Chief’s Comments May Be Bitter Pill to Swallow
Month in and month out, I am very proud of our magazine. However, I am beaming even more than usual as you are holding (unless you’re reading this online) our most jam-packed issue since the turn of the century (more dramatic than just saying 2000 isn’t it?). There’s a lot to digest, so let me act as your personal chef by pointing out particularly tasty morsels from our gourmet security feast.
Many of this issue’s articles are not only exclusive to the electronic security industry, but are uncommonly in-depth and have required several months to cultivate and create. Among them is an interview with Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton (see page 38 of the print version of Security Sales & Integration magazine), the only person to be chief police executive in both New York and L.A.; a profile of Mystic Lake casino (page 94 of the print version), the site of a massive digital video installation; and results of SSI’s Systems Integration Study (page 60 of the print version).
The Bratton article is sure to incite some rancor with many readers. He makes no mystery about his disdain for burglar alarm systems as they are presently designed, installed and used. Frankly, sitting face to face with him in his office, even I had to bite my tongue — particularly when he bashed mom-and-pop alarm dealers — and let him freely express his opinions.
I understand, and hope you do as well, that there is much for us to learn from someone in his position and of his mindset. If our industry is to truly partner with police in the best interests of public safety, we must understand law enforcement’s psychology and be sensitive to their needs, experiences, expectations, limitations and financial constraints.
On the upside, Bratton would not have granted this interview if he did not have interest and faith in the electronic security industry. In fact, his endorsement of cutting-edge security technology and his department’s deployment of video surveillance systems are setting the pace for municipalities to collaborate with security professionals across the nation.
The Mystic Lake feature, which anchors our special section on casino surveillance, encompasses a $5 million installation project with three casinos, a hotel and a golf course. In addition to the design of a new control room and installation of 1,600 cameras, the job included high-speed networking; fiber optics; unshielded twisted-pair signal transmission; and video projection as well as plasma and LCD flat-screen monitors.
What makes the article especially unique is that it is told from the inside perspective of the project’s consultant, our very own “Enterprising Solutions” columnist Bob Grossman. From specifying to final walkthrough, every aspect of successfully pulling off a project of this magnitude is covered with painstaking attention to detail.
The Systems Integration Study represents SSI’s continuing commitment to fill the void of hard data pertaining to the electronic security industry. Now in its second year, this graph-laden report offers fascinating comparisons with the previous year’s findings and points the way toward new trends.
As if that were not enough, this issue also sports a pair of special pullout sections on security video technology. The first installment of a new round of our acclaimed “D.U.M.I.E.S.” series finds SSI CCTV guru Bob Wimmer telling you everything you need to know about troubleshooting. The other pullout section covers the essentials of video compression.
Now try not to get so engrossed in this issue that you forget to make your Las Vegas travel plans to attend the 11th Annual SAMMY (Sales & Marketing) Awards gala set for April 4 at 4:30 p.m. at the Venetian Hotel and Casino (see page 76 of the print version of Security Sales & Integration magazine for all the details). Oh yes, and there’s a little event called ISC West that takes place that week as well. Be sure to come by Booth No. 22138 and say howdy to the SSI staff … see you there!
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About the Author
Scott Goldfine
Scott Goldfine is the marketing director for Elite Interactive Solutions. He is the former editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He can be reached at [email protected].
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