Security Breach
Unique solution for enhanced perimeter security
- By Amy McKeown
- Oct 01, 2015
As professionals in the commercial security industry, our ears perk
up whenever we hear of a security breach—such as recent perimeter
control issues at airports, the White House, and other
government and public locations. Preventing these types of occurrences
can be a huge challenge and a significant concern—
because physical entry can give an intruder access to more than just servers and
hardcopy information.
Thankfully, there are technologies that organizations can take advantage of to
be better prepared for the chance of intrusion or physical attacks.
AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE RECOGNITION
One technology perfectly suited for minimizing perimeter security threats is
Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR). This technology uses license
plates—the only visible, unique identifier on any given vehicle—to identify and
help classify vehicles.
An organization can use ALPR to support perimeter monitoring and access
control initiatives before a person even gets out of the car. ALPR scans and
records license plates with a level of accuracy and speed far exceeding the human
eye’s capability, saving valuable time and freeing up security staff for other
priority operations.
When ALPR was initially introduced more than 30 years ago, the cameras were
somewhat challenging to transport and conceal. The system relied upon the same
closed caption display sensors as camcorders and closed-circuit television cameras.
Since then, ALPR cameras have evolved to become much more sleek and userfriendly.
Infrared illuminators have replaced closed caption display sensors, allowing
the cameras to detect license plates and capture images day and night and in
almost any weather condition.
A pivotal point for ALPR technology came with the development of wireless
Internet connectivity, which allowed for the addition of online functions in remote
locations including the ability to mount and use in vehicles. Immediate transmission
and comparison of captured license plate images against pre-determined lists
also became possible.
For a commercial entity, wireless connectivity allows ALPR to send external
triggers to external devices such as access control gates or even alarms and notification systems. This becomes an invaluable tool to
security directors and officers tasked with the difficult
job of monitoring access and keeping those that may
present a threat out of the vicinity.
In addition to an infrared image of the license
plate, ALPR cameras also generate a color image that
can assist in identifying a vehicle make and model.
For companies with close relationships to local law
enforcement—such as large mall complexes or theme
parks—these capabilities provide valuable detail to
agencies investigating crimes.
In fact, most people perceive the primary use
of ALPR to be from law enforcement to help solve
crimes, but companies in a variety of industries are
using this sophisticated technology to address security
challenges.
CASE IN POINT: ALPR IMPROVES SECURITY
AT MAJOR SHOPPING MALLS
Recently, a major shopping mall management company
teamed up with local law enforcement to use
ALPR cameras on the mall’s security patrol cars for
more effective parking lot monitoring.
Each mall security patrol car is equipped with a
touchscreen monitor and two ALPR cameras on the
roof. The ALPR system automatically begins collecting
license plate data as security guards patrol the
parking lots. To avoid liability, local law enforcement
servers collect all of the information directly.
Law enforcement only is alerted when the mall
security cameras detect vehicles on law enforcement
“hotlists”—such as lists of wanted felons. Conversely,
on-site security guards only receive alerts from license
plates on the mall’s own hotlist—which could include
patrons or former employees no longer permitted on
the premises.
With law enforcement officers and mall security
guards working together, distribution of resources is
efficient and effective. The use of ALPR has improved
the malls’ and local law enforcement’s ability to deal
with a variety of issues—everything from car burglary
to a mall shooting—while also monitoring and collecting
data that helps quickly identify and diffuse
security situations.
ALPR provides this mall management company a
proactive and affordable approach to perimeter security.
Shoppers can rest assured knowing the mall is
using technology to create a safer space.
CASE IN POINT: ALPR STREAMLINES ACCESS
CONTROL AT MAJOR CORPORATION
In today’s day and age, it is not enough to have one point
of security and access control at the front desk. Companies
must validate admittance at the first point of entry
vehicle parking.
When the corporate security team at one of the
world’s largest credit card companies identified perimeter
vulnerability with its physical corporate locations,
ALPR turned out to be the best solution.
With an operation of this magnitude, it was important
that the process be efficient, and not create
an extra step for employees or authorized guests. The
ALPR solution replaced a cumbersome keypad system
and resulted in greater efficiency and security.
The credit card company uploaded a list of authorized
names and corresponding license plates to
its server. When an identified employee vehicle drives
up to one of the site’s nine entry points, the camera
nearly instantaneously captures an image of the license
plate and compares it to a list of plates on the
company’s approved “whitelist”.
If the plate is on the whitelist, the ALPR system
signals the security gate to open. This provides the
company with the ability to chronicle all license plates
for a specific location and a record of everyone entering
and leaving the premises.
Employees and guests at this location can have
peace of mind knowing there is an additional layer of
security and perimeter surveillance, without any additional
steps or inconvenience.
CHOOSING AN ALPR SYSTEM
There are many ways ALPR can protect a company’s
physical location. Before choosing a system, it
is important to conduct a full perimeter security assessment
and establish clear goals and objectives for
your ALPR program. For example: do you want to
capture only the license plate image, or the driver’s
image, as well?
Contacting an ALPR dealer is a great way to begin
the process of identifying if this technology is right
for your organization and determine what options
and products are available to fit your needs.
Companies interested in using ALPR to strengthen
perimeter security should look for a system that:
- Provides license plate images that are up to standard
- Incorporates appropriate auditing controls
- Can be integrated with local law enforcement systems
to reduce data storage liability
- Provides reporting capabilities to facilitate on-going
usage transparency
- Offers a dedicated representative to assist with
training and implementation
Location of the camera is critical. Choosing the
right location will help ensure the camera has the longest
possible exposure time, helping improve accuracy
and avoid blurred images.
ALPR can be an effective tool in a variety of
applications, providing accurate and timely information
that allows users to make quick and wellinformed
decisions. Forward-thinking companies
who recognize ALPR’s potential as
a perimeter security solution can
realize increased security and efficiency
as a result.
This article originally appeared in the October 2015 issue of Security Today.