25 November 2024 - Security Buyer Magazine

ICT’s Single System Streamlines City Services

ICT’s Protege GX system enhances security for New Britain’s city facilities, offering seamless integration, centralised control, and streamlined access across multiple locations New Britain is a thriving city in Connecticut, USA. It’s nicknamed “Hardware City”, as it houses the Stanley Black & Decker corporation headquarters. The City of New Britain turned to local ICT integrators Mammoth Security for a complete refit of security services at City Hall, followed by a system expansion to include the new Public Works Operations Center that was under construction. City Hall safely secured “Our security equipment was end of life, so we needed to go to something else,” explains Jon Delgadillo, Director of Support Services at the City of New Britain. After installing 90 doors with access control, plus CCTV at City Hall, Mammoth Security got rave reviews for their work. New Britain mayor, Erin Stewart said, “We’re really grateful for Mammoth. Safety and security is their upmost priority. They came in on-time, under budget, and made all our staff and employees feel safe.” The mayor was so impressed that the City of New Britain had no hesitation in tasking Mammoth Security to extend the current ICT Protege GX system to include the new Public Works Operations Center. System expansion for City Yard The new City Yard has 4 buildings, 24 doors, and houses the entire Department of Public Works staff and administration. Delgadillo says, “We can store the city fleet properly, including vehicles and equipment. The new Fire Department maintenance garage is attached, and it’s also going to be one of the city’s main backup data centres. Intrusion integrated Eugene Klimaszewski, President at Mammoth Security, explains what will make life easier for Delgadillo and the Public Works team. “We’ve installed long-range readers at the main gate for ease of access. And the overhead garage doors and intrusion detection are all integrated and controlled through Protege GX. Delgadillo continues, “With over 50 garage doors, being able to integrate alarms into the security platform means employees can be sure the doors are all closed before arming. Notifications that a door is open is a huge benefit of the ICT system.” Single platform shows it’s strength Protege GX is a multi-site, unified platform that can be very easily expanded and will continue to secure City of New Britain, well into the future. As Delgadillo says, “I’m looking for an access control system that is hardy, affordable, and easy to use. ICT definitely provides all of this with their world-class solution, products, and support.” One card, multiple sites The City of New Britain now has a centralised hub for ICT at City Hall. As Delgadillo explains, “Even with multiple locations that running ICT, we can see what’s going on at our hub and monitor everything from there.” “We get even more value now ICT access control is in other city facilities. With a single card or code, a person can access multiple buildings and that’s a benefit for all city personnel.” “I’d definitely recommend ICT to other municipalities, it’s such a user-friendly access system. We wish we could achieve this solution in all our facilities.” View the video – QR code to https://info.ict.co/l/817403/2024-11-11/3nrzf9 Read more exclusives and news in our latest issue here. Never miss a story… Follow us on: Security Buyer @SecurityBuyer @Secbuyer Media Contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, Security Portfolio Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@securitybuyer.com

Big Interview – Hanne Juncher

Big Interview, Exclusives, Industry Sectors, Technology / Rebecca Morpeth-Spayne

Privacy Vs Security: AI in Prisons Hanne Juncher, Director, Directorate of Security, Integrity and Rule of Law, Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law, Council of Europe talks AI in prisons Please give us a brief insight into the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe (CoE), founded in 1949 after the II World War to uphold peace as well as to promote and protect democracy, human rights, and the rule of law across its current 46 member states, has developed numerous conventions since the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights. The most recent one is the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, adopted in May of this year. On 9 October, the CoE’s governing body, the Committee of Ministers, has adopted Recommendation (2024)5 regarding the ethical and organisational aspects of the use of AI and related digital technologies by prison and probation services. The Recommendation calls on governments to ensure that prison and probation services use AI and the related digital technologies legitimately and proportionately and only if they contribute to the good management of these services and the rehabilitation of offenders. This Recommendation was elaborated by the Council for Penological Cooperation (PC-CP), a main subcommittee of the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) of the Council of Europe. How can AI alleviate security and safety concerns in prison environments? The use of AI and related digital technologies can alleviate staff from habitual repetitive tasks such as opening and closing doors, managing schedules, or monitoring movements and behaviour. These systems can enhance safety by allowing better risk management and crisis response by detecting signs of possible aggression or suicide and self-harm attempts. Predictive algorithms, for instance, can detect unusual behaviours, potential conflicts, and high-risk areas, helping staff prevent violence and maintain a secure environment. However, as AI algorithms can easily be biased (replicating the same mistakes humans make), it is essential to strive to ensure bias-free algorithms. Furthermore, AI systems should be transparent and explainable, meaning that their reasoning should be clear and understandable to human observers and decision‑makers and thus can be easily challenged if necessary. AI should always be developed and used under human control and must remain human-centred, particularly when it comes to balancing safety and security with the social inclusion of offenders. The human element should never be lost, especially in positive and motivating interactions of staff with offenders, as regular positive human contact is key to their rehabilitation and reduction of recidivism. What are the key legal safeguards in place to ensure AI technologies used in prisons and by probation services respect the privacy and dignity of detainees, staff, and probationers? The CoE’s Recommendation emphasises that AI use in prison and probation services must comply with human rights and ethical principles (transparency, human oversight, necessity, proportionality), avoiding any negative effects on privacy, dignity and well-being of detainees, probationers or staff. Any use of AI must avoid causing intentional physical or mental harm. Furthermore, AI technologies, including those used in electronic monitoring or biometric recognition, should be used proportionally and with human oversight, ensuring data and private life protection and their focus should remain on reintegrating offenders into society. When used in selection and recruitment of staff, prison and probation services should be involved in designing AI tools which meet the specific needs of staff and contribute to their professional development. AI should support, not replace, human judgment in the procedure of selection and training of staff. Read more exclusives and news in our latest issue here. Never miss a story… Follow us on: Security Buyer @SecurityBuyer @Secbuyer Media Contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, Security Portfolio Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@securitybuyer.com

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