A Camera Trained on Nothing Catches Nothing

A federal courthouse in San Diego was shut down today after a suspected pipe bomb blast exploded through its front entrance early Sunday. No one was hurt in the blast, but debris wound up on the 8th floor of the building facing the courthouse, so it was clearly not a minor explosion. Authorities are collecting evidence, but much of it is in the form of debris because, while the courthouse does have surveillance cameras, according to authorities none of those cameras are trained on the entrance door. I find that pretty amazing.

"It's too early to tell if it's terrorism-related," FBI spokesman Darrell Foxworth said about the blast. "It does not appear to be right now."

How can the FBI tell if a bomb blast is terror-related when they have no evidence at all pointing to who may have planted the bomb?

This case really underscores the importance of not just having a surveillance system but having the right system, set up correctly. Why spend money and time on surveillance cameras if they are not catching what you need? Security personnel set up surveillance systems to catch suspects in exactly these sorts of situations, when the retrieval of accurate, relevant evidence is crucial.

'Biometrics' Used to Identify Terrorists

Computer scientists and engineers are working with intelligence agencies on an international collaborative database that will use biometrics or unique individual facial, voice and physical "signatures", to identify and trace terrorists and persons of interest.

The combination of a facial expression, a spoken word, or a fingerprint could be enough to stop a terrorist attack.

While tenable results for accuracy, speed and timing are five and 10 years out, the goal is to combine biometrics with artificial intelligence to prevent terrorist attacks—an ambitious, expensive, but worthwhile endeavor.