Read Now

  • Improve Incident Response With Intelligent Cloud Video Surveillance

    Video surveillance is a vital part of business security, helping institutions protect against everyday threats for increased employee, customer, and student safety. However, many outdated surveillance solutions lack the ability to offer immediate insights into critical incidents. This slows down investigations and limits how effectively teams can respond to situations, creating greater risks for the organization. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities