ASIS Int’l recently hosted its 60th annual Seminar and Exhibits (Sept. 29-Oct. 2) in Atlanta.
Every year as a way to present a flavor of the various ways security and life-safety systems make an impact on the host city, organizers of the event invite a handful of media members on a tour of some end-user facilities including several high-profile control rooms.
With its rising population and dedication to improving its downtown as a tourist destination, Atlanta is a city ripe for putting its security endeavors in the spotlight. Everyone remembers the city’s hosting of the 1996 Summer Olympics marked by the Centennial Olympic Park bombing, but nearly 20 years later that strategically critical area in the heart of downtown shines as a thriving hub of activity, with ongoing construction for additional tourist attractions.
One highly noticeable security effort throughout the city is the installation of video cameras — they’re seemingly at every corner, furthering Atlanta’s public-safety initiative that led to a 40 percent crime rate drop between 2001-09. Now the city’s policing and surveillance efforts incorporate 2,700+ cameras and involve the participation of private businesses, whose external video cameras expand coverage and aid canvassing and investigations.
Enlisting the help of Atlanta’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, the ASIS media tour took a behind-the-scenes look at busy Centennial hotspots such as the Georgia Aquarium and CNN Center to see how security, surveillance and life safety are handled. The trip also made stops at the command centers of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), Delta headquarters and Atlanta Police Department’s “Operation Shield” Video Integration Center (VIC).
Check out the slideshow for a peek at some of the various security concerns and solutions, including some control rooms providing the brains of the operations, that are exemplifying how Atlanta made itself a very apropos venue to welcome representatives from all walks of the security industry.
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