Letter: Technology could further safety
Armed police take cover behind escalators as smoke fills the air inside the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya. (Sept. 21, 2013) Credit: AP
Recent tragedies in Nairobi, Newtown and Aurora must serve as a wake-up ["U.S. can learn from '98 not to ignore mall attack," Editorial, Sept. 24]. Soft targets such as schools, shopping centers, movie theaters, restaurants, buses and trains are the path of least resistance for individuals or groups with the goal of inflicting mass casualties.
Do you have the confidence that with our current level of security we would stop all of the attacks, half or even a few? We are entering the busiest shopping season, malls will be crowded, and even one attack would be devastating to life and the economy.
During a crisis, seconds can make the difference between life and death. I believe we should add new security technology or personnel to theaters, malls and other places.
Technology such as facial and pattern recognition can warn of a planned malicious act. If a theater exit door is opened during a screening and left ajar, simple tools can trigger an alert to security personnel. Tiny tags embedded in weapons could alert us when one of these deadly objects enters a secure area; we already tag books, medicines and jewelry. GPS and graph database technology can locate suspects' vehicles in a crisis.
Marty Fox, Syosset
