business news Business PeoPle Sweden’s oldest festival improves security and reduces crime Malmo, Sweden George Moawad. Country Manager for Genetec in Australia and new Zeeland Montreal, Canada and Sydney, Australia Genetec Inc. has appointed Mr. George Moawad as Country Manager for the AustraliaNew Zealand (ANZ) market. In his new role, Mr. Moawad will lead Genetec business growth and nurture expanding market opportunities for the company in the region. Prior to this, Mr. Moawad served as Vendor Business Manager and General Manager Northern Region for Hills Limited, the exclusive value added distributor for Genetec. In these roles, he was responsible for the Genetec portfolio for the ANZ region, allowing him to gain valuable knowledge about the regions’ unique security needs. ”The security market in Australia and New Zealand continues to grow at an exponential rate, and as Genetec deploys more resources to expand our footprint across the region, it is an exciting time to lead the Australia-New Zealand team,” says George Moawad. Crime fell sharply at the annual Malmö Festival following the deployment of a new security solution which according to reports resulted in fewer violent crimes, more people being detained and the number of sexual offences fell by 73 per cent. The Malmö Festival is Sweden’s oldest city festival and is held in August every year. The festival attracts approximately 1.4 million visitors of all ages and nationalities. The security and safety of visitors and artists is of paramount importance when the festival is held. The organisers of the festival, the Traffic and Property Management Department in Malmö City, have therefore worked tirelessly to improve security. In 2018, an initiative was launched to enhance security measures in collaboration with the Swedish Police Authority, Skåne Regional Council and Rescue Service South. Quick and clear information The new solution that includes Axis network cameras provides quick and clear information in the event of an incident, including what and who caused it, so that interventions can take place quickly. “For the 2018 festival we wanted to collect better decision-making data, and by using technology, we could quickly get an overview of the current situation should anything happen. That allowed us to undertake a quick and effective The festival attracts around 1.4 million visitors and security and safety is paramount. situation analysis”, says Magnus Fjällström. “By using technology, staffing can be made more efficient, while safety standards are just as high.” Many risk factors Unfortunately, festivals and mass gatherings involve a risk of sexual harassment, abuse, terrorist acts and sabotage. The police’s objective was to work proactively and with incident prevention, rather than reaction, so they could effectively detect and deter delinquent behaviour before anything serious happened. The Swedish Police Authority had previously had a few cameras at the Malmö Festival. One element of the security solution consisted of vehicle barriers with sensors, which sounded an alarm if someone tried to move the barrier, and a nearby camera then zoomed in and filmed the event. Vehicle barriers are of the utmost importance to prevent vehicles from driving into crowds, regardless of whether it’s an act of terrorism, drink-driving or illness related. Intelligent cameras In addition, software was installed on the cameras to count visitors, and to monitor the flow of people in different areas. This helped the festival meet its licensing requirements for how many people are allowed to assemble in a certain area at the same time, as well as to estimate how many security guards were needed. The organisers could also estimate crowd flows to determine how many staff members were needed in certain areas. In addition, the cameras filmed audience members in close proximity to the stages in real time. “Despite smoke machines and the challenges of spotlights in different colours, and thus difficult lighting situations, the cameras worked very well and provided good quality images. Axis’ network cameras are very impressive”, says Magnus Fjällström. Less cases of assault The new security solution has resulted in a sharp fall in crime. At the Malmö Festival in 2018, the number of cases of assault fell by almost 13 per cent and the number of sexual offences fell by 73 per cent. Furthermore, considerably more people were detained thanks to evidence in the form of image material. C M Y CM MY CY CMY K German police take on body-worn cameras Idstein, Germany Motorola Solutions will equip the German federal police with its Si500 video speaker microphone and a digital evidence management software solution. The technology will help law enforcement officers and citizens to be better protected and will improve incident investigations. The Motorola Solutions Si500 combines a body-worn video camera, a remote speaker microphone that connects to the officer’s twoway radio and a smart interface in a single device, reducing the load police officers have to carry when on patrol. As part of the roll-out, 2,300 Motorola Solutions Si500 devices will be delivered by the end of 2020. Data will be securely stored in a digital evidence management system, keeping the chain of evidence intact from capture to courtroom. 24 • d ete ktor internati onal