INDUSTRY FOCUS PAGE 72
Pearl Valley Golf & Country Estate
the image of a number plate and “ recognise ” the number . The number can then be used to establish the identity of the driver , or at least detect forged identities .
By using licence disc scanners combined with correctly applied CCTV equipment , we can dramatically reduce the number of criminals with the resources to breach our defences . It is essential to give security officers effective training in the use of this equipment .
Using the various technologies in combination and maintaining a system that presents the information gathered to an access controller in an organised fashion , we are able to greatly limit the possibility of criminals entering our space .
However , criminal syndicates are not all equal . Most are not equipped to evade detection by systems in the combination described above , but some are very sophisticated indeed and may be able to pass the identity verification phase at the access point – with the best security systems utilised optimally .
So the final and crucial part of the security process is to provide technology that allows the resident to make the final decision as to whether a visitor should be allowed or denied access .
Taking into account that most visitors to an estate are legitimate , and also recognising the average visitor ’ s intolerance of clumsy or slow access control , the technology
made available to the resident needs to be quick and intuitive . It also needs to accommodate the fact that people are often technophobes , reluctant to embrace complicated technologies .
It is therefore important to provide systems that allow residents to use technologies that they are familiar with . The good news is that most people are comfortable with smartphones and able to use applications designed for them .
The resident is the final filter in the access control process . The responsibility for giving an individual access should lie with the resident , so it is important to give the resident as much help as possible to make intelligent decisions . SMS-based access control systems are very effective in this regard .
TIME , ATTENDANCE AND GEOLOCATION
We need to know when contractors and other visitors arrive , when they leave and , if possible , what their movements are while inside .
Security and other contracted services are expensive . It is important to get the most out of these services , and it is foolhardy to rely on contractors to guarantee that their employees are performing to the highest standard . Traditional guard monitoring systems do not cope very well with this aspect of service delivery . Fortunately new systems exist that cater for this need to manage contractor performance better . There are companies that monitor contractor service performance levels .
Once visitors enter an estate , we need to be sure that they are where they are meant to be . We cannot allow people to wander around the estate at will .
Geolocation is the identification of the actual geographic location of an object such as a mobile phone or Internet-connected computer terminal . This technology helps ensure that contractors are where they are supposed to be all of the time .
As GPS technology is expensive , not everybody can afford it , but there are other technologies , such as QR codes , that can help keep track of individuals cost-effectively .
BOTTOM LINE
Security is a dynamic and constantly changing field . As systems become more sophisticated , so do the criminals , so it ’ s important to keep abreast of the latest trends . And Workforce Management are the experts in evaluating the security needs of estates , and designing programmes that combine the various technologies available to produce the solution best suited to that particular estate .
Glenn van der Westhuizen www . wfms . co . za