Read about some of the latest events and industry trends here.
Dec. 08, 2006
Care Security Surveillance helps police solve theft
Ramapo police release photos of Monsey robbers
By Steve Lieberman
The Journal News
(Original Publication: December 1, 2006)
MONSEY - Ramapo police yesterday released surveillance photos of the men who beat up a store manager
and stole money from a well-known kosher supermarket on Thanksgiving night.
Police still were trying to track down the three men who robbed Monsey Glatt on Route 59.
Detectives hope the surveillance shots showing partial faces will provide some clues to the robbers'
identity.
Detective Tom Byrnes said yesterday that three men entered the store's back door.
"They grabbed the store manager and assaulted him, beating him about the head and face," Byrnes said.
One choked the manager and held him to the ground as the two others ransacked the store and stole an
undetermined amount of cash, Byrnes said.
The victim was treated for bruises and needed stitches.
Byrnes said the video surveillance seems to show that one man beat the manager with a handgun.
All three robbers wore black hoods and masks, he said. One man carried a semi-automatic handgun.
No firm descriptions were released of the men, who wore either full facial masks or half masks coming
down below their noses.
Police suspect that the robbers targeted the kosher supermarket, which is usually open late at night.
Monsey Glatt and Wesley Kosher on Route 306 are both owned by Shimon Mendlowitz of Monsey.
Anyone with information on the robbery can call the Ramapo Police Department at 845-357-2400.
Ramapo Police Department
Jun. 07, 2006
Family of dead TCNJ student may sue for negligence
The Associated Press
Published: Tuesday, June 6, 2006
Updated: Tuesday, June 6, 2006
EWING, N.J. (AP) - The parents of a college freshman whose body was found in a Pennsylvania landfill have taken steps to sue the College of New Jersey for more than $5 million, alleging negligence that might have contributed to their son's death.
The parents of John Fiocco Jr. have filed a notice of claim alerting the institution of their plans to sue, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported for Tuesday's newspapers. Such a filing is the required first step in suing a public entity in New Jersey.
Fiocco's parents claim the college failed to provide adequate security and enforce underage-drinking laws.
The 19-year-old Sewell man was last seen alive at 3 a.m. March 25, as he slept in a room near the one where he lived in a college dormitory. Friends say he was drunk at the time.
Investigators do not know whether alcohol played a role in Fiocco's death, or whether foul play might have been involved.
His roommate reported him missing 36 hours after he was last seen, and his blood was discovered in a trash bin outside the dorm. Authorities searched a Bucks County landfill, where the college's trash is taken, for a month before finding his body.
An attorney for the family, Glenn A. Zeitz, questioned the school's security and whether the college had done enough to combat underage drinking.
The university declined to comment on the specific allegations, but said they are working with authorities, including the State Police and the Mercer County Prosecutor's office to determine the cause of Fiocco's death.
"The cause of John Fiocco Jr.'s tragic death is not yet known, and that is difficult for anyone to accept," the college said in a statement.
Police speculate that Fiocco may have gone down the dormitory trash chute, which led to the outdoor trash bin, or that someone might have placed him in the bin, which has a trash compactor.
An autopsy report has not yet been released, but police have said the body had injuries consistent with going through a trash compactor.
Freedom and Security: The Dilemma of Vessel Tracking
Lloyds List
via NewsEdge Corporation
IS THE new generation of global ship tracking technology to be the scourge of marine terrorists? Or is it a potential threat to the security of shipping as the location of just about every vessel becomes available to all?
On April 24 and 25, leading experts in the use and development of compulsory Automated Identification Systems and the impending use of long-range tracking of vessels convene at the Crowne Plaza at St James's in London to discuss how we are best providing the security and freedom of the seas rather than just overburdening ships, officers and airwaves to meet the demands of bureaucrats and politicians.
No matter who you ask in the industry, they will have an opinion on what has become one of its most sensitive issues. International Maritime Organization secretary-general Efthimios Mitropoulos is due to set the scene on the issues surrounding the introduction of improved AIS and the equally sensitive introduction of compulsory satellite-based vessel reporting and tracking.
There seems to have been general consensus on the need to track vessels as they sail the oceans, but as yet there is no complete consensus on the political, legal or financial direction.
AIS was introduced as a mandatory prescription to the shipping industry's fear of terrorism. It was hailed as a great step forward in securing safe ships and navigation but was promptly derided as being poorly set up, badly explained and, by many a navigating officer, seen as yet another piece of hardware set in another remote corner of the chartroom.
