He added that there are other ways to use the technology. He gave an example of a security agency that was tasked to protect a statue that did not have any barriers as the intention was for it to be looked at up close.
To manage the possibly of damage, the security firm put cameras around the statue that activated an automated warning if visitors got too near.
People tend to be more open to hearing warnings from an automated voice instead of from a security officer, Mr Thomas said.
“He (a security officer) may be trying to be a bit more firm. People may take offence to that,” he said.
THE FUTURE OF THE SECURITY JOB
The industry can do away with security officers having to conduct patrol on foot, Mr Thomas said.
Instead, CCTVs with video analytics can replace this aspect of the job, he said.
“(Video surveillance work) 24 hours. It doesn’t get tired. It’s perpetual, and security officers then become response personnel instead of being the enforcers on the ground,” he said.
For this to happen, customers engaging security services have to change their mindsets, Mr Thomas noted.
“They have to be prepared to accept that a CCTV looking at an entrance or an exit can actually do a better job than a security officer,” he said.