As a follow up to last week’s webinar on the subject (click here for news on upcoming webinars), a significant majority of physical security leaders in the U.S. would place Workplace Violence Prevention (WVP) at the top of the list as the most critical aspect of their overall physical security program… and they’re looking for innovative technologies to mitigate the risk.
Every year, nearly 2 million U.S. workers will become victims of workplace violence. Out of all 7 possible causes of death at the workplace, homicides make up 9% in America. Approximately 27% of U.S. businesses have experienced at least 1 violent workplace incident within the last 5 years. 21% of workplace homicide perpetrators in the US are co-workers. Robberies account for 85% of workplace violence deaths in the US, and 80% of U.S. active shooter incidents occur in the workplace.
Roughly 500,000 employees in the U.S. will miss 1.8 million workdays each year due to workplace violence (that is $55 million in lost wages). The annual comprehensive cost to U.S. businesses is now $130 billion compared to $36 billion in 1995. Direct losses include medical bills, workers’ comp and legal fees, and indirect losses include diminished productivity, low morale and negative publicity, damage to a company’s reputation in the long-term, and employees feeling unsafe. Lawsuits in the US for negligent hiring, negligent retention, negligent supervision and inadequate security are ranging from $500,000 for an average out of court settlement to $3 million for a jury award.
As a result, more and more Physical Security Directors and Managers are turning to Knightscope’s Autonomous Security Robots, Knightscope Security Operations Center (KSOC) software interface and AI, to provide even greater enhancements to their Workplace Violence Prevention (WVP) measures to reduce both those tangible and intangible costs.
Arguably the Most Powerful Crime Deterrent in Physical Security Today…
As robberies are accounting for such a significant number of workplace violence deaths, our clients are reporting that deploying Security Robots with a stronger physical presence – at over 5 feet tall and nearly 400 pounds, 360 degree eye-level HD video, strobe light effect and an audible patrol sound – is a definite solution for a force multiplying, more powerful visible deterrent to crime. In addition, Knightscope Security Robots can broadcast pre-recorded verbal messages automatically upon each detection of a human, providing for an even greater deterrent to malicious individuals since the robot is detecting them and acknowledging them as a human that is perhaps trespassing. As a result, Knightscope clients are reporting up to 100% crime elimination after tracking year over year crime statistics from non-deployment years and post deployment years with Knightscope Security Robots.
360-degree HD Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR), Parking Meter and Blacklisting of License Plates with Escalating Real-time Alerts for Persons of Interest…
With the web-based Knightscope Security Operations Center (KSOC) client interface or through a request to the Knightscope Customer Experience (CX) team, Physical Security teams have the ability to easily blacklist a license plate and elect proper escalation protocol to protect employees from domestic abusers; designate suspicious vehicles; and track and provide real time alerts (via email, text, voice or the KSOC user interface) for potentially hostile terminated employees returning to the workplace, malicious actors or individuals identified by police via public ‘Be On the Lookout’ (BOLO) notices. With the KSOC user interface and alert thresholds based on customer preferences, Physical Security teams can also receive real time alerts for vehicles parked for suspicious lengths of time.
Thermal Recognition and Anomaly Detection for Suspicious Persons…
Knightscope’s Security Robots have optional thermal imaging sensors for detecting and providing real time alerts (via email, text, voice or KSOC) based on customer-designated temperature thresholds for time of day for unauthorized individuals in restricted areas, suspicious persons after hours, trespassers or criminal activity as an added layer of Workplace Violence Prevention.
Blacklisting of Mobile Devices or Suspicious Devices with Escalating Real-time Alerts for Persons of Interest…
Knightscope’s security robots can detect blacklisted mobile devices in within a 400+ foot radius of the security robot, which includes actionable intelligence such as: where, when, how far away from the Robot, how long the device has been on the premises and how many other times it has been on site. Blacklisted device names can either be entered via the KSOC or provided to the Knightscope CX team as a request for blacklisting as a Person of Interest, which can include a photo and description. This WVP enhancement can detect for suspicious packages with a device inside, unauthorized devices in secured areas or threats of workplace violence. Physical Security teams can receive real time alerts for a disgruntled current or former employee coming back to the workplace to commit acts of violence, a domestic violence threat spilling into the workplace, an individual with expressed malicious intent toward an organization or its executives, or local law enforcement BOLO individuals.
People Detection with Escalating Real-time Alerts based on Time or Location for Suspicious Persons…
By training software with millions of images of people from a Robot’s perspective using deep learning, Knightscope’s Security Robots can now detect humans with extraordinary accuracy and, in some cases, better than the human eye can detect other humans. This is a powerful addition to any security program for the detection of unauthorized individuals in secured areas, suspicious persons after hours, trespassers or criminal activity. Through the KSOC, security teams can quickly and easily investigate video clips and location coordinates of People Detections plotted on a timeline, showing people detected in daylight, low light or poor visibility conditions.
Facial Recognition with Escalating Real-time Alerts for Workplace Violence Threats…
Arguably the most accurate facial recognition software available today is now integrated into Knightscope’s Security Robots & KSOC total solution, which is deployed from a more accurate HD eye-level robot perspective on the K1 Stationary machine. Security teams can receive real-time alerts (via email, text, voice or KSOC) for blacklisted Persons of Interest that are workplace violence threats.
Upon a facial recognition detection of a Person of Interest (POI) or Be on the Lookout (BOLO) individual, live automatic emergency broadcast messages from the Robots can help to prohibit POI / BOLO entry, and alert employees and visitors in the immediate vicinity of a potentially threatening individual on site. For high profile executives choosing to forego constant executive protection personnel coverage, Knightscope’s facial recognition can provide real time alerts of locations of high-profile executives for any sites where K
nightscope machines have been deployed and have detected such executives.
Live Emergency Communications for Workplace Violence Prevention…
Each Knightscope Autonomous Data Machine (ADM) is equipped with an intercom that can be used as a duress station allowing anyone to alert a monitoring service, Security Operations Center (SOC) or Command Center that a threat of workplace violence is imminent. Through the KSOC, or via intercom communications to them via cell phone or landline intercom call from the machine, monitoring service, SOC or Command Center Operators then have the ability, via the KSOC, to stop the Robot, sound the alarm, increase the patrol sound volume or alter the patrol schedule to increase Robots’ presence in critical areas. KSOC users can also listen to live audio of potential threats of workplace violence, broadcast custom or pre-recorded messages in real time, and emergency messages can be broadcasted simultaneously through all Robots at a site under threat of workplace violence.
Explore Your Options…
As security practitioners, we have a responsibility to investigate every possible solution that helps provide the safest environment for people to work. The potential loss is too great to simply continue doing “what used to work.” Do yourself a favor and setup a live virtual demonstration of our technologies to see how we can help under your specific conditions… it will be time well spent!
Sources: FBI, OSHA, US DOJ, US Department of Labor, Workplace Violence 911, American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, NIOSH