Since then, shipping companies have battled through the obligatory installation of AIS transponders and the often loathed minimum keypad device.
'In general the seafarer now likes it,' says David Patraiko of the Nautical Institute. 'It improves awareness of the surroundings, but it has severe drawbacks. Poor inputting, poor installation and incorrect data, along with improper training, made for huge inaccuracies and a lack of faith in this new technology.'
Andy Norris of the Royal Institute of Navigation concurs: 'It was introduced in a rush, but things are getting better. The next level of regulation that came in this month makes it compulsory for new radars to have a built-in AIS display. This will be a great help to bridge teams.'
However, the problems in using these technologies on board accurately have been echoed by companies such as Marico Marine which have been called in over the past five years to give advice on AIS installation and operation along with traffic monitoring.
Marico consultant Dennis Barber believes the discussion goes further and says: 'There is a plethora of instances where we have seen poor installation of the equipment, the vessel's heading being wrongly inputted, the antenna being shrouded by the vessels structure and the signal being lost.
'There is no doubt that AIS provides a simpler solution for tracking and monitoring, but there remains the issue that many think they can install and forget it, that it does not require the attention that radar or even the eyeball requires.'
Increased reliance on this rapidly improving system, especially as it becomes an integrated part of the bridge navigation system, is having its own impact.
In a recent incident, a watch officer used AIS to send a message to another vessel asking it to alter course, rather than applying the rule of the road and reports of a new type of collision risk are emerging, the 'waypoint collision'.
Traffic separation schemes have revolutionised the avoidance of collisions in congested waters, but there are stories of vessels travelling along a TSS aiming for the same waypoint, a centre point in a TSS or similarly easily navigable point.
Previously this convergence has been mitigated by inaccuracy of navigation a half-mile inaccuracy from a series of compass bearings was considered acceptable and the navigator's knowledge that an alteration can begin with that distance from the waypoint.
However, GPS provides such accurate positioning that ships are trying to get on to the waypoint and with a number of vessels aiming for the same point a number of near misses have been reported.
However, this is forgetting the primary reason AIS was introduced in the first place to aid security, making it easier for ships, ports and other authorities to identify approaching targets.
Today this AIS data is easily accessible by anyone with a receiver, and now ports and other industries are able to watch and use it in conjunction with their VTS systems, which again highlights how AIS can be a great help when used alongside radar-based tracking.
Ports such as Rotterdam and London, case studies at the vessel tracking conference, have successfully implemented their AIS systems, making their data more dynamic and accessible.
The global collection of this data is a commodity that services such as Seasearcher are using to good effect. A service from Lloyd's Marine Intelligence Unit, this provides optional real time data to subscribers who have an interest in knowing when certain ships are in port, close to ports and where they are bound.
Clearly the knowledge that a ship is coming into port over the next few hours is useful to many different kinds of person. LMIU has rolled out an AIS network to complement the Lloyd's agents around the world. They are assured that they do everything to prevent this data reaching the wrong hands.
But the threat of an attack does not just come from large ships. The threat from small vessels was proven when the Limburg and the USS Cole were attacked. It is for this reason that one of the largest ports and busiest stretches of water is pursuing a system to track every small vessel in its waters.
Singapore sees thousands of vessels pass through the straits every year, many calling for bunkers, provisions or cargo operations. They are serviced by thousands of small craft, which according to Kum Chee Meng of Singapore Technologies Electronics are vital to the smooth operation of maritime services
'These smaller vessels remains a constant major security concern,' he says. 'They are important, but the danger continues to lurk. Six years ago terrorists used small boats to attack the USS Cole in Aden and again the tanker Limburg off Yemen in 2000. The aim was to cause as much disruption as possible.'
That is why Singapore Technologies Electronics and the country's Maritime and Port Authority have been working on a system where smaller craft can also be tracked. That means that in the waters off Singapore about 5,000 craft will have to be monitored daily.
The new proposal is for an AIS B systems which is a cheaper, less robust version of the existing system. The proposal is that it transmits less data but can at least allow a small vessel's identity to be seen as well as other key data, allowing the Singapore port authority to identify radar targets swiftly and accurately eliminate the craft as a risk.
However, Hakan Lans, the inventor of the key functional technology that became AIS Sotdma, or Self-Organising Time Division Multiple Access, which prevents transmissions overlapping thinks that using a new AIS system, AIS-B, will cause huge problems
'It is strange that there is a proposal to increase the number of boats using the new class B AIS system and changing to a technology which some see has a hugely reduced capacity,' he says. 'AIS-A uses a technology that allows sharing of transmission slots, which AIS-B will not. These systems are not compatible.'
But the opportunity for a port to monitor and identify rapidly all its traffic is a benefit that many will see as outweighing any problems, and if this goes ahead the right solutions will be found.
But spare a thought for Southampton Water in Cowes week and imagine what even the most detailed AIS integrated radar picture will look like.
The next debate being raised is how to introduce global tracking. AIS is VHF-based and limited in range. Long Range tracking is a proposed total satellite based tracking system.
In its simplicity this is nothing new. Shipping companies have been requiring the masters of their vessels to report noon positions through Inmarsat for many years. Many companies even pass this information on to search and rescue services such as Amver (Automated Mutual Vessel Emergency Response).
It was originally set up to provide a database of merchant vessels at sea in the wake of the Titanic, when it was highlighted that some of the ships in the region could have rendered assistance if they had been made aware of the sinking.
A key question is what role the ship owner or manager will have in providing this information and then who has access to it. A recent IMO committee decided that if long-range tracking became compulsory, the ship should not have to pay and the data should be available to the flag state and next port of call.
However, the discussion continues as to when the port state receives the data and, more controversially, whether the countries that a ship is passing, but not calling at, gets the identity and position of vessels off its coast. Often called the 'state of innocent passage', some claim that for environmental and security reasons they should be able to monitor them.
The commandant of the Norwegian Coast Guard, Geir Osen, believes these so-called states of innocent passage should have access, adding: 'Coastal states have national and international responsibilities in the EEZ and on the continental shelf in relation to safety, security and the environment.
'Countries like Norway have, for example, a number of offshore oil and gas installations more than 100 nautical miles from its coastline and would therefore benefit from being able to track all ships which may be a threat to such installations.'
The cost of this information should be borne by all, contends Gunnar Stolsvik, head of the Norwegian Coast Guard's Legal Section.
He says: 'If coastal states have a need for such information, and we believe many states will feel that way, they will have to pay for it. Unless states are willing to pay for such information, an international LRIT system will probably never be established.'
What has yet to be determined is who manages this data, coming from every vessel at sea. Who will manage this mass of data and how will the IMO ensure the data is kept secure?
In fact, should there be an oversight body an approved independent organisation capable of enforcing the rules and ensuring the data is given to the right organisation? Some think the International Mobile Satellite Organisation should take this role, others say it should be a consortium or shared between nation states.
Valeriy Bogdanov, director-general of Russian satellite provider Morsvyazsputnik, says: 'Oversight for LRIT requires very exact definition and delineation with the LRIT Co-ordinator.
'I think that the LRIT Co-ordinator function as defined in the Comsar document will be enough to cover co-ordination and oversight and reporting to IMO. Otherwise the system becomes too bureaucratic and costly.'
In today's world, where one can go online, download Google Earth and see an aerial picture of vessels entering harbour, where almost any data is available though there may be a price tag in a world where the concern from the US authorities, or any authority with the fear of a national threat, is that of a rogue ship with a crude intercontinental ballistic missile, the IMO has every reason to take this argument seriously.
But is this integration of AIS and long-range tracking, the provision of a completely global ability to track and position every ship, a step towards totalitarian data control? The control and access to this data will have many uses.
Data is power, but is complete data, complete power, completely corruptible or trustworthy? The proof will come only when all members of the IMO agree on who should have access to the data and when they should get it.
IT network managers face sourcing problems to install access control and video monitoring converged networks
Research by the Integrated Systems Division of Gardiner Security has recently revealed that many IT network installers, managers and consultants are limited by their lack of access to sufficient product and system services to install converged networks efficiently.
As network managers expand their remit, acting on decisions traditionally made by the telephone manager and security managers (e.g. deciding upon CCTV and video monitoring, access control and intruder systems), Network Managers are not only purchasing their IP cameras from many different sources, but they are also at a loss when it comes to buying all of the necessary peripherals.
Dec. 01, 2005
The 360-Degree Revolution
Today's 360-degree cameras are providing tremendous advantages for dealers across the country
By Megan Jill PaznikA
A camera that has the ability to see everywhere at once is the Holy Grail of security. Today's 360-degree panoramic cameras give you the entire field of view in real time, over the Internet, with extraordinary picture quality -- and that's a tremendous advantage.
The majority of today's cameras are capable of capturing a field of view of 10, 20 or 30 degrees. These fields of view leave much to be desired for those who are concerned with capturing more of what's going on. Astoundingly, a high-end security camera has a blind spot of 330 degrees. It takes 10 or more conventional cameras in some applications to cover the same area as one 360-degree camera. In fact, 360-degree coverage may well be impossible with most conventional cameras.
"The 360-degree camera is like having eyes all around you," said Syed Zafar, CEO of Polar Industries.
Market Potential
"The IP surveillance market is exploding, with up to 40-percent growth rates across all product lines," said Geoff Anderson, COO of Polar Industries. "Just as cellular phones, video recording, television and radio upgraded from analog to digital formats in the early 90s, security is undergoing the same transforming shift to digital technologies.
"Ideal target markets for 360-degree cameras include the Department of Homeland Security, the military, law enforcement and retail segments. Additional applications include heavy people-traffic environments, such as transportation hubs (subways or airports), hotels and casinos, not to mention general security applications in warehouses, reception areas, parking lots and hospitals. The 360-degree camera also can be placed within each car of subway and commuter trains, on buses and in airplanes.
"Given all the new terror threats, including the bombing in London, there's a great need for more visual information," said Mike Zwolinski, COO of RemoteRealty, which focuses on 360-degree camera solutions for the Department of Defense and DHS. "One way to get a wider view is to install multiple conventional cameras, which creates a lot of complexity -- more monitors to watch, more people to watch them, more wires and more video to record. Or, you could simplify the entire system with 360-degree cameras, capture entire scenes with fewer cameras, observe more visual information, and have fewer monitors to watch and less wiring to install.
"Zwolinski said security personnel must get into the mindset of being able to look in all directions, rather than in a single direction, when deciding where to place cameras.
"Regular cameras look onto the scene. Omni-directional cameras need to be placed in the middle of what's going on, since they see all around," he said. "When they get this mindset, they'll think of the surveillance world differently and begin to place cameras differently."
Dealers Speak Up
Abe Schwab, president of Care Security Systems, a 24-person security integration firm in Monsey, N.Y., constantly reviews new technology with the goal of finding solutions-oriented products that will benefit his clients.
"The 360-degree camera definitely falls into the category of solutions-oriented products and most definitely will benefit my clients' systems' effectiveness," Schwab said.
Care Security expects to employ five 360-degree cameras in a 1.4 million-square-foot warehouse for a $22 billion manufacturer of orthopedic knees and hips. The client wants to monitor traffic in warehouse intersections.
"The 360-degree solution is very good for that application," Schwab said.
He also will use six 360-degree cameras to cover the entire perimeter of a large retailer in midtown Manhattan. It is essential that the client monitor all movement on all sides. One alternative, Schwab said, is to install 30 conventional cameras -- a very expensive proposition.
"The 360-degree camera is aesthetically more elegant, eats less hard disk, reduces labor costs because there are only six units to install and offers IP benefits -- everything is viewable and recorded," he said.
Also, the ability to remotely change settings will save Care Security time and money.
"Anyone in the camera business knows that after installation, clients want settings adjusted, sometimes weekly, requiring time and labor," Schwab said. "Unlike conventional cameras -- where, in order to make changes, you have to go to the camera head itself to adjust the iris, lens or lighting settings -- in an IP camera, you have all the administrative functions available to you on the network. You can make changes from anywhere in the world as long as you have the right to access the network the camera sits on."
360-Degree Sets Up Shop
It's a fact: 360-degree cameras are poised to start a surveillance revolution. These cameras can be used in a variety of diverse applications. Here are just a few:
Homeland security
Banks
Prisons
Transportation
Airports, seaports, borders
Reservoir protection
Police
Public transportation
Hospitals
Schools and buses
Casinos
Major public facilities
Hotels
360-Degree Cameras Take Over
The 360-degree industry is taking a step forward by forming a group called The 360-Degree PanViewTM Council, which will take on the role of marketing and promoting 360-degree technology for surveillance and security. The 360-Degree PanView Council will be charged with developing implementation models and demonstrating the advantages of the 360-degree panoramic view for its member companies.
The 360-degree revolution is rocking the security world, and as security personnel see the benefits of 360-degree views, these cameras are predicted to overtake the surveillance marketplace within the next two to three years -- representing a significant shift in market share.
This article originally appeared in the December 2005 issue of Security Products, pgs. 28-29.
Megan Jill Paznik is the president of Esprit de Corps, located in New York. She can be reached at (212) 924-3622.
Apr. 01, 2004
All Eyes And Ears On Public Transit
These days, people in transit via foot, car, bus or train more often than not have a lot on their minds
